Have you ever wondered if you have to end a prayer with the words “in Jesus’ name, amen”? What if I told you that, sometimes, saying that phrase might actually be wrong? In this study, we’re going to uncover what it really means to pray in Jesus’ name and why it’s not about the words you say—but the authority and relationship behind them.
Let’s explore three big questions:
- What does it mean to pray in Jesus’ name?
- Must I end every prayer in Jesus’ name?
- When is it wrong to end a prayer with the words “in Jesus’ name, amen”?
The phrase “in Jesus’ name” is often misunderstood. For the past fifty to seventy years, it has been popular to believe that speaking this phrase is some magical way to declare health and wealth. Thankfully, this false, health and wealth “gospel” seems to have peaked and is finally being seen for what it is. One thing that it is not is anything that Jesus Himself taught.
Although you may not believe that “in Jesus’ name” is a magical phrase, you still might have good questions about it. Mainly:
What does it mean to pray in Jesus’ name?
Let’s first explore what Jesus’ name is. It’s “Jesus,” right? Yes, at least in English. That’s not exactly how it would have been pronounced in Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek. Although Jesus Himself claims to have existed before the world existed (see John 17:5) and the Bible claims He Himself created time (see John 1:3), He wasn’t given the name Jesus until He was born. Speaking of Mary and her virgin birth, the angel instructed Joseph:
She will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.
Matthew 1:21
Names are important. Of course, a person’s name is the designation by which they are called. You have a name, and I have a name. When I speak of an apostle, it may be helpful to say which apostle—John or Thomas? Peter or Paul? We know which one as soon as I say a name. Like Bilbo Baggins, we also understand that names carry reputation.
Bilbo: “I don’t think I know your name.”
Gandalf: “Yes, yes, my dear sir—and I do know your name, Mr. Bilbo Baggins. And you do know my name, though you don’t remember that I belong to it. I am Gandalf, and Gandalf means me!” …
Bilbo: “Not the man that used to make such particularly excellent fireworks! I remember those!”1
The Savior of the world was given the name Jesus because He came to save His people from their sins. The name Jesus means Savior or God is Salvation.
What comes to mind when I say these names? Abraham. Mary. Hitler. Elvis. Trump. Jesus. Although each of these names has belonged to multiple people over time, there have been particular people in history with these names who have colored them with a specific reputation. I’ve known a lady named Elvis who was born before Elvis Presley was. She had to spend most of her life with that connection. Consider Judas as well. There were multiple people in the New Testament known as Judas, yet one man has tainted that name for two millennia—so much so that John has to help his readers. In the farewell discourse Jesus had with His apostles, Judas Iscariot (the betrayer) already having left the room…
Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”
John 14:22–23
From this night onward, I suppose that this Judas always had to ensure the people he met that he wasn’t that Judas. The point is that names are important and they carry reputation.
To do something in someone’s name means to do so with their authority and in line with who they are, what they stand for, and what their reputation is. When a police officer commands something “in the name of the law,” he is claiming to do so by the law’s authority. When he does so, he must truly represent what the law stands for. When we live out the Christian life, this is exactly what God has in mind. When we say we are disciples of Jesus and we call ourselves after Him (namely, Christians), we know we are representing Him. And we must not take the Lord’s name with us in vain.
Have you ever heard someone say that they have trouble believing in Christianity because of all the atrocities supposedly committed in the name of Jesus? Yeah, that’s what happens when people carry the name of the Lord with them in vain. It’s no wonder that God has a problem with hypocrisy and expects His people to live in accordance with His will.
How does this relate to praying in Jesus’ name? To pray in His name has to do with what we do when we pray; it’s not a formula of words we say when we pray. Jesus told His apostles:
Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
John 14:13–14
Just a few minutes later, Jesus told them:
You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
John 15:16
Again, in the next chapter, but in the same context, Jesus said to the apostles:
And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
John 16:23–24
We can abuse these passages by zooming in on one phrase, applying it broadly, and giving people a false hope that the name of Jesus is a magical word. “Whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.” See, we will get whatever we ask from God! Careful now. As always, we need to examine the context. Let’s first remember who is speaking to whom. Yes, in a general sense, we can figure out how this passage applies to you and me today. However, directly, Jesus was speaking with His apostles the night He was betrayed. Did you see how verse 23 began? “And in that day you will ask me nothing.” This, by itself, should tell us that there is more information out there to help us understand this passage. Indeed, there is.
