In Proverbs 18:10 the Word of God says: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe.” (NKV). The great power of our God is revealed even in His name! The world at large does not mind talking about God, but it despises the name of Jesus. One of the reasons is because of the mighty power of that name. There is no other name like the name of Jesus. At the name of Jesus, demons tremble! At the name of Jesus love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness are experienced by those who trust in Him. Only the redeemed have the privilege of calling upon that name. And when we do, the power of that name is released on our behalf (Luke 10:17).

Jesus is our Refuge: Then and Now

During World War II, Corrie Ten Boom and her family hid Jews from the German Gestapo in Holland. They were eventually betrayed. When the Gestapo burst into their home, they crashed through the door of Corrie’s bedroom, pulled her out of bed, and began slapping her across the face demanding to know where the Jews were hidden. As the officer continued to slap her, Corrie cried out in desperation: “Lord Jesus, help me!” Suddenly it seemed as if an invisible hand grabbed the officer’s hand and stopped it in mid-air. With an angry snarl the officer said: “If you speak that name again, I will kill you!”

Mercifully, the officer stopped beating Corrie and arrested her along with the rest of her family. They suffered horribly in the German concentration camps. Corrie was the lone survivor. But Corrie learned that day the power that is in the name of Jesus.

What a joy and blessing it is to be able to call upon the name of the Lord! His name is a refuge and strength for us. Let us with reverence, adoration, and love call upon that name. That name is Precious! And it is the inheritance of the redeemed!

Rev. James Black

In John 14: 13-14, Jesus makes a powerful statement: “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.”

What a statement! What a promise! We literally stagger at the magnitude of it! Look at those words: “whatsoever”, “anything” and “I will do it!” The prospects are limitless! Can we believe it? Is it really true? The answer is an emphatic “Yes!”

But how does this actually happen? The key is understanding what has transpired before. We must “believe” (that is have absolute trust and confidence) that Jesus is who He says He is (John 14:11). That is more than mere mental assent. It is KNOWING in the very core of our being (our spirit) the reality of Christ and being completely submitted to His will and purpose in our life.

It is understanding that we now have the great privilege of praying as Jesus prayed.
In fact, it is now the Holy Spirit Who actually prays through us (Romans 8:26-27).
Therefore, the praying that has access to such an astounding promise is praying like Jesus prayed.

Jesus never prayed for anything that was not in the Father’s will. Jesus never prayed for anything that would not bring honor and glory to the Father. The only time that Jesus ever prayed for Himself was when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane, and even then Jesus was completely surrendered to the will of the Father. His prayers were always concerned with the Father’s plans and purposes. Not His own!

If we know the Father’s will and we only desire that He be glorified, we can then pray His will and have absolute confidence that the prayer will be answered. Where we all struggle is in coming to the place where we truly discern the Father’s will and all that we truly want is what He wants. We want His will to be done; not ours! And when we get to that place “whatsoever” we ask for will most certainly be answered!

Rev. James Black