What's in a Name? Part 2

How do we abide in Jesus? How do we become IDENTIFIED with Him when we stand before the Father? How do we pray "IN the name of Jesus"?

-By surrendering all to Him: all our fears, all our worries, all our concerns, all our finances, all our health issues, all our families, all our lives.

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)

“And seek ye not what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you." Luke 12:29-31

“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.” (James 5:16)

-By dying to self, to show others, by our fruit, the way to Jesus, so that by our deaths we live and many around us also live.

"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:24-26)

“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man that this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:12-13)

“Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.”( James 5:20)

-By receiving freely all that He has provided for us, especially THE COMFORTER, instead of turning our backs on HIS PROVISION in doubt and suspicion because we are too intelligent to accept something that makes no sense to our mortal minds.

“When He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth; for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for He shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that He shall take of mine, and shall show it to you.” (John 16:13-15)

-By walking in obedience

“If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.” (John 15:10)

-By abiding in Him, THE WORD OF GOD. In finding our home to be there, IN HIM, IN HIS WORD, not out in the world.

“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. “ (James 4:4)

“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the word, therefore the world hateth you.” (John 15:18-19)

“Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Colossians 3:2)


Being IN the name of Jesus is the foundation upon which all of our prayers rest.

Hebrews 4:14-16 “Seeing then that we have a great high priest…. let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

“He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” Romans 8:32

It is not when we “speak the Name of Jesus” but when we are “IN the Name of Jesus” that our prayers are answered.

The Word of God tells us that we will all be tested on this at some point and it warns us to be clear on our "position". The test will prove whether we are IN the name of Jesus, or only using it having been given no real authority because Jesus doesn't even know who we are.

Luke 13:24-28 "Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are: depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out."

There are two Christian authors whose entire set of books I own and read over and over through the years to encourage me along this path.

One of the authors is Watchman Nee, a Chinese Christian pastor who was put in prison in China for 20 years for following Christ. He eventually died in prison. He was an example of all that he wrote, especially the book entitled "Be Ye Not Conformed".

The other author is A.W. Tozer, a minister for many years in the Alliance Church in America. I believe he died in the 1960's of natural causes. One of his books is titled "The Radical Cross".

Either of these books or all of their books will encourage you, as they have me, to be radical rather than just another every-day variety of Christian. I recommend them to you highly.

There are many who have entered the strait gate ahead of us, "a cloud of witnesses" Paul says to encourage us on our way.

[See comments under posting titled “What’s in a Name? Part 1” that deal with another name, that of God Himself, as well as the name of the false god Allah. More to come on that subject in future postings.]