In the verses leading up to these promises, Jesus was preparing His apostles about how:
- He would have to go away (which happened when He died),
- He would return (by way of resurrection),
- It was good that He was going away because His leaving would bring joy (partially through the fact that His death would bring salvation), and
- He would send the Holy Spirit to them (which could not happen unless He died).
These men were about to receive the miraculous work and revelation of the Holy Spirit, which would equip them to ask anything in Jesus’ name, and God would do exactly what they asked.
How did that play out? Some weeks or months later, Peter and John met a man who could not walk. This man hoped that the apostles would give him money. Instead, he received something much better.
And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God.
Acts 3:4–8
Peter and John were able to heal this man, not by their own power, but by the power—the name—of Jesus. When the religious leaders heard about this healing, they questioned Peter and John.
And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, “By what power or by what name have you done this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.”
Acts 4:7–10
Was the council asking Peter and John what name they said out loud when they healed this man? Did Peter reply, “By saying Jesus’ name, this man was healed?” No! The question and answer were all about whose authority was used—who had given them permission and power to perform the miracle. In verse 10, Peter said by the name of Jesus, this man was healed. In the same verse, he also said that Jesus healed this man. Was it the name of Jesus, or was it Jesus Himself? Obviously, it was Jesus Himself, but He was working through the hands of others. When someone comes to town and does something “in the name of the king,” they are claiming that this deed is done by the king himself, although it is directly done by messengers sent by the king.
Similarly, when we echo the psalmist by saying, “I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High,” we are not praising the letters or syllables that make up God’s actual name. Instead, we are doing what the psalmist said right before this:
I will praise You, O LORD, with my whole heart;
Psalm 9:1
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
When we praise the name of God, we’re actually praising the One who has the name.
Later on, John explained how all Christians are able to pray in Jesus’ name.
Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
1 John 5:14–15
This John was present when the lame man was healed in Jesus’ name, and he was there when Jesus told the apostles that they would be able to ask anything in Jesus’ name and the Father would do it for them. Look closer at John 14:13–14:
Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
Many people try to hijack Jesus’ name to build themselves up with wealth and possessions. But Jesus says that His name should always be used so that the Father may be glorified. John said we should use Jesus’ name—His power, His authority, and His reputation—in accordance to His will. When we end a prayer with the words “in Jesus’ name,” this is one way we verbally express our humility. We are declaring that we are living for God.
Think about it this way—and this should blow our minds: We serve a supremely holy God. Us? Our best efforts are like dirty rags compared to the goodness of our Savior. Who are we, then, to ever try to come to His throne by our own name or authority? Yet God Himself took on flesh, lived in full righteousness, offers to blot out our sins and apply His righteousness to us, and instructs us to come to the throne of God boldly through His name and authority. We are coming to God the Father, not in our unrighteousness or standing, but through Jesus Christ the Righteous One. This is a blessing for the one who is in Christ—the one who has been baptized into Jesus and is walking in the light—the one who bears His name. We use His name to glorify God, not to build ourselves up.
Is it wrong, therefore, to ask for blessings (health, possessions, opportunities, etc.) for ourselves? Certainly not. There are plenty of examples of disciples in the New Testament asking God for personal boldness, strength, faith, health, and possessions. But if we are going to ask for these blessings in Jesus’ name, we must be asking for the purpose of glorifying God and in accordance with His will. Sometimes it isn’t good for us or for God’s glory for us to receive what we request.
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
Matthew 7:7–11
As we ask in Jesus’ name for what we think will be good for God’s glory, we need to be prepared for God’s good to be different from what we have in mind. If this is helping you see prayer in a new way, stick with me, because the last point might really challenge what you’ve always heard.
To some people on earth, my personal name means something. My friends know me by name. My family carries my name. But to the rest of the world, my name doesn’t mean a thing. Yet Jesus’ name is enough to get heaven’s attention. The Father has given us the ability to come to Him boldly in His Son’s name.
Here’s how Paul describes it:
And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:18–20
He also commands:
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Colossians 3:17
This leads to our second question.
Must we say the words “in Jesus’ name” for a prayer to be valid?
No, for two simple reasons.
- We see several examples in the New Testament of how to word prayers in Jesus’ name, and none of them explicitly end with the words “in Jesus’ name, amen,” and only a few of them actually end in “amen,” which simply means, “Let it be true.”
- To believe that praying in Jesus’ name is fulfilled by saying “in Jesus’ name” shows a misunderstanding of the subject. Praying in Jesus’ name is about what we are doing, not a formula of words we say.
Of course, what you say in prayer is important. However, when Jesus instructed His disciples to ask the Father in His name, He wasn’t telling them precisely what to say. He was teaching what to do. That’s very similar to baptism in Jesus’ name. Many people are misinformed and believe that baptism in Jesus’ name is all about what is said at baptism. But when we believe that, we are missing the beauty of the good news of Jesus. We reduce the character and power of Jesus to syllables coming out of a flawed human being’s mouth, rather than the eternal God of the universe covering His creation with His love, blood, and power. To approach God in Jesus’ name is an indescribable privilege that is possible only because the Father’s love sent His Son to die for His enemies. Notice the passages that instruct Christians to pray or baptize in Jesus’ name. It is always an instruction on what to do, not what to say. You may assert that it is good to say “in the name of Jesus” during a prayer and baptism, and I would agree. But you cannot use Scripture to teach that you must say them in order for prayer or baptism to be valid.
Although the Bible is not teaching us that we must end prayers with the words “in Jesus’ name,” is it wrong to do so? Not always, but it can be. Here’s what I mean:
When is it wrong to end a prayer with the words “in Jesus’ name, amen”?
Yes, there are times when it may be wrong for you to end a prayer with the words “in Jesus’ name, amen.” When is that?
First, it is wrong when it is simply treated as a vain, repetitive formula. There are many aspects in our Christian walk that should be regular and recurring. For example, singing, the Lord’s Supper, reading Scripture, and prayer. Because it is repetitive, if we are not careful, it could become vain repetition. Jesus instructed:
And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
Matthew 6:7
In the next verses, Jesus gave a model prayer that many people have memorized. It begins with, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.” There is nothing wrong with memorizing and repeating this model prayer. Yet many people have turned it into the very thing Jesus was warning about: vain repetition. When we verbally declare our prayers in Jesus’ name, it can be a wonderful reminder of our submission to God, knowing that we are invited to approach His throne only through Jesus. For many people, however, “in Jesus’ name, amen” has become simply the mindless sign off. It is so mindless that sometimes we don’t even enunciate, but instead say something like, “in Jess name, amen” like it is merely a rushed formality to announce the end of a prayer. In that case, it would be wrong to declare the name of Jesus, announcing His name in vain. We’d be declaring it in an empty, mindless way.
Second, the phrase “in Jesus’ name” can be wrong when we are praying or doing something that is clearly not in His name, not in accordance with His will. For example, Jesus has given us the opportunity to come to Him through faith, repentance, and baptism. I know individuals who are “good” people, but they are unwilling to obey Jesus. It may be difficult for my imperfect heart to understand how that “good” person is not right with God. I may be tempted to pray for God to overlook their unrepentant sins, bypassing the need for the blood of Jesus to be applied. This is not in accordance with God’s will, however, so it would be wrong for me to ask this of God and then say, “in Jesus’ name, amen.” Jesus would never use His power, reputation, and name to bless this prayer.
If it is your habit to end a prayer with the words, “in Jesus’ name, amen,” I am not trying to convince you to stop. But we could all use the reminder that, no matter how many times we say it throughout the day, we think about it, love it, and mean it every time.
My prayer is that this lesson has taught you well—in Jesus’ name, amen.
- Tolkien, J. R. R. The Hobbit. Collins, 1998, p. 16. ↩︎