The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1912-02-09
COUNTRY CHURCH
COLUMN
ASKING IN CHRisT's NAME
George r. smythe

Whatsoever We shall ask the
Father in MY Name. He will give
II you.-St John, 1923.
These are the words of our Lord
Jesus Christ Proably few Christians
take them to mean just what they
seem to saw. We tfink that He must
have meant "wbatsoever within cer-
tain limits" We can easily see great
objections to Gods putting such pow
er into the hands of ignorant mortals,
who know not what to pray for as
thew ought. The world cannot be gov
erned in that way. II would be as IL
the captain OF an ocean steamship
should consent to be guided in the
management Of his vessel by the re-
nuest OF child who knows nothing of
navigation. Again. two persons might
pray for things incompatible with one
arother, and God could not answer
both prayers. Furthermore, when we
have asked for some blessing, saying,
81 ask this in Christ's Name" we have
| by no means ALWAYS received what We
asked. Srch considerations lead many
TO think that our Lord did not mean
exactly what He said.
The trouble Is that we misunder-
stand the meaning of the words "in
My name" When Ethan Allen de-
manded the surrender OF Ticonderoga
the commandant inquired, "by whose
authority?" Allen, waving his sword
said "In the name of the great Je-
hovah, and of the Continental Con.
gress!" He meant that he asked by
their authority and In their might.
He clothed himself In their names, and
felt entitled to do so because, as he
believed, he was carrying out their
will.
To ask I'm Christ's name Is to ask
by His authority, and as the repre-.
sentative of His will 1t Is to clothe
ones self in Christ, and to ask with
no selfish motive, for no private end,
but wholly as His agent. When He
|
whatsoever was asked in His name,
He must have meant that he who
made the prayer was to present it in
the character of His agent No one
can ask in Christ's name who does
not put Christ's will and Christ's hon
or foremost and identify himself with
Christ in every purpose of the heart.
But when one does pray in that man.
ner, 1t is as if Christ Himself prayed.
We cannot make "in His Name" any
request that He would not make
When we have purified our desires
and surrender ourselves to Gods will
then, as we pray, God will hear in our
words the accents of Christ, He will
recognize His Son in us, and will grant
to Him all our desires. And this is
what Christ meant when He said, "It
ye abide in Me and My words abide
in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and
1t shall be done unto you"
We should carry to the throne OF
the Heavenly Grace the story of all
our needs. We should make known
unto God all our desires for ourselves
and for others. A desire which we
cannot tell to Him In prayer is one
which we ought not to entertain. But
which we ought not entertain. But there
is one condition on which alone God will
; certainly grant what we ask, and that
is that our prayers accord with the
mind OF Christ. All the resources and
gifts of heaven are freely offered to
those whose wills have become ac
cordant with Christ's will; but they
who take the Name Of Christ while
they have not His Spirit, take that
J Name in vain. May God grant us not
only to use the Name of His dear
Son, but also so to hide ourselves in
Him that His spirit may be our spir
It, His thoughts our thoughts, SO that
when we pray We may pray as He
would; and thus, truly asking in His
Name, may receive from the Father
more than we ask or think
---sfs--