In My Name
The Power of Attorney: What It Means to Pray in the Name of Jesus
Most Christians have said the phrase "in Jesus' name" at the end of a prayer. But do we really understand what we're saying? There is far more authority packed into that phrase than most of us have ever realized.
What Does "In the Name of Jesus" Actually Mean?
A pastor named E.W. Kenyon was preaching on the name of Jesus when a lawyer in the audience stopped Him afterward and asked a pointed question: "Do you mean to tell me that Jesus gave us the power of attorney?"
Power of attorney is a legal document that gives someone the ability to act and represent another person in every area of life. Legal matters, financial decisions, health decisions, business dealings. Every area. The person who grants it is called the donor. The person authorized to use it is called the agent.
Kenyon turned the question back to the lawyer and asked him to evaluate the language of Scripture. The lawyer's conclusion was clear: if language means anything, Jesus gave the church power of attorney.
Then came the follow-up question that changes everything: what is the value of that power of attorney? The lawyer answered simply. It depends entirely on the value of the person who gave it.
How Much Is the Name of Jesus Actually Worth?
Think about the difference between holding power of attorney for a homeless person versus holding it for one of the most powerful people in the world. The authority you carry is only as strong as the person behind it.
So what is behind the name of Jesus?
Philippians 2 tells us that God gave Him a name above every name. He received that name two ways: by inheritance from His Father, and by conquest over every enemy.
Colossians 2:15 says, "He disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it."
Hebrews 2:14 says, "Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil."
Revelation 1:18 says, "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death."
Jesus did not just survive the cross. He stripped Satan of his authority, defeated him in his own realm, and emerged from the grave as ruler of the universe. He left the enemy with nothing.
What Did Jesus Do With That Authority?
He gave it to us.
Matthew 28:18 records Jesus saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." And then immediately He commissioned His followers to go. He transferred the mission and the authority together.
Mark 16 spells it out directly. "These signs will follow those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues... they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
John 16:23-24 says, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full."
He did not say ask because you like Him, or because you have been faithful, or because you have earned it. He said ask in His name. That is where the power comes from.
Why Does Satan Work So Hard to Make You Forget This?
The enemy's strategy is deception. He cannot overpower a believer who knows who they are in Christ, so He works to make you believe things that are not true.
He says he is stronger and you are weaker. He says he has the victory and you have defeat. He says you are less and he is more.
None of it is true.
Theologian Charles Kraft, after years of working in inner healing and deliverance, concluded that the enemy's primary attack is on our self-image. He does not want us to discover who we are in Christ, because the moment we do, His deception loses its grip.
Romans 8:31-32 says, "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"
And verse 37 adds, "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."
What Does "More Than a Conqueror" Look Like?
Consider a boxer who trains for two years and wins the world championship. He goes home and gives his wife the trophy. She becomes more than a conqueror. She inherited everything he won without having to fight.
That is exactly what happened when Jesus rose from the dead. He won everything, and then He gave it to us. We did not have to fight for it. We inherited it the moment we were born again.
What Are the Promises That Belong to You?
These are not just encouraging ideas. They are blood covenant words. Unbreakable, unchangeable, and eternal.
You are a new creation. Old things have passed away.
He became sin for you so that you might become the righteousness of God in Christ.
By His stripes you were healed.
Sin shall not have dominion over you.
If you ask anything in His name, He will do it.
The word translated "ask" in those passages carries the weight of a command or a demand. It is not a timid plea. It is a believer standing in the authority of a name that has already won.
How Do We Actually Use the Name of Jesus?
Think about electricity. The power company generates it and delivers it to your home. It is not your power, but it is under your control. You do not call the power company and beg them to turn your lights on. You flip the switch. You exercise the authority that has already been made available.
Jesus said the same thing when He told His disciples to heal the sick, cast out demons, and raise the dead. He was not asking them to generate power from within themselves. He was telling them to release what He had already provided and deposited inside of them.
Smith Wigglesworth once went to pray for a man named Lazarus who had been bedridden with tuberculosis for six years. He gathered a group of men and told them they were not going to pray. They were simply going to say the name of Jesus. They did. Five times the power of God fell and lifted. The sixth time it stayed. Lazarus was completely healed.
The name works. Not because of the volume of our faith, but because of the weight of the One whose name it is.
What Happens When Believers Use the Name Boldly?
Throughout the book of Acts, Peter, Paul, John, and Stephen used the name of Jesus and brought healing, deliverance, and forgiveness to people who had no other hope. They were not operating in their own strength. Acts 3:16 makes it plain: "His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong."
When a believer speaks the name of Jesus with faith, Satan does not just see that one person. He sees standing behind them the Lord Jesus Christ, all of heaven, and the limitless power of God.
The world is growing darker. Challenges are ahead. But believers who learn to walk in the authority of the name of Jesus will do more than survive. They will become a light in the darkness.
Life Application
This week, pay attention to how you talk about the problems you are facing. Notice whether you start with the problem or with what God has already said about it. The challenge is this: choose one situation in your life that feels impossible, and instead of rehearsing the problem, begin speaking what God's Word says about it. Use the name of Jesus with intention and with faith, not as a closing phrase, but as a declaration of authority.
