Praying “In Jesus’ Name”

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“In Jesus’ name, amen.”

 Most of us that have spent any amount of time in a church setting have heard this phrase before. Most of us have probably said it before. It is a common way to end our prayers. A sort of “yours truly” sign off that we tack on to wrap things up. But what does it actually mean to pray “in Jesus’ name?” What does it mean to pray in his power, by his will, or in his Spirit? Is it possible that many of us struggle to pray publically, consistently, or boldly simply because we don’t really understand what prayer is or how to do it?

This summer Vintage, as a whole, is focusing in on the importance of prayer. If we as a church are to be known for anything in this city, my hope is that we would be seen as a people that make much of Jesus and a people that make much of prayer. In order for this to happen, however, we will need to grow in our understanding of prayer and commit to the task of praying as individuals, community groups, and campuses.

This process will look different under each campus pastor’s leadership. My goal for the Uptown Campus is to accomplish these objectives in two ways. Over the course of the summer, everyone in our Uptown family is invited to join me in reading through the book Praying Backwards by Bryan Chapell. The book provides a simple, biblical understanding for what prayer is and how we can truly pray “in Jesus’ name” and in his will. Secondly, every other week this summer we will be meeting as a campus for an hour of prayer and reflection, putting into practice what we are learning. These times will be very relaxed and informal (Children are welcome but childcare will not be provided because of space). The goal is simply for us to gather together to pray, intercede for one another and for God to move mightily in this city.

Below is the schedule for when we will be meeting this summer. Each meeting will only last an hour and will be at the Magazine Office (4523 Magazine St, NOLA 70115) where the Uptown Campus vision night was held last month. If you have not yet received your copy of the book (we do have extras as well), I will have them with me at next Sunday’s gathering, June 9, as well as at our first prayer meeting that evening. The cost of the book is $10.

Whether you are a part of the Uptown Campus or even Vintage Church, I hope that you will commit with me this summer to grow intentionally in understanding and practicing praying “in Jesus’ name,” for his glory.

Uptown Prayer Meeting Schedule

  • June 9 (5:30pm-6:30pm): Introduction and Chapter 1
  • June 23 (5:30pm-6:30pm): Chapters 2 and 3
  • July 7 (5:30pm-6:30pm): Chapters 4 and 5
  • July 21 (5:30pm-6:30pm): Chapters 6 and 7
  • August 4 (5:30pm-6:30pm): Chapters 8 and 9
  • August 18 (5:30pm-6:30pm): Chapter 10 and Conclusion