Invoking the Name of Jesus Christ in Prayer

Approximately 500 Christians gathered in front of the New Zealand Parliament recently, to pray for the Speaker to bring back references to Jesus Christ in the Parliamentary prayer. Late last year the Country changed Government and the new Speaker removed mention of Jesus Christ from the prayer. It appears he did so not for malicious reasons, but that in its current form the prayer was “exclusive”, it referring to a Christian God only, excluding people of different religions and those who believed in a secular approach. His motive for change, “to be inclusive rather than exclusive…..”

I’ll come back to that last statement later, but firstly, this was the Parliamentary prayer before the removal of Christ’s name: “Almighty God, Humbly acknowledging our need for Thy guidance in all things, and laying aside all private and personal interests, we beseech Thee to grant that we may conduct the affairs of this House and of our country to the glory of Thy holy name, the maintenance of true religion and justice, the honor of the Queen, and the public welfare, peace, and tranquility of New Zealand, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” Someone asks, “So what’s the big deal? Why the necessity to invoke the name Jesus Christ in that prayer, or any other prayer for that matter? Besides, this is no longer a Christian country!”

Jesus specifically said, And 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. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you John 16:23. Quote: “Jesus is not speaking about adding words as if these were a kind of magic formula that would give power to our prayers” – Wayne Grudem. That’s right. There’s certainly no abracadabra going on here! Invoking Jesus’ name means authorization is given to come on His authority, not our own. That’s most important for a Government to grasp; it was God Almighty Himself who ordained Government in the first place Romans 13:1-5; 1 Peter 2:13-17. 

The apostle Peter commanded a lame man, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk Acts 2:6. That’s exactly what the man did; but only made possible because Peter spoke on the authority of Jesus Christ, not on the authority of himself. The apostle Paul is another example: A certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us…… I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her Acts 16:16-18. Demonic spirits respect the power and authority of the name of Jesus Christ; they do as they’re commanded without question when we invoke the name of Jesus to them. So praise God for the 500 New Zealand Christians; maybe one will get a chance to share valid reasons for invoking the name Jesus Christ with the new Speaker.

Another reason for invoking the name of Jesus Christ in prayer: Quote: “In a broader sense the “name” of a person in the ancient world represented the person himself and therefore all his good character. To have a “good name” was to have a good reputation. Thus, the name of Jesus represents all the He is, His entire character. This means that praying “in Jesus’ name” is not only praying in His authority, but also praying in a way that is consistent with His character, that truly represents Him and reflects His manner of life and His own Holy will. In this sense, to pray in Jesus’ name comes close to the idea of praying according to His will 1 John 5:14-15 – Wayne Grudem. The formulators of the NZ Parliamentary prayer would agree with this quote if they were around today.

The new Speaker’s decision to remove Christ’s name, “to be inclusive rather than exclusive” was predictable. New Zealand is a different country today than it was when that prayer was first adopted. When the first white settlers came from the UK and Europe they were by in large Christians, or of Christian heritage. Houses of worship were among the first buildings they established across the nation with attendance and membership at high levels. Back then, New Zealand was regarded as a Christian nation and whilst it’s doubtful any nation could ever accurately lay claim to such, it is highly inaccurate for such a claim to be made today. However, New Zealand’s Laws and its Constitution were and still are founded upon Judeo/Christian values.

So what difference does that make? one might ask. It makes all the difference because the Laws, the Constitution and the values are all based upon the Ten Commandments of the Bible – God-given, not man-given! To the objection that not many people care about the Bible’s God or obey His Commandments in this modern day where science is the new god, it doesn’t matter whether they care or not. Not caring or not believing changes nothing. Violate any of those Commandments and in time they will return to violate the violator! The violation of the laws of gravity and physics teach us that. For anyone questioning why society’s ills and the world’s troubles, there’s the answer. The Ten Commandments were given for all peoples, not solely for Jews and Christians.

The primary reason for invoking the name of Jesus Christ in prayer ought to be this: “Lord” “Jesus” and “Christ” are all names associated with the Hebrew name for God, “Yahweh.” The LORD is one and His name is one Zechariah 14:9. Jesus Christ is the human manifestation of God; God in the flesh. The Lord Jesus Christ is God Almighty Incarnate. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on the earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father Philippians 2:9-11. (Underline mine). This truth, once commonly accepted is now commonly rejected!

Most people today, if they give any thought to Jesus Christ, think of Him as the Savior, God’s only Son, sent by God into the world; they don’t think of Him as God Himself. Of course, there have always been vehement deniers of that and always will be; but, there has always only ever been one Savior too, long years before His 33-odd years spent on the earth. To Israel God said, I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior Isaiah 43:3. And there is no other God besides Me, a just God and a Savior Isaiah 45: 21. You (Israel) shall know that I, the LORD, am your Savior Isaiah 60:16. They forgot God their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt Psalm 106:21. And you shall know no God but Me; for there is no Savior besides Me Hosea 13:4. (Underline mine).

And so although the new Speaker says, “I tend to try and be inclusive rather than exclusive, and that’s the reason for the shape of the prayer currently,” he is excluding the one and only God there is to pray to. He may as well do away with Parliamentary prayer altogether. As it is currently, the prayer is a compromise, but God won’t compromise; He never compromises! Much wiser it is to forget about offending people; get rid of the “inclusive” mentality. For the Parliamentary Speaker who has the courage to include the name of Jesus Christ in their prayer, not only will God bless the Government of the day, He will also bless the Nation – including the offended, the non-believers, the Christ-haters, etc.

In order for the Speaker to put Jesus Christ back in the prayer he says, “I would have to be convinced that it would have to be important to a big group of New Zealanders and it would not offend another group of New Zealanders.” Only Jesus Christ can convince him of that. That means if the 500 Christians really want Jesus’ name back in the prayer they’re going to have to pray the Lord would prompt a lot more New Zealand Christians that they too begin praying for it. God is showing His hand in a few nations right now, so who knows what might happen there as a result of Christians getting serious in prayer? This may be the catalyst to multitudes of New Zealand people turning back to the Lord or turning to Him for the first time.

Invoking the name of Jesus Christ in prayer, does not mean we Bible Christians should finish every prayer with, “In Jesus name.” A couple of different examples may help: “Father God, I come to You in the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ my Savior……” Or, “Holy Father, I thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me access to You as a result of the work of Your Son, Jesus……” Or, “Almighty God, thank You for leading me to Jesus Your Son and my Redeemer……” It is not always our words that matter; it is our heart attitude towards Jesus Christ, the only One who can lead us to our great God Almighty in the first place. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me John 14:6. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Corinthians 1:3.