This morning is going to feel a little different. There's been a few things in the back of my mind I've wanted to try to teach for a while-- and wrestle with myself-- and I just haven't taken the time. Today, I'm going to try to work through these things.
The other thing I'll say, up front, is that this will maybe be a dense, nerdy sermon. Which will shock you, no doubt. You won't remember everything. But I'm happy to give a copy to whoever wants it.
Let's start by rereading from John 13:31-14:14.
(31) Then, when he had gone out, he says-- Jesus--
"Now the Son of Man was glorified,
and God was glorified in him.
If God was glorified in him, also, God will glorify him in himself,
and immediately/at once He will glorify him.
(33) Little children, yet a little time with you, I am.
You will seek me,
and just as I said to the Judeans,
that where I am going, you aren't able to come,
also to you I say now.
(34) A new command I give you: that you love one another.
Just as I loved you, that also you shall love one another.
(35) By this all will know that my disciples you are: if love you have for one another.
(36) He says to him-- Simon Peter--
"Lord, where are you going?"
He answered-- Jesus--
"Where I am going, you aren't able, me now, to follow.
Now, you will follow later."
(37) He says to him-- Peter--
"Lord, why am I not able, you, to follow now?
My life for you I will lay down."
(38) He replied-- Jesus--
"Your life for me you will lay down?
Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will absolutely not crow until you have denied me three times."
(14:1) They must not be troubled-- your hearts.
[You] Give allegiance to God.
Also, toward me, give allegiance.
(2) In my Father's house, many rooms, there are.
Now, if not, I would've told you,
because I am going to make a place for you,
and if I go and I make a place for you, again I am coming,
and I will receive you toward myself,
in order that, where I am, also you shall be,
(4) and where I am going, you know the way."
(5) He says to him-- Thomas--
"Lord, we don't know where you are going.
How are we able, the way, to know?"
(6) He says to him-- Jesus--
"I am the way, and the truth, and the life.
No one comes toward the Father,
except only through me.
(7) If you had known me, also my Father, you would've known.
From now on, you know him,
and you have seen him."
(8) He says to him-- Philip--
"Lord, show us the Father,
and it is sufficient for us."
(9) He says to him-- Jesus--
"For such a long time, with you, I am,
and you haven't know me, Philip?
The one having seen me, has seen the Father.
How can you say,
'Show us the Father'?
(10) Don't you believe that I [am] in the Father,
and The Father, in me, He is"?
The words that I speak to you, from myself I don't speak.
Now, the Father in me abiding, He does his works.
(11) Believe me, that I [am] in the Father,
and the Father [is] in me.
Now, if not, because of the works themselves, believe.
(12) Truly, truly, I say to you, the one "believing"/giving allegiance to me, the works that I do, also that one, he will do,
and greater than these things, he will do,
because I toward my Father am going,
and whatever you ask in my name, this I will do,
in order that the Father would be glorified in/through the son.
(14) If, anything, you ask me in my name, I will do it.
Let me just add four thoughts to what I said last week on these verses. Three of these, I've been meaning to say for a while, and just haven't. The fourth was something I just learned. And then next week we will jump back in to John, for real.
(1) The greater things that you will do, if you have faith, and you ask, aren't necessarily healings.
Jesus, throughout the gospel of John, has done different types of "works." Some of these have been healings. But we've also noticed something else about Jesus.
Jesus, throughout the gospel of John, has looked right through people. He knows their hearts; he knows what they are really like. He knows who is trustworthy and who isn't (John 2:23-24). And he knows what people will be (like Peter), and what they will do (like Judas).
How is it, that Jesus can know all of these things?
You could say, that Jesus knows these things independently of his Father. That Jesus knows these things because he himself is God. But let's reread John 14:10:
(10) Don't you believe that I [am] in the Father,
and The Father, in me, He is"?
The words that I speak to you, from myself I don't speak.
Now, the Father in me abiding, He does his works.
