When we pray, we usually end our prayers with “in the name of Jesus” (John 16:23). It is our custom. A habit. I heard a song recently that repeats—and repeats—a line about love for the name of Jesus. But if we repeat anything often enough, does it devolve into nonsense syllables? Psalm 23 uses the phrase, “for his name’s sake.” Does it slow you down or do you skip over it? A phrase like “in the name of Jesus” is too crammed with meaning to be spoken with little awareness of what is being said.
There are exceptions. Some people certainly know that is being said. In cultures with ancient roots, such as the many cultures in India, “in the name of Jesus” is the defining moment of prayer. It is the climax. All the listeners are waiting for it. Gloss over it and you have just identified yourself as in league with other gods. But, for most of us, “in the name of” does not appear in our daily language. So, we must work to recapture its impact.
Israel first knew the Lord as God, which comes close to our understanding of a surname, as in Mr. God, or,
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