Jn 14:13f “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14:14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”
A superficial reading of this saying might lead us to suppose that we are being offered a ‘carte blanche’ to ask for anything we like: “Dear God, I would like anew bike for Christmas. In Jesus’ name.”
This is, of course, absurd. But what then does it mean?
Consider some other passages that speak of doing things ‘in Jesus’ name. Eric Bargerhuff (‘The most misused verses in the Bible’) notes that:
‘Jesus talked about welcoming disciples (who are likelittle children) “in my name” (Matthew 18:5). He spoke of assemblingtogether for judicial action “in my name” (Matthew 18:20). And hespoke of miracles done, cups of water given, and the Holy Spirit beingsent “in my name” (Mark 9:39, 41; John 14:26). Apparently Jesus hadmuch more in mind than prayer when he spoke about the power of his name.’
It becomes clear that to do these things ‘in Jesus’ name means that:
‘we do them in a manner that is consistent with who Christ is, what he taught, and all that he stands for (his kingdom purposes). It is to do them in accordance with God’s will, and ultimately for his glory.’
These become the ‘great works’ of which Jesus has just been speaking.
The thought is very similar to that of 1 Jn 5:14f –
‘And this is the confidence that we have before him: that whenever we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask, then we know that we have the requests that we have asked from him.’
Excluded here is any thought of using prayer as a means of manipulating God for our own ends. This would involve a superstitious, even magical, understanding of prayer. Yet this is precisely the approach of some today who try to ‘prove’ (or ‘disprove’) the power of prayer experimentally.
To ‘ask in my name’ is, according to Michaels, to ask as if Jesus were asking:
‘It is not a matter of an individual’s personal whims or desires, but of bringing to realization all that Jesus wants to accomplish in the world.’