Jesus says that the things he does, are actually his Father's works. His Father lives inside of him, and makes all of these things possible. So when Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that she has had five husbands, and the man she's living with, isn't someone she's married to (John 4:18), this doesn't prove that Jesus is God. It proves that the Father lives inside of Jesus, and does his works through Jesus. Jesus is God's "sent one." Jesus is the one through whom the Father works.
Could God do the same thing through you, as he did through Jesus?
Let's read 2 Kings 8:7-15:
7 Elisha went to Damascus while King Ben-hadad of Aram was ill. When it was told him, “The man of God has come here,” 8 the king said to Hazael, “Take a present with you and go to meet the man of God. Inquire of the LORD through him, whether I shall recover from this illness.” 9 So Hazael went to meet him, taking a present with him, all kinds of goods of Damascus, forty camel loads. When he entered and stood before him, he said, “Your son King Ben-hadad of Aram has sent me to you, saying, ‘Shall I recover from this illness?’” 10 Elisha said to him, “Go, say to him, ‘You shall certainly recover’; but the LORD has shown me that he shall certainly die.” 11 He fixed his gaze and stared at him, until he was ashamed. Then the man of God wept. 12 Hazael asked, “Why does my lord weep?” He answered, “Because I know the evil that you will do to the people of Israel; you will set their fortresses on fire, you will kill their young men with the sword, dash in pieces their little ones, and rip up their pregnant women.” 13 Hazael said, “What is your servant, who is a mere dog, that he should do this great thing?” Elisha answered, “The LORD has shown me that you are to be king over Aram.” 14 Then he left Elisha, and went to his master Ben-hadad,[a] who said to him, “What did Elisha say to you?” And he answered, “He told me that you would certainly recover.” 15 But the next day he took the bed-cover and dipped it in water and spread it over the king’s face, until he died. And Hazael succeeded him.
Each one of us is supposed to have some charismatic manifestation of the Spirit-- a very obvious Spiritual ministry, that can only be explained as Spirit-filled and Spirit-led (1 Cor. 12:7 in context). For some of you, that's supposed to be words of knowledge about people-- like what Jesus had with the Samaritan woman. For others, it's supposed to be prophecy, like what Jesus had with Judas, like what Elisha had with Hazael.
If we saw these things happening in this church, that would be really cool, right? That would be a blessing to this church. And that would create all sorts of opportunities in evangelism.
Understand that Jesus promised that the same things Jesus did, you would do-- and greater things. And know that the "greater things" are not just healings. It includes things like prophecy, and words of knowledge. Seek these things. Desire them (1 Corinthians 12:31; 14:1).
(2) Over the past few months, I've realized that in praying for healing for people in Jesus' name, one of the things I should often do, is help people learn to have faith.
There are people I've prayed for, where I can feel the Spirit while I'm praying, and and I'm buzzing off and on the rest of the morning in the Spirit, and that person still looks the same months later. They never received the healing. They never allowed themselves to really have faith. They are still stuck in the same wheelchair, crippled by the same stroke. They still have incredible back pain.
Why does this happen? Most of the time, I'm confident it's me. I'm the weak link. I haven't been the kind of person that the Father says "yes" to. I didn't pray with the type of faith that's necessary. I was tired, or worn-out, or drifting from God. I'm still trying to grow into this, and figure it all out. But, at any rate, something was wrong with me.
But at other times, for a few people, I think part of the problem has maybe been on their end (and if I had more faith, and/or a greater measure of the Holy Spirit, I could compensate for that more than I have). When I've asked the people still stuck in the wheelchair, or still hobbled by back pain, how they are doing, this is the answer I've gotten: "This is something I will always have."
They don't have faith. They don't really believe that God could do it, or would do it.
If you are going to be brave, and claim Jesus' words about "greater things" as a promise, it's important that you listen to people, and listen for faith.
Some of the greatest healings I've seen, have happened in those who believed that they had received it (Mark 11:22-25). People (often? usually? sometimes?) have to claim their healing, and receive it. They have to let themselves hope. And you should listen to people, and help them toward that. [And in reading John G. Lake and Smith Wigglesworth, I'm struck by how much time they devote to pushing people to have faith. Every meeting Wigglesworth held, the church say this simple song with the words "Only believe."] They don't need perfect faith. But they need a little, at least, I think.
