He is here, then, reminding us of what our role is, what our work is as His representatives, as intercessors, as ambassadors for Christ.  Ambassadorship is never manifested more greatly than when we are warring in the Spirit and praying.  When He says, “In His name,” He doesn’t just mean that just speaking that name, “Jesus,” brings some immediate or some kind of a spectacular occurrence.  Praying in His name doesn’t mean we have to end every prayer, “In the name of Jesus.”  We don’t have to say that because we are that; amen?  We don’t have to say that because we are that.  Now, how do we see that being manifested?  When He says, “In My name you shall,” He’s basically saying that He’s given us the power of attorney, right?  How many of you have given someone the power of attorney?

We’ve seen that on past times on different trips that we’ve taken, some of the Africa trips, parents, in some cases, signed power of attorney because their children had special needs that we might have to act upon and so we, someone, had to have that power of attorney to act in lieu of your role as parent.  It’s just the same weight as you were there personally, isn’t it?  When that power of attorney is given, it carries the same weight, the same authority; nobody can reject or deny the right of that person to act on behalf of that situation where they’ve been given the power of attorney.  Think about that.  We have the power of attorney.  What Jesus did, we have the authority to do, praise God!  That’s what prayer is all about.  Prayer is all about enacting the power of authority, continuing the ministry of Jesus.

That’s why, when we read down in John 16, Jesus makes that one small comment, He just injects it in there and He says, “You don’t need any longer, now, as you relate to Father to invoke the power of attorney, for the Father Himself loves you as He loves Me.”  We’ve not only been given the power of attorney and can use that legally and officially, but He recognizes to us the favor of God the Father, the love that He has for us.  God is not a god that’s holding out and has to have something wrestled from Him or a demand made because I’ve been given rights in the name of Jesus.  Father loves you and wants to bless you and deliver you.  He wants to heal you and prosper you.  He wants to be present in your life.  Too many of us leave Him out of our lives in so many of the small areas of our lives.

Prayer is not just for emergencies; amen?  Prayer is not just for when we need a big miracle.  Prayer is a lifestyle.  “In him we live, and move, and have our very being,” praise God!  He speaks to us and says in James, there are so many things in our lives that we’re still holding on to and trying to work out for lack of a better phrase, not wanting to bother God.  “This isn’t big enough to disturb God.”  You can’t do anything without the Lord; amen?  “Without me you can do nothing.”  So, why do we keep trying to do stuff and then wait and get in a panic mode of prayer when things don’t seem to be going right?  James says, “You have not because you ask not.”  Now, in our prayers, and we’ve shared before that prayer is not limited to, not even exclusively for, petitioning God for things.  “God give me this, God give me this.”  All of our petitioning of God should be more like this, “Lord, use me here.  Lord, show me Your glory”; amen?  “Lord, help me to magnify You.”  That’s what I’m asking for.  I’m asking for more of His presence, more of His power, more of His grace that enables me to glorify Him because the passage in John 15 is talking about all the poignant statements on prayer in that John the fifteenth chapter is all about bearing fruit to His glory and that that fruit should remain; amen?