David Bahn – Reflections

John 15:12-17

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵ No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. ¹⁷These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

I understand how being chosen by Jesus puts us into a close relationship with others who have been chosen, and that implies and requires that we love one another. I understand that Jesus wants our discipleship to be productive in the long term (bearing fruit that will abide). I love the idea that Jesus calls us his friends. But it is not easily clear to me how bearing fruit that will abide is connected (“so that”) with the Father giving us whatever we ask in his name.

Many people make praying in Jesus’ name a spiritual rabbit’s foot of sorts. They suppose that by tacking on the words, “in Jesus’ name” at the end of their prayers they have prayed in Jesus’ name. While I am a strong proponent of praying specifically and explicitly in Jesus’ name, those words are no rabbit’s foot. There is much more to praying in Jesus’ name than merely saying the words.

Praying in Jesus’ name means praying in connection of all he was, is, and will forever be. It means praying in connection with his teaching and values. It means praying as though Jesus himself were praying. It means praying in faith that our sins are forgiven and his way of life is the true way to live. It means looking beyond our own purposes and desires, and seeking the things that Jesus would want for us.

Too many have turned prayer into a quasi-sanctified self-serving spiritual lottery ticket. But if we are abiding in Jesus, loving one another as fellow disciples of Jesus, and seeking to bear spiritual fruit that remains to the honor of Christ, our prayers will be shaped in such a manner that we will be seeking God’s will more than we will be trying to change his will.

There will be times that we entreat God, and storm the throne of grace with our fervent prayers. These honor God, to be sure. We should never fear to bring him our greatest challenge or the most minor concern. But as we do so, we must love one another, seek to live as Jesus’ friends, and rejoice in his call and love, reflecting that call and love in our prayers.