I say all of this, and now let me pick it apart in two ways:
(A) I think that everything I've said is more true for Christians, than non-Christians. God expects more from us-- from his children-- than He does from people outside of his family. We are expected to have some faith; we are expected to understand that God is trustworthy, and loyal, and powerful, and that He loves us. We are expected to understand that our Father in heaven likes to say "yes," if we have faith.
When you pray for non-Christians, in some ways it's easier. God is happy to give signs, and healings, and wonders to people to verify the truthfulness of Christianity (1 Cor. 2; Acts 4:28-30). I've seen multiple people healed despite being openly skeptical (although maybe an open skepticism is not a bad thing; they are being truthful about what they believe, which is good, and they are open-minded enough to let me pray. They are like Nathanael in John 1:46-47).
But when you pray for Christians, listen for faith. And encourage them to have faith-- to thank God that He has done it. That it's an accomplished deed. This is what Brother Ferrin did for me-- he encouraged me to believe that I had received it. And when I messed up three minutes later, and demonstrated a lack of faith, he gently corrected/helped me. Believe. And help others believe.
"Your faith has healed you" (Mark 5:34).
(B) The second way I'll pick this idea apart, that other people "need to" have faith, comes from personal experience. In the two biggest, fastest healings I've seen, I'm not sure that the other persons' faith had anything to do with it.
The first occasion, I'm not sure is a day I really want to share. It's not a day I want to do again. It's not a story I can talk about, without falling apart. I'd been demonically attacked all day (from 9-3). I don't use that language really ever. But that's what it was-- it was war. Starting on the drive to work, I felt this incredible burning sensation on my lips. Which sounds stupid, maybe. It was like the worst cold sore, of all time. I put my finger on it, rebuked it in Jesus' name, and the itching/burning left. Maybe 20 minutes later, it came back. I repeated. And I did this, over and over, all day. The spot felt like it was moving around my lower lip. But it was sharp. And there was this cloud over me-- this oppression. It was relentless.
At around three, I begged God for relief. I remembered the Lord's prayer, where Jesus taught his disciples to say, "Don't lead us into testing, but deliver us from the evil one." I told God I was tired, and needed a break. And this fog came off of me. I got relief from the cold sores. I felt free, immediately. I can still remember exactly where I was.
About an hour later, the itching/burning came back. But I just told God something like, "I can't explain my lack of victory over this. I'm too tired to fight anymore. I give up. But I will keep praying for people for healing, regardless. [This was early on in all of this for me]. I can't really explain how I felt, at the moment. Exhausted, but at the same time, filled with power and a sense of purpose. Determined, that from this day forward, I would be more brave, and committed, to praying for healing for people. I can remember where I was then, as well. I can give you the address.
That night, as I was finishing up at work, I get a call from Heidi. She's on her way to the ER with Katie. Katie had eaten something with dairy in it, and gone anaphylactic. The whole way to the hospital, my one prayer was that Heidi wouldn't epi her before I got there. And I got there like 2 minutes too late.
By the time I got back to her room, Katie was really struggling. The doctors couldn't get it under control. Katie wasn't responding to the medicine very well. The room was scared. It was the worst reaction she'd ever had.
I sat beside Katie, and commanded her lungs in Jesus' name to open up, and they opened up. I commanded the drugs in Jesus' name to come out. I assume they did. I commanded her coloring to come back in Jesus' name, and it came back. I asked the doctor what her pulse should be. He told me. I commanded her pulse to drop back down to that number, in Jesus' name, and it did. I watched it drop. Everything happened, in the order I "asked." And it happened immediately.
If you ask Heidi about this story, she will tell you that Katie had drugs in her system. This is not the story, for her, that convinces her that God still heals. And the fact that an epi was involved, and drugs were involved, means that God will not get all the glory from this that He could.
But God is really good at healing people.
As a side note, I woke up the next day, feeling really rotten. My wife looked at me, and commented on it, and all my cold sores. I had a string of them-- five-- across my lower lip. When I was rebuking them, and commanding them to leave in Jesus' name, it's not that they came and went. It's that a new one popped up in its place.
