The first time many Christians read this, they think they just rubbed Aladdin’s lamp.
“Seriously, I can ask for anything and as long as I say, ‘…in Jesus’ name’ I get it? Awesome!!”
Um…not quite. How good of a father would God be if He gave us whatever we asked, whether it was good or not? Not a very good father. Surely, God is a better father than I am and even I know that.
But I Want It!
Yet, we, like my son, don’t like that God may not say, “Yes.” We know what’s best, right? Not really. We are sinful and not all that wise. God, on the other hand, is completely sinless, holy, righteous, all-knowing, and the very definition of wisdom.
When the Bible says that if we ask anything, “in my name,” it doesn’t mean to tack “in Jesus’ name I pray,” to the end of the prayer. It means that if we ask what God wants to give, He will give it. This meaning is even more evident in our passage from Psalm 37, today.