Prayin in the name of...

On Sunday i preached in the evening service and at the end i said a prayer... Nothing really noteworthy about that.

Afterwards, a caring person brought to my attention that i didn't end the prayer "in the name of Jesus."

In truth, i don't always, and my reasoning is that the "name of Jesus" is not a magical incantation to make God respond.

Although Jesus does say that... I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it." (John 14:13-14) and... Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name (John 15:16) the "in Jesus's name" doesn't seem to be the huge deal in the Bible that we can make it today. The early church doesn't do it consistently (or at least not in a way to sign off praying) and Jesus himself doesn't include it when teaching the disciples what to pray (now know as the Lord's Prayer).

I think that you can pray in the name of Jesus without muttering the exact sentence. You pray in the authority of Jesus, of who He is and what He says about those who have put their trust in Him. It is because of Him that we can enter before the presence of God. We pray in the name of Jesus when our requests line up with the purposes of God in the world.

Nonetheless, i usually cap my public prayers with the sentence "in the name of Jesus (and usually adding the qualities of Jesus which apply to what i have said previously).

Why?

Because it is expected. Because (for well meaning intentions of not) forgoing the "in the name..." may distract people.

So i do it (or at least when i remember)... But not as a wondrous concoction of words that shoot my requests to God's inbox.