Did you ever close a prayer with the words, "in the name of Jesus?" "What a strange question!" [you exclaim,] "I never pray any other way."
Good! but did you ever, after praying, wonder if your prayer would be answered, and, if appearances were contrary, doubt it entirely?
You are obliged to confess that you often have; that sometimes even while you were praying, there was in your mind a question whether it was of any use to make the request, or not. Your prayer was something of an experiment, was it not? You did not think of it in that way, but now that the case is stated, you see that it is so.
Now do you know what it means to use those words when praying, whether at the beginning or at the close? You ought to; yet if you did, you would never doubt when you pray. They mean that we are certain of receiving the blessings we ask for. It is the expression of positive assurance that the matter is settled, and that the things desired are coming in good time.
What is our warrant for saying, "In the name of Jesus"? What right have we to use His name when we pray? We have His authority for it. He says: "Whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you shall ask anything in my name, I will do it." (John 14:13-14)
If it were not for that assurance, we should never think of using His name in prayer. Then when we do use it, why should we not use it for the purpose for which He gives it to us? Any other use is to take it in vain.
But you say, "Perhaps I ought not to have the things that I have asked for; how can I then be sure that I shall have them?"
If you are not sure, find out. Instead of asking positively for a thing that you are not sure you ought to have, and thus paving the way for doubt, ask the Lord if you ought to have it, and thus leave the matter with Him, confident that if it is good for you it will come, and be perfectly content if it does not come.
There are many, many things which we may be sure it is God's will to give us. If we study His Word, the revelation of His will, we shall know them. "And 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 hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him." (1 John :14-15)
Then we can give thanks when we pray, which we cannot do if we are in doubt. We are told to let our requests be made known to God with thanksgiving: "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." (Philippians 4:6)
If there is doubt, there can be no thanksgiving; and if there is no thanksgiving, there is no true prayer. Then do not doubt, but, "Pray without ceasing." (1 Thessalonians 5:17)--Present Truth, July 13, 1899--Original title: Back Page.