Glory

Kevin DeYoung post:  Glory of God: In Jesus’ Name

John 14:12-14

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  (v. 13)


It didn’t take long for my children to finish my prayers. Whether by the bedside or at the dinner table, all I had to say was “in Jesus’ name…” and by two years old they could say “Amen!” Most Christians conclude their prayers “in Jesus’ name”, but we rarely think of this little habit as a means of giving God glory.

When we ask for good things in Jesus’ name, God gets the glory. This doesn’t mean God will give us more grandchildren, a house with 5000 sq. ft., or even healthy bodies just by tacking “Jesus” to the end of our prayers. It means that when we pray according to his revealed will in Scripture– asking for things like faith, godliness, and the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ name–God hears, answers, and gets glory. If the kids in nursery started saying “By the name of Jacob [my five year old], give me that ball,” and it actually worked, I would get glory through my son. I would beam with pride (and arrogance in my case) as kids handed over their toys at the invocation of my son’s name. In the same way, the Father is glorified when we pray in the name of his Son.