Ask yourself these questions as you go into the week:
Am I using the name of Jesus as a habit, or do I actually believe there is power behind it?
What lies has the enemy been telling me about my situation, and what does God's Word actually say in response?
Is there an area of my life where I have been pleading with God for something He has already given me authority over?
Am I willing to be bold enough to speak the name of Jesus out loud over the things that are trying to defeat me?
The name of Jesus is not a religious formality. It is a blood covenant promise backed by the full authority of heaven. It has been given to you freely. The only question is whether you will dare to use it.
Summary
This sermon explores the profound authority and power found in the name of Jesus. The pastor draws on the legal concept of "power of attorney" to illustrate that Jesus has granted every believer the full legal and spiritual right to use His name in prayer, in spiritual warfare, and in ministry. Just as a power of attorney is only as valuable as the person who grants it, the name of Jesus carries the full weight of His victory over sin, death, Satan, and every form of darkness. The pastor emphasizes that Jesus earned His name through conquest, defeating Satan, stripping Him of authority, and rising victorious as ruler of the universe. Because of this, every believer, whether new or seasoned in faith, has inherited the right to use that name. The sermon calls the church to boldly speak the name of Jesus in the face of impossible situations, sickness, addiction, spiritual attack, and any other challenge, trusting that His name carries all the power of heaven behind it.
Intro Prayer
Heavenly Father, we come before you today as a group of people who want to know you more deeply. We ask that you open our hearts and minds to what you want to speak to each of us personally. As we discuss the power and authority of the name of Jesus, we pray that it would not remain just a concept but would become a living reality in our lives. Holy Spirit, have your way in this room. Teach us, guide us, and help us to walk in the fullness of what you have given us. In Jesus name, amen.
Ice Breaker
What is a name, whether a person, a brand, or a place, that immediately carries a lot of weight or meaning for you, and why does that name stand out?
Key Verses
John 16:24
John 16:23
Philippians 2:9
Revelation 1:18
Colossians 2:15
Hebrews 2:14
Matthew 28:18
Mark 16:17-18
Romans 8:31-32
Romans 8:37
John 14:13-14
Questions
The pastor used the legal concept of 'power of attorney' to describe what Jesus gave believers when He authorized the use of His name. In your own words, what does it mean to you that Jesus has given you this kind of authority?
Jesus said in John 16:23-24 that whatever we ask the Father in His name, He will give it to us. Do you find it easy or difficult to pray with that level of confidence? What gets in the way?
The sermon described how Jesus earned His name through conquest, defeating sin, death, and Satan completely. How does understanding what Jesus went through to earn that name change the way you think about using it?
The pastor quoted Charles Kraft, who said that the enemy's primary attack is on our self-image, trying to make us believe we are weaker and more defeated than we actually are. Have you experienced this kind of attack? How did you respond?
Romans 8:37 says we are 'more than conquerors' through Christ. The pastor illustrated this with the story of a boxer's wife who inherited the trophy without fighting. What does it mean practically for your daily life to be 'more than a conqueror'?
The sermon compared the power of Jesus' name to electricity in a house. The power is available, but you have to flip the switch. What does 'flipping the switch' look like in your own life when you are facing a difficult situation?
The pastor challenged the church to be believers who are not ashamed of the name of Jesus and who boldly use it in the face of conflict. What is one area of your life where you feel you need more boldness to call on his name?
The sermon ended with the encouragement that as the world grows darker, believers who walk in the authority of Jesus' name will become a lighthouse. What is one practical way your group or your community could be that kind of light this week?
Life Application
This week, identify one specific situation in your life that feels impossible or overwhelming. Each day, intentionally speak the name of Jesus over that situation out loud. You might say something like, 'In the name of Jesus, I declare that you are greater than this.' Keep a simple journal of what you notice as you do this, and come back next week ready to share what God did.
Key Takeaways
Jesus has granted every believer full 'power of attorney' to use his name, meaning we have the legal and spiritual right to act on His authority in prayer, healing, and spiritual warfare.
The name of Jesus carries its power because of what He accomplished through His death and resurrection. He defeated Satan, stripped him of authority, and rose as ruler of the universe, making his name above every name.
Satan's primary strategy against believers is deception, trying to convince us that we are weak and defeated. The truth is the opposite: in Christ, we are more than conquerors and Satan is the completely defeated foe.
Every promise in God's Word is a blood covenant promise, unbreakable and eternal. Believers should start with God's Word as the answer to their situation rather than focusing on the problem.
The church is called to boldly and consistently use the name of Jesus in everyday life, not as a religious phrase but as a declaration of real authority, so that the world can see and experience the power of that name.
Ending Prayer
Lord Jesus, we thank you for the incredible gift of your name. We are humbled that you would share your authority with us and invite us to use your name in prayer, in ministry, and in the face of every challenge we face. As we leave this time together, we ask that the truth of your name would sink deep into our hearts. Where we have been timid, give us boldness. Where we have doubted, give us faith. Where we have focused on the problem, help us to fix our eyes on you and on what your Word says. We declare together that your name is above every name, above every sickness, every fear, every addiction, every broken relationship, and every impossible situation. We are more than conquerors through you, and we choose to walk in that truth this week. In the mighty name of Jesus, amen.