The only (small) cold sore I've had since that day, was after I'd compromised myself pretty badly in a sin. It's been two winters, and other than that, nothing (and I'm someone who constantly lived with them all winter, every year).
So that's the first NT style healing I've seen.
On the second occasion, I felt like God had put it on my heart to try to do the impossible-- to try to do the biggest miracle, that anyone can do. I knew I needed help; I had a few people praying for me, that God would give me power, specifically at a certain time (2:30, I think). When the time came, I felt a rush of power-- a rush of the Holy Spirit-- come on me like I'd never felt before. It was ridiculous. I felt like Samson.
But in what I came to do that day-- the miracle-- I failed. My faith failed hard. When I saw the need, it was too much.
That said, my third born, Liya, was sick that day with a terrible cold. And she came to me maybe 20 minutes later, and asked me to pray for her. I commanded her cold to leave, in Jesus' name, and her cold was instantly annihilated. Like you'd snap your fingers. Gone. And what really gets me, every time I think about it, is that the spot on her nose that was red from the irritation, completely disappeared.
What was different about that day? I'd been praying all day, with more urgency, and a greater sense of need, than I'd ever prayed. I'd spent hours, asking God for power and dominion. Asking the Spirit to fill me more fully than He ever had. And I had people praying for me, who I knew had faith, who I knew God said "yes" to. And He very obviously said "yes" to them.
When I think about these two miracles, what am I supposed to learn?
God is willing to do great things through me. The "greater works" is a real possibility.
I'm the weak link.
If I was in a better place Spiritually-- more committed, more serious about all of this, walking closer in step with the Holy Spirit, understanding my Spiritual need, and striving for all of this harder-- then God would do more.
If I was more intentional about being supported by a community, and having people consistently, powerfully pray for me, God would do more.
So, yes. I think it's important to help people have faith. If you hear unbelief, gently guide people toward "believing that they have received it." But the fact that I need to even have that conversation with people, after praying for them, shows that there is work to be done on my part. I can't be content with where I'm at.
I can't ever look at someone not healed, and say they are the weak link. That their lack of faith was the problem. If someone had enough faith to let me pray for them, and they didn't receive the healing, then I'm the problem.
(3) The third thought that's been rattling around in my head has to do with the nuts and bolts of praying for big things. When Brother Ferrin prayed for me, and my allergies, he didn't "ask" the Father to heal me, in the way we would normally think to "ask" God for things. He commanded the allergies, in Jesus' name, to leave. He commanded healing, in Jesus' name.
Let's read from John 11:38-44 (NRSV):
38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
When you read books on healing, they talk about different approaches that you can take. Basically, you can either "ask" in Jesus' name, or you can "command" in Jesus' name.
Is one approach better than the other? Are they both okay? How do you know what to do?
When I first started praying with a tiny bit of faith, I would often do both. If Katie had hives, I'd command the hives in Jesus' name to go. And then I'd ask God to take the hives. If you think to yourself that this doesn't sound like I had much faith, you'd be right. The commanding part was a stretch for me. I did it because I'd seen it modeled, and I knew it was biblical. And then I fell back on what felt safer. Over the next year, I went back and forth between "asking" and "commanding." I'd like to sound really pious, and say that I was choosing between the two based on the leading of the Holy Spirit. But I think I picked, based on two things: (1) How closely I was walking with God, and (2) How successful the "commanding" prayer had been in the recent past.
When I walk closely with God, I have far more confidence in commanding in Jesus' name. And if I've compromised myself, I lose that confidence, and sense of dominion, and I find myself "asking."
Now, when we read about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, is there anything we can learn from this?
What we see here, is that Jesus, before he reaches the tomb, has already prayed something toward the Father. And he knows the Father has already heard him. Then, when he reaches the tomb, he doesn't "ask" the Father to raise Lazarus from the dead, like we would ask. He "commands" Lazarus to come out.
What do we do with this?
I think there's (at least) two different ways to explain how the "asking" and "commanding" fit together. I think they are both biblical. But (sort of amusingly) I'm not sure which of them explains John 11 best.
(1) Explanation #1
One way to explain this, is that I'm supposed to live like Jesus, in constant communion with the Father. I obey him; I live for him. And I live, asking him every day to stretch out his hand for healings, and signs, and wonders, through the name of his servant Jesus, as I proclaim the good news about Jesus with boldness (Acts 4:29-30).
So I go through life, partnering with God, relying on him, filled with him and his son (cheating ahead to John 14:23), looking for opportunities. When I find myself in situations where power is needed, and where people need to be set free from something, I've already asked God for help, and I assume, in faith, that God has already heard.
So in that moment, when the time comes and the stone is rolled away, we don't ask God to raise Lazarus from the dead. We, in partnership with the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 13:14), command Lazarus, in Jesus' name, to rise from the dead.
None of us, in our own power, can do anything. But this doesn't matter. This is just something we say to sound pious, and humble, and to excuse our own lack of power and faith. The truth is, that none of us have to do anything in our power. We are supposed to be a people who ask ahead of time, and step out with faith in the moment of need.
Imagine that God has made you a firefighter. He's given you safety equipment (a breastplate of flame-resistant material; a helmet), sturdy workboots, a belt that holds everything in place. He gave you a weapon-- a water hose-- with a stream of Spiritual power ready to flow through it (John 7:38). He's given you authority over that fire; he's made fighting fires your job (Matthew 10:1).
What does God expect from you, when you find yourself confronted with a fire? Are you supposed to ask him to put it out? Or are you supposed to understand that this is a job he's equipped you for, and expects you to take care of?
You aren't powerless. Or, you shouldn't be. God will give you everything you need, to put out fires. Ask ahead of time. Get prepared. And then when you see opportunities-- fires-- "command" in Jesus' name.
So that's explanation #1.
(2) Explanation #2
Another possible way to explain this, is that when we "command" healing in Jesus' name, we are at the same time "asking" the Father to act. "Commanding" is "asking." It's an invitation to your Father, to join you-- to work with you (1 Cor. 3:9). Let's read Acts 3:6-7, and then 4:29-30:
6 But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,[a] stand up and walk.” 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong.
29 And now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants[k] to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant[l] Jesus.”
When you lay hands on someone in Jesus' name, and command healing in Jesus' name, whose hand is it? Who is touching that person?
What we have asked for in that moment, and what we have faith has happened, is that it's not just our hand. That when we stretch out our hand, it's actually God's hand. When we lay hands on people for healing, we are inviting God to keep his promise, to act, to give glory to his son and to himself. We are inviting God to use our hands, as his hand.
So when Jesus called on Lazarus to come out, possibly, he is inviting his Father to do his works through him. His commanding Lazarus, is asking God.
(Thing #4) Asking "in Jesus' name." Let's reread John 12:14. Focus on the "in my name" part:
(12) Truly, truly, I say to you, the one "believing"/giving allegiance to me, the works that I do, also that one, he will do,
and greater than these things, he will do,
because I toward my Father am going,
and whatever you ask in my name, this I will do,
in order that the Father would be glorified in/through the son.
(14) If, anything, you ask me in my name, I will do it.
What does it actually mean, to ask for something "in Jesus' name"? I mean, like, concretely. I want to pray in a way that Jesus answers it. I want to do greater works than Jesus did, as Jesus works through me. What makes this possible? What does it mean to ask "in Jesus' name"?
Most of the time, when Christians pray, they conclude their prayers with "in Jesus' name, amen." We do this even when we aren't asking for anything-- we say "in Jesus' name, amen," when we finish thanking God for our food.
And we do this when we do ask for something.
When we don't do this, prayers feel unfinished. Right? You can't start eating until you say, "in Jesus' name, amen."
And where all of this comes from, I think, is John 14:12-14. We are trying to claim Jesus' promise, without maybe even realizing that's what we are doing, or where this comes from.
So what does it mean to ask/pray in the name of Jesus (in the gospel of John) ?
I read something this week that made me realize I'd been a little sloppy about this. I'd assumed that asking "in Jesus' name" meant the same thing in Acts (3:6) as it did in John. But, after studying this, I think I was wrong.
The phrase, "in the name of X," is found 14 times in the gospel of John (if I did the Logos search right): John 5:43; 10:25; 12:13; 14:13, 14, 26; 15:16; 16:23, 24, 26; 17:11, 12, 26; 20:31.
John 5:39-43 (verse 43):
39 “You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf. 40 Yet you refuse to come to me to have life. 41 I do not accept glory from human beings. 42 But I know that you do not have the love of God in[f] you. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; if another comes in his own name, you will accept him.
Jesus has come "in the name of his Father." What this means, is that Jesus came on God's behalf. Jesus is God's agent-- His ambassador, or envoy (H/T Charles Talbert, who somewhere uses this language of "agent"). (But the Judeans refuse to "receive/accept" Jesus. They don't acknowledge who sent him; they don't acknowledge Jesus' status.)
John 10:22-25:
22 At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah,[b] tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me;
The same idea is present here. The works that Jesus does, he does as God's agent/ambassador.
John 12:12-13:
12 The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting,
“Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord—
the King of Israel!”
John 14:25-26:
25 “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Advocate,[i] the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.
This one is interesting, right? The Father will send the Holy Spirit as Jesus' agent. The Spirit works on Jesus' behalf, as a second advocate for them, to teach them and remind them of everything Jesus said.
John 15:16:
16 You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.
I think the idea here is the same. Just as Jesus is God's agent, coming in the name of the Father, so too we are sent in Jesus' name, as Jesus' agent. When we ask God for anything, we are asking as Jesus' agents. And so God knows who we are asking on behalf of.
John 16:23-26:
Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.[d] 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.
25 “I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures, but will tell you plainly of the Father. 26 On that day you will ask in my name. I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.[e] 28 I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and am going to the Father.”
John 17:11-12, 26 (I wouldn't use this one in a sermon, and it doesn't fit perfectly; something else is going on, but I'm not sure what it is. I do know that this is a good Michael Heiser verse, fwiw-- what does it mean that God gave Jesus his name?):
11 And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them in your name that[b] you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost,[c] so that the scripture might be fulfilled.
26 I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
John 20:31: (this one also uses the phrase with a different sense, possibly like John 17, and I wouldn't use it)
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may come to believe[d] that Jesus is the Messiah,[e] the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
So let's reread John 14:12-14:
(12) Truly, truly, I say to you, the one "believing"/giving allegiance to me, the works that I do, also that one, he will do,
and greater than these things, he will do,
because I toward my Father am going,
and whatever you ask in my name, this I will do,
in order that the Father would be glorified in/through the son.
(14) If, anything, you ask me in my name, I will do it.
When we ask God for things, in Jesus' name, what this means (in John at least) is that we asking on Jesus' behalf, as Jesus' agents. When our Father hears our request, he knows that standing behind us, the one who sent us, is Jesus. And Jesus promises that whatever we ask on Jesus' behalf, as his agents, he will do (John 14:12), and the Father will do (John 16:23) [and there is no tension there; this just shows that the Father and Jesus work together in perfect unity].
So when you pray for things in Jesus' name, you are reminding God of who sent you. Of who you represent, and work for: Jesus. And when you command things in Jesus' name, you are commanding as Jesus' agents.
The one last thing I'll say, in closing, is that the only way to know what God is willing to do through you, and for you, is to take risks. Step out in faith. Invite God to partner with you. Learn to use your imagination, to see the world-- and people-- for what they could be. To see the world, for what God wants it to be.
And if you try this, and nothing happens, or you fail, don't give up.
If you are like me, you will make mistakes. You will fail to take advantage of opportunities that God gives you (which is super embarrassing, especially after you've been praying for boldness, and something I've confessed as sin more than once). You will regret approaching things with some people, how you did. But God is gracious, and patient, and forgiving. And God knows that the first steps we take in faith, are often baby steps.
