Reading the news about Barrack Obama's choice of the Rev. Rick Warren to pray in his inaugural and all the controversies that go with it, particularly ending the prayer "in the name of Jesus," I couldn't help but be reminded of the man from my dad's old church- a fresh convert to Christianity, zealous in his new-found faith, he volunteered to say "grace" at a potluck/bless fellowship.
He began his prayer by addressing God as "Our Father," I thought, "Okay, cool start!" He went on and on, until his supposed "grace before meal" began to cover the entire world. The reason for his lengthy prayer was that he was so new in the faith that he didn't know how to end a "Christian" prayer. And so, in that rather fidgety moment he ended his prayer by saying, "and uh...ah...um.....Good bye, Lord."
I choose no other way to end my prayer except in the name of Jesus Christ or in certain cases, the Holy Trinity. I was born in a Christian home, to Christian parents (a pastor for a dad and a Sunday school teacher/realtor for a mom, who both have garduate degrees in theology and Bible), I literally started going to church even before I was born. I am a certified "son of the manse." My parents, older siblings and people from church all taught me, by example, to pray in the name of Jesus. That's basically my background.
In a 10x8' classroom together with the entire Children's Sunday School class I came to personal faith in Christ one Easter Sunday at age six. And as a gradeschool kid, I learned that more than just following mere tradition, praying "in the name of Jesus" came as direct command from the Lord Jesus Himself.
“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
Now I don't pray in Jesus' name because I don't know any other way to end a prayer, but that I am following His explicit desire that His followers pray in His name, and because He delights to hear me pray to the Father in His name. In addition, there's so much theological implications to this two-sentence command- Christ's deity, Christ's advocacy, His righteousness imputed on us, He tore the veil giving us access to God's holy presence, etc.
Rick Warren wrote, "I'm a Christian pastor so I will pray the only kind of prayer I know how to pray....Prayers are not to be sermons, speeches, position statements nor political posturing. They are humble, personal appeals to God."
The whole of a Christian's life should be one of asking (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Nothing is too small to ask from the God who created tiny atoms, or too big to ask from the God who created the universe. We must not postpone prayer till we feel more worthy to do so because we will never be worthy enough to ask from God. We ask, not because we are worthy but because Jesus has invited us to ask and ask in His name.
Franklin Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham, who was a presence at presidential inaugurations for several decades, said it's wrong to expect members of any faith to change how they pray in public.
"For a Christian, especially for an evangelical pastor, the Bible teaches us that we are to pray in the name of Jesus Christ. How can a minister pray any other way?" Franklin Graham said. "If you don't want someone to pray in Jesus' name, don't invite an evangelical minister."
Billy Graham, now 90, didn't say Jesus' name during presidential inaugurations, but made obvious references to Christ.
At Richard Nixon's 1969 swearing-in, Graham prayed "in the Name of the Prince of Peace who shed His blood on the Cross that men might have eternal life." In 1997, for Bill Clinton's inaugural, Graham prayed "in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit."
We are privileged to have the Spirit who prompts and teaches us to pray, Jesus Christ who mediates for us, and the Father who loves us. Therefore, we should pray in Christ's name and expect great things according to God's will. Let us use our privileged position to ask freely and boldly in His name. A Christian is only as strong as his prayer life (1 Corinthians 3:7).
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