power of Jesus' name

Before Jesus left this earth He left His name with His disciples. They will pray in His name and speak to obstacles in His name, even command evil spirits to leave. Today we use His name a lot but do not find the same power manifesting as in the early church’s time. Why?

Reading some passages from the Bible we can learn more about His name and the power therein. There are much more significance in using His name than we often think. All Scripture are quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

His name gives hope

Matthew 12:21

And his name will be the hope

of all the world.”

Power of His name gives life

John 20:31 But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.

In His name, prayers get answered and requests granted

John 15:16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.

John 16:23 At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name.

John 16:24 You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.

We are identified and separated as His people by His name

1 Corinthians 1:2 I am writing to God’s church in Corinth, to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.

Our belief is in His name

1 John 3:23 And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.

His name is written and has spiritual significance

Revelation 19:12 His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself.

We are identified finally by His name written on us too

Revelation 22:4 And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads.

What does the name of Jesus do? Sins forgiven.

Acts 10:43 He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.”

Words with real power do transform lives

Words must come with real and visible power to transform. Words of God do that when the believers of Jesus carry the power of the words and the Holy Spirit into the harvest. In Acts 13-14 (quoted from Holy Bible NLT version in parts here) Paul and Barnabas demonstrated this truth. I shall quote only the parts wherein Paul preached a powerful sermon in Antioch of Pisidia (in today’s Turkey).

Acts 13:30-38

30 But God raised him from the dead! 31 And over a period of many days he appeared to those who had gone with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to the people of Israel.

32 “And now we are here to bring you this Good News. The promise was made to our ancestors, 33 and God has now fulfilled it for us, their descendants, by raising Jesus. This is what the second psalm says about Jesus:

‘You are my Son.

Today I have become your Father.[a]’

34 For God had promised to raise him from the dead, not leaving him to rot in the grave. He said, ‘I will give you the sacred blessings I promised to David.’[b] 35 Another psalm explains it more fully: ‘You will not allow your Holy One to rot in the grave.’[c] 36 This is not a reference to David, for after David had done the will of God in his own generation, he died and was buried with his ancestors, and his body decayed. 37 No, it was a reference to someone else—someone whom God raised and whose body did not decay.

38 [d]“Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins.

Footnotes:

13:33 Or Today I reveal you as my Son. Ps 2:7.

13:34 Isa 55:3.

13:35 Ps 16:10.

13:38 English translations divide verses 38 and 39 in various ways.

Acts 13:46-52

46 Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and declared, “It was necessary that we first preach the word of God to you Jews. But since you have rejected it and judged yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we will offer it to the Gentiles. 47 For the Lord gave us this command when he said,

‘I have made you a light to the Gentiles,

to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth.’[a]”

48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for his message; and all who were chosen for eternal life became believers. 49 So the Lord’s message spread throughout that region.

50 Then the Jews stirred up the influential religious women and the leaders of the city, and they incited a mob against Paul and Barnabas and ran them out of town. 51 So they shook the dust from their feet as a sign of rejection and went to the town of Iconium. 52 And the believers[b] were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

Footnotes:

13:47 Isa 49:6.

13:52 Greek the disciples.

Acts 14:1-4

Paul and Barnabas in Iconium

14 The same thing happened in Iconium.[a] Paul and Barnabas went to the Jewish synagogue and preached with such power that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers. 2 Some of the Jews, however, spurned God’s message and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas. 3 But the apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. And the Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders. 4 But the people of the town were divided in their opinion about them. Some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles.

Footnotes:

14:1 Iconium, as well as Lystra and Derbe (14:6), were towns in what is now Turkey.

prayer power 2: case study

Here is a record of a powerful prayer case: Why were the simple and short prayers effective in all cases?

Because Elisha could see the spiritual realm. He had faith as he was not looking at the seen, but at the unseen. He saw in his spirit. He knew His God. He trusted God would send him more horses and chariots than the enemy had. He knew what he had in the spiritual realm was real and he had already won the battle. David heard the marching of God's army in the spiritual realm and then sent out his own physical army, just as the Lord had told him, and he won the battle. The heavenly forces made sure of David's and Elisha's respective victory.

How did Elisha make sure what he had in the spiritual manifest in the physical? He prayed effectual prayers by faith. Effectual prayers produced results we need for victory in life.

 Jesus said, in HIs name, what we bind on earth will be bound in the spiritual realm. Do we march with the heavenly army?

2 kings 6:15-20 (Boldness of letters added)

When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha.
¹⁶ “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” ¹⁷ Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.
¹⁸ As the Aramean army advanced toward him, Elisha prayed, “O Lord, please make them blind.” So the Lord struck them with blindness as Elisha had asked.
¹⁹ Then Elisha went out and told them, “You have come the wrong way! This isn’t the right city! Follow me, and I will take you to the man you are looking for.” And he led them to the city of Samaria.
²⁰ As soon as they had entered Samaria, Elisha prayed, “O Lord, now open their eyes and let them see.” So the Lord opened their eyes, and they discovered that they were in the middle of Samaria.

Journey to see God: Be free

Matthew 25:36

I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me with help and ministering care, I was in prison and you came to see Me.

Matthew 25:35-37 (in Context) Matthew 25 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
Hebrews 13:3

Remember those who are in prison as if you were their fellow prisoner, and those who are ill-treated, since you also are liable to bodily sufferings.

Hebrews 13:2-4 (in Context) Hebrews 13 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
Hebrews 13:23

Notice that our brother Timothy has been released [from prison]. If he comes here soon, I will see you along with him.

Hebrews 13:22-24 (in Context) Hebrews 13 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations Ephesians 6:20
For which I am an ambassador in a coupling chain [in prison. Pray] that I may declare it boldly and courageously, as I ought to do.
Ephesians 6:19-21 (in Context) Ephesians 6 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
Philippians 1:7
It is right and appropriate for me to have this confidence and feel this way about you all, because you have me in your heart and I hold you in my heart as partakers and sharers, one and all with me, of grace (God’s unmerited favor and spiritual blessing). [This is true] both when I am shut up in prison and when I am out in the defense and confirmation of the good news (the Gospel).
Philippians 1:6-8 (in Context) Philippians 1 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
Colossians 4:3
And at the same time pray for us also, that God may open a door to us for the Word (the Gospel), to proclaim the mystery concerning Christ (the Messiah) on account of which I am in prison;
Colossians 4:2-4 (in Context) Colossians 4 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
Colossians 4:18
I, Paul, [add this final] greeting, writing with my own hand. Remember I am still in prison and in chains. May grace (God’s unmerited favor and blessing) be with you! Amen (so be it).
Colossians 4:17-18 (in Context) Colossians 4 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations

Acts 12:4-12

Common English Bible (CEB)

⁴ He put Peter in prison, handing him over to four squads of soldiers, sixteen in all, who guarded him. He planned to charge him publicly after the Passover. ⁵ While Peter was held in prison, the church offered earnest prayer to God for him.
⁶ The night before Herod was going to bring Peter’s case forward, Peter was asleep between two soldiers and bound with two chains, with soldiers guarding the prison entrance. ⁷ Suddenly an angel from the Lord appeared and a light shone in the prison cell. After nudging Peter on his side to awaken him, the angel raised him up and said, “Quick! Get up!” The chains fell from his wrists. ⁸ The angel continued, “Get dressed. Put on your sandals.” Peter did as he was told. The angel said, “Put on your coat and follow me.” ⁹ Following the angel, Peter left the prison. However, he didn’t realize the angel had actually done all this. He thought he was seeing a vision. ¹⁰ They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself. After leaving the prison, they proceeded the length of one street, when abruptly the angel was gone.
¹¹ At that, Peter came to his senses and remarked, “Now I’m certain that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod and from everything the Jewish people expected.” ¹² Realizing this, he made his way to Mary’s house. (Mary was John’s mother; he was also known as Mark.) Many believers had gathered there and were praying.