THE QUESTION BOX

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 95, 8 May 1937, Page 12

THE QUESTION BOX

I should be pleased to have you explain John 14:14, "lf ye snall ask anything in my name I will do it." lt would seem that many of the prayers we read or hear over the radio and otherwdse have no Christ in them. I was taught to pray in His name or ior His sake. The passage does not imply the obligation to add to our prayers the customary words, " We ask in the name of Christ," or some variation of that expression. There can be no objeetion to such a phrase an the closing of a prayer, and such a final sentence imparts a certain reverenee to the tone Of ihe petition. One often hears eueh an expression as, "We ask in the spirit o:t Jesus." And this is a fitting form of words fco employ. it impJUes thal praver uttered by a friend of our Lord is apjJrOved by ham who is the inspirer of prayer. Because he has eneouraged ' us tc take continuai advantage of the | privuege and the power of prayer it is wholly htting that we should o&'Cr prayer "at his suggestion," "by his authorily," "in His name," "in His spcrit." Yet this is not the primary meaning | of the worct, quoted by the Hvangelisi;. ■ jesus is not represented as prescribmg any formula by wkich prayer is to be validated. The saying refers rather to the attitude and relauonship of the one who prays. Our Lord was speakmg to his disciples, those who were his f riends and shared his (spirit. ' ' lf you ask anything of me as my followers," seems to be the meaning of the text. Between him and his lntimate associates there is a relationship whicii makes possible such responses to prayer as are enjoyed by no one else. This, does not imply the exclusion of any who foel the need of divine help, and call upon God or the Saviour in prayer. j But at does signify the closer approach I and the greater likelihood of linding : thd true values of prayer on the part . of those who siiare his spirit and bear ■ His name. As to whether Jesus enjoiu- : ed His friends to pray to Him, or to | the Father, in the conseiousness of I their relationship to Him, their Master, ' is not wholly clear from the eources. Several of the early versions omit the I words "of me" in the sentence, "lf I any of you shall ask of me anything I in my name." But the meaning in the passage is not obscure. Prayer is to be made to the Father in the atmosphere of Jesus "s relation to Him and to us, I£ we wdsh to address our • 'prayers to Jesus Hiaself, as conscious j of His divine and eternal being, this l is a suitable procodure,. although the j usual implioation of the New Testu- | ment is that prayer is addresscd to God [ in the spdrit of relationship tovthe Mas- c' j ter. In any Case the words "in niy j name'*' do not refer to any formula of • j address, but rather to the attitude of feiiowship aud trust in- which ail j prayer should be exercised.— From The Christian Century.