'In Jesus' name, amen.'

If you've been a Christian for any length of time, you've probably been forced to think through / discuss the issue of your closing words in prayer. If you're like most contemporary evangelicals in the western world, you probably end most of your prayers with something along the lines of, 'In Jesus' name, amen.'

And again, if you're like most contemporary Christians you've probably heard some preacher at some point in time go off about how praying this is more than just tacking Jesus' name on to the end of a prayer, it means praying as he would pray, asking what he would ask, seeking his kingdom first.

These things are all very true and very good and very important to know. They all have a huge impact on how it is that we pray and what it is that we pray.

But today as I was reading 2 Chronicles I came across something interesting. If you reread Solomon's prayer of dedication of the temple, just note how many times he refers to God's name.

Over and over again, Solomon asks God that when his people pray toward that place (i.e. the temple, which we now understand to be Christ) and by his name, or for the sake of his name, or because of his name, that God would hear them.

This puts Jesus' statements in a new light, altogether! If prayer, to the OT saint, was to be heard because it was concerned with the name (i.e. the character, the reputation, the fame) of God, then when Jesus says that we should pray in his name, he is putting his name on par with God's... a drastic claim indeed.

Sure fits with what Paul says in Philippians 2, though, doesn't it? The name which is given to Jesus is the name above all names... it is the name of God.

I don't know how coherent that all is, but it sure seemed like good food for thought to me.