Prayer Without Jesus?

"In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." - John 16:23-24

As a pastor, I’m often asked to pray in some public setting. And very often when I’m asked, the person giving the invitation tells me, “Now we want this to be an ecumenical prayer,” or “We want this to be a kind of generic prayer.” 

Generic, ecumenical, these are just code words for “Whatever you do, don’t mention Jesus!” Sorry to disappoint these folks, but I can’t go into a public setting and deny Jesus or my faith. 

On the other hand, I think it’s important when praying in a public setting that includes non-believers, that we say, “I pray this prayer in the name of MY Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” It would not be a true statement if we were to say, “OUR Lord and Savior.” 

What to do when God doesn't answer...

Today, I just want to share to you Pastor Bill Hybels' interesting experience after a baptism service in their church. 

He writes: "I bumped into a woman in the stairwell who was crying. I thought this was a little odd, since the service was so joyful. I asked her if she was all right. 

She said, 'No, I'm struggling.' 

She said, 'My mom was baptized today. I prayed for her every day for almost 20 years. The reason I'm crying is because I came this close to giving up on her. 

At the 5-year mark I said, "Who needs this? God isn't listening." 

At the 10-year mark I said, "Why am I wasting my breath?" 

At the 15-year mark I said, "This is absurd." At the 19-year mark 

What makes prayer pure?

Job 16:17

Pure motives. Job said his prayers were sincere: He was honestly seeking answers from God without ulterior motives. He was not lying to God; his heart was clean (see Job 6:28).

One of the temptations of prayer is self-gratification. We are inclined to ask repeatedly for things we want, not just things we need. The line between selfish and unselfish prayer is often fuzzy. Scrutinizing our motives can help sort through self-deceit.

Confession is a prerequisite to sincere prayers. Jesus taught us not to pray if we are carrying a grudge. The psalmist wrote that if there is sin in our hearts, God will not hear us (see Ps 66:18). Cleaning up unfinished business involving offenses against family or fellow workers clears the conscience so we can pray with purer motives.

How to Ask God for a Miracle

Whitney Hopler, Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer

Editor's note: The following is a report on the practical applications of Linda Evans Shepherd's new book, When You Need a Miracle: How to Ask God for the Impossible (Revell, 2012).

Since everything is possible for God, you can experience miracles in your life when you invite God to intervene – even in situations that seem impossible. But too often, people neglect to ask God for miracles in their lives, and end up settling for far less than God’s best for them.

You can always approach God with confidence if you trust in His Son, Jesus Christ. So don’t hesitate to pray about anything, including miracles! Here’s how you can ask God for a miracle:

Forget formulas and simply seek God’s presence. There are no magical formulas to use to conjure up miracles. Instead, miracles happen whenever you welcome God’s powerful presence into the situations you face. So don’t worry about trying to pray perfect prayers to convince God to do something miraculous in your life. Simply invite God to work in every situation in which you’re seeking miracles, and trust Him to do what’s best after you ask Him to intervene.