From Hopelessness to Hope
This is a true story. In 2010, a shocking mining accident took place in Chile that drew the attention of the entire world.
Thirty-three miners were trapped underground, about 700 meters deep. To give you an idea of what that means—it’s roughly as deep as one of our country’s tallest skyscrapers if it were buried straight down into the earth.
Day after day passed as these miners remained trapped underground. Their water and food supplies grew scarcer, and they still couldn’t communicate with anyone on the surface. It seemed completely hