In the previous study (Part 1 of this series), we saw that Jesus Himself established praying to Him in His name. Paul followed this example in the New Testament, and Jesus again counseled His church to do so in these last days. Consequently, we have no biblical basis upon which to claim that praying to Jesus in the name of Jesus is erroneous.
However, some discredit this practice mostly from Jesus’ statement in John 16:23, when that statement is taken out of context (without paying attention to the sense of what is being said) or when we isolate that text from the entire biblical context. Whenever we isolate any text from its setting and/or from the entire biblical context, we can make it say whatever we want, rather than what it’s actually saying.
John 16:23, from the King James Version, read thus: “And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you” (John 16:23).
“That day” referred to in John 16:23 also refers to the time/period of Jesus’ resurrection and afterwards (John chapters 14 & 16). Even so, If we isolate John 16:23 by itself and disregard context, then not only are we to cease from praying to Jesus in this church age but we are to entirely cease from asking Jesus any question or inquiring anything from Him since He expressly said, “In that day you will ask me nothing”, and not “in that day you will not pray to Me”. Meanwhile, Jesus has said He is a friend to those who will truly be His disciples (cf. John 15:15). What kind of friendship can we have with Jesus if He indeed forbids us to ask Him anything after we are born-again?
Obviously, Jesus is not forbidding us from praying to Him or asking Him anything just as we find Paul, who received his gospel directly from Jesus (Galatians 1:11-12), praying to Jesus and asking Him to remove the thorn in his flesh. Jesus didn’t rebuke Paul for doing so but responded with an answer exceedingly greater than what Paul would have wanted, i.e., My grace is sufficient for you (2 Cor 12:7-10). This answer, a great Scripture for our learning, resulted from Paul’s prayer to Jesus.
From the context of John chapters 14 and 16, and from the entire biblical context, the sense of what Jesus said in John 16:23 is rightly captured in the Amplified version of the Bible: “In that day you will not [need to] ask Me about anything. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name [as My representative], He will give you” (John 16:23, Amplified).
It is worth noting that Jesus’ Farewell Discourse (John 14-16) was directly applicable to His eleven disciples, although it holds lessons for us too. The disciples alsways had Jesus around to ask and question him on different matters directly. Even on the night of the Farewell Discourse, they questioned Him. But after Jesus’ resurrection, they would eventually not have Jesus physically present with them, and they would not be able to question Him physically as they were used to. Jesus, however, had come to reveal the Father to His disciples and to us also (John 14:8-9, Matthew 11:27), and by His resurrection, He would make a way for them to relate to the Father directly in His name, without Him asking the Father on their behalf (John 16:23, 26-27). This applies to His churh today. But He did not pave the way to the Father for us so as to put a strain or limitation on our relationship with Him by forbidding us to ask Him anything after we are born-again.
As we see in 1 Corinthians 12:8-9 and Revelation 3:18, which are in direct agreement with John 14:14, Jesus Himself teaches us that we can pray to and ask Him whatever we may in His his name. And He will answer.
Kwadwo Omari, PhD
June 17, 2024