The apostle Peter gave a startling answer to Jewish authorities who asked how a lame man was healed at the gate of the Temple in the early days of the Christian church.
Speaking to the men who arrested him and the apostle John, he said the lame man was healed "by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead." (Acts 4:10)
The name of Jesus? Yes, the name of Jesus is powerful.
Joyce Meyer explains in her book The Power of Simple Prayer what praying in the name of Jesus really means. It means that we are approaching God "on the merits of Jesus".
The precondition is that I must approach God with "a heart that believes in him, trusts His power, and is submitted to his Lordship".
She says a friend, who was a committed believer, was driving home and his son fell out of the car while he was making a sharp turn. (This was in the days before seat belts.) Horrified, he saw a car speeding towards the little boy and he shouted in panic: "Jesus!"
He stopped his car and ran to his son who was fine. The other driver was close to hysterics, so he assured him he could thank God because the boy was unscathed. The man replied: "You don't understand. I never touched my brakes."
When we are submitted to God, "there is unbelievable power in the name of Jesus", writes Meyer.
She quotes Andrew Murray, a great writer on prayer, as saying: "When I go in the name of another, I deny myself, I take not only his name, but himself and what he is, instead of myself and what I am."
Murray also wrote: "The use of the name [of Jesus] always supposes the surrender of our interests to Him whom we represent."
Whenever we are locked in battle with the devil, Meyer says, we need to use the name of Jesus.
She points out the Bible makes clear that the name of Jesus:
Speaking to the men who arrested him and the apostle John, he said the lame man was healed "by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead." (Acts 4:10)
The name of Jesus? Yes, the name of Jesus is powerful.
Joyce Meyer explains in her book The Power of Simple Prayer what praying in the name of Jesus really means. It means that we are approaching God "on the merits of Jesus".
The precondition is that I must approach God with "a heart that believes in him, trusts His power, and is submitted to his Lordship".
She says a friend, who was a committed believer, was driving home and his son fell out of the car while he was making a sharp turn. (This was in the days before seat belts.) Horrified, he saw a car speeding towards the little boy and he shouted in panic: "Jesus!"
He stopped his car and ran to his son who was fine. The other driver was close to hysterics, so he assured him he could thank God because the boy was unscathed. The man replied: "You don't understand. I never touched my brakes."
When we are submitted to God, "there is unbelievable power in the name of Jesus", writes Meyer.
She quotes Andrew Murray, a great writer on prayer, as saying: "When I go in the name of another, I deny myself, I take not only his name, but himself and what he is, instead of myself and what I am."
Murray also wrote: "The use of the name [of Jesus] always supposes the surrender of our interests to Him whom we represent."
Whenever we are locked in battle with the devil, Meyer says, we need to use the name of Jesus.
She points out the Bible makes clear that the name of Jesus:
- has power to save (Acts 4:12);
- assures us of the presence of God when meeting with others (Matthew 18:20); and
- sets us free from spiritual darkness (Mark 16:17).
All praise to Jesus!
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