Monday, 30 September 2024
BY HIS POWER AND ENABLEMENT
And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you (John 16:23).
The Lord Jesus taught us to pray in His Name and not through His Name. To pray through His Name is to make Him a medium. To pray in His Name is to exercise the power of attorney He’s given to us (John 16:23-24). Someone might ask, “What then does the Bible mean in Hebrews 13:15, where it says for us to offer to God a sacrifice of praise through Jesus Christ?”
That’s a completely different thing and it doesn’t also suggest making Jesus a medium. It says, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name” (Hebrews 13:15 NIV). First, our understanding of the scripture must go beyond semantics. When it comes to offering praise to God “through” Jesus Christ, one option might be, "Oh Lord Jesus, give my praise to the Father for me." Another could be, "Oh Father, I praise you through Jesus Christ." While these phrases may seem viable to the senses, spiritually, they both are ridiculous.
For instance, in Hebrews 9:14, the Bible tells us how Jesus offered Himself to God through the Holy Spirit. This means He offered Himself by the power or the enablement of the Holy Spirit. He did it through the agency of the Holy Spirit’s power. In the same way, when we do whatever we do to the Father through Christ Jesus, it’s not about Christ being a medium. It's us functioning in His power and enablement.
For example, when Paul says, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me," (Philippians 4:13) he meant that it’s through Christ’s power and enablement that he accomplishes all things. That’s our testimony. Our sufficiency is of Him (2 Corinthians 3:5), which means we function by and through His divine ability. Only sinners need a medium, which Jesus is to them (John 14:6); but once in Christ, you no longer need a medium; you’re united with Christ in God. You’re a member of His body, the church. He is in us, and we are in Him. We have become inseparably one with Him. He gave us His Name to live by, to pray, and to offer our praises.
PRAYER: Dear Father, thank you for the privilege of praying in the Name of Jesus. I recognize the power and authority you have given me to live and do all things in His Name. I consciously act in alignment with this divine authority, understanding that I am empowered by Christ to accomplish all things. My life continually reflects your will and brings glory to you, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY:
2 Corinthians 3:5 AMPC; Colossians 3:17; John 14:13-14; Acts 1:8 AMPC
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Ephesians 5:22-6:1-9 & Isaiah 29-30
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 2 Timothy 4:11-22 & Jeremiah 48