Forged Prayer

The paper was signed and returned as instructed and very promptly, I might add.   But the signature was…well…questionable.  Unless “Mrs. Smith” had suffered from a stroke since the last time she signed a paper  or went into convulsions while signing this paper, this was not her signature.

Having been in education for a number of years, I have seen various attempts of students trying to forge their parents name.  Undoubtedly, the student had received a bad grade or poor report card and was afraid to show it to their parents, but it had to be signed and returned.  So, the paper comes back to the teacher, it has “mom’s” name on it, but “mom” didn’t sign it.  It was done in “mom’s name” but “mom” had never approved.

How many times have we closed our prayer “in Jesus name, Amen” and forged Jesus’ name on our prayer?

Scripture does say,

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. 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 any thing in my name, I will do it. – John 14:12-14

Unfortunately, we treat those words – “in Jesus name” – as if they were the secret ingredient to the recipe of prayer or the magic words that will grant us all that we desire.  But that is not what the verse teaches.

Using the same analogy of the pump house from “The Hose of Prayer,” when the hose of prayer is connected to the spigot of faith [a life of faith], the well of living water should gush forth.

Jesus Christ said…

I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.  John 14:6

He is the only source of living water.  If Jesus is our source of life, the day by day “walking by faith and not by sight” life; if the flow of His life and His living water has replaced our life and the contaminated waters of self; then, our lives will be such that when we pray the springs of living water in our souls is so pure that the Father hears from heaven and says “That sounds just like my Son, Jesus.  That is exactly what He would have prayed.”  Yet I wonder how many times the Father says, “They said it was in Jesus name, but that doesn’t sound anything like what My Son Jesus would say.”

We live for ourselves, yet somehow believe that by adding the words “in Jesus’ name” to our prayers hides the impurities of our life and our prayers.  “In Jesus’ name” are not simply words, but a manner of living.  It is having a relationship with Him that is so close, we can speak candidly…

let this cup pass from me:

yet submitting humbly…

nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. – Matt. 26:39

You may have never forged a check, signed your parents name on a test paper or report card, or stolen someones identity.  But how many times have we carelessly forged our Saviors name to prayers that bear no resemblance to Him?

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: – Philippians 2:5

be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind – Rom. 12:2

True prayer is not to be a blank check, but rather, a check that bears His approval.

[Article 4 of 7 in Series on Prayer]

Article 1 – An Anomaly of the Christian Life

Article 2 – Between Friend

Article 3 – The Hose of Prayer

Article 4 – Forged Prayer

Article 5 – Lord, Teach Us to Pray

Article 6 – The Praying Hands

Article 7 – God Remembered