Results 1 - 4 of 4
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Ending prayers in Jesus Nane. | Col 3:17 | kalos | 18508 | ||
Will God answer your prayer if you don't end with, "In Jesus' name, Amen?" Learn what praying in the name of Jesus really means. "I think Jehovah's Witnesses really miss the point by making the big fuss about God's real name, Jehovah. Even the word Jehovah is a conflated (combined) name using portions of two different Hebrew words. We're not even sure what the tetragrammaton really was and what it was pronounced like. After you translate it into other languages, it has a different sound anyway. "What is surprising, though, is that Christians have a very similar practice. We think we are doing something spiritual and end up doing something superstitious. In the process we don't really do the spiritual thing that we intended to accomplish. The "name of God" or "in the name of Jesus" means something different than repeating those words. "Read the New Testament. It says there... "Anything you ask in my name, that will I do." We have presumed that what that means is that we must add a phrase after prayer . . . in order to make it work . . . " "Just about every time we finish praying we tack this phrase on at the end, "In the name of Jesus. Amen." We do that because we were told to pray in the name of Jesus and God would answer. We expect that in doing so it seals the power of the prayer. I think that is superstitious because praying in the name of Jesus doesn't mean saying, "In the name of Jesus." (...) "One thing you will notice when you highlight every prayer, every supplication towards God that is uttered in the text of the New Testament is that you will never see a New Testament prayer that ends with the phrase "In Jesus' name. Amen," even though the same text teaches you to pray in Jesus' name. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to draw the conclusion that we are, first, to pray in the name of Jesus, and second, praying in the name of Jesus doesn't mean ending your prayer with the phrase "In the name of Jesus. Amen," because it is never done in the New Testament. "Ending prayers with that phrase might do nothing whatsoever to the efficacy of your prayer. I even submit that it might be hurting your prayer, depending on what you mean by the phrase. "What does it mean to pray in the name of someone if it doesn't mean saying, "In the name of..."?" To read this entire article, go to: In the Name of Jesus by Gregory Koukl at the following website: (www.str.org/free/commentaries/theology/nameofje.htm) |
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2 | Ending prayers in Jesus Nane. | Col 3:17 | charis | 18526 | ||
Dear kalos, Greetings in Jesus' name! As one of the most blatant 'offenders' on this forum, I must say that I disagree with several points brought up by Gregory Koukl. "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to draw the conclusion that we are, first, to pray in the name of Jesus, and second, praying in the name of Jesus doesn't mean ending your prayer with the phrase "In the name of Jesus. Amen,"" Rocket science never brought us to Christ, either! Indeed, I have seen 'meaningless repetition' of the name of the Lord. In one single prayer, Jesus, Lord, Holy Spirit, Father, and just about every name of our God is invoked repetitively, so much so that you don't even know what is being prayed for! I find this to be 'using the name of the Lord in vain.' However, to find 'fault' with calling upon the name of the Lord, and then ending your petition, your communication with God, in His name is, frankly, offensive to me. The Word does not give us 'canned' prayers that we are to follow exactly. Jesus would not end His prayers in His own name. The apostles and other writers of the New Testament proclaimed the efficacy of the name of the Lord. To state that it "might even be hurting your prayer" is one of the more foolish statements I have come across. If it is 'just a phrase,' this might be so, but to discourage the utterance of the name of the Lord Jesus is irresponsible, as it denies those weak in faith the one Name that could help them to understand better. What he is, in effect, saying is that unless you have perfect understanding of this name, you cannot use it. So, where do we get this 'perfect understanding?' Academically? Through Gregory Koukl? NO! We come to an understanding of God by calling upon His holy name, and the Holy Spirit is faithful to hear the cry of our hearts! Yes, we need balance in our prayers! But this fellow has just taken the pendulum swing to 'opposite lock!' Blessings, my friend, and my fellow saints in Christ Jesus, charis |
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3 | Ending prayers in Jesus Nane. | Col 3:17 | Reformer Joe | 18528 | ||
Charis: I think that Koukl's point about "hurting our prayers" means that by the empty repetition of a phrase in which they put no true significance, many are actually taking the Lord's name in vain. Having listened to his radio program often, I would suggest that he is not suggesting the wholesale abandonment of the phrase itself, but a call to pray thoughtfully, with understanding of what it MEANS to pray in Christ's name. --Joe! |
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4 | Ending prayers in Jesus Nane. | Col 3:17 | charis | 18532 | ||
Dear Joe, Greetings in Jesus' name! Thank you for clarifying this, my friend. Brother Koukl's radio program is not broadcast in my part of the woods! My only point of reference was the quote on the forum and the included web-page. Which is exactly why it is important to be careful to portray 'the rest of the story.' I was attempting to do so for the benefit of our many and various participants. :-) I pray that the sum of this thread would lead us to know His holy name, and call upon His name wisely and effectively! Indeed, may we not just use a Christian 'catch phrase' or 'code word,' as my distinguished fellow and colleague kalos has so aptly posted in another thread on Christian/Bible terms. In Christ Jesus, charis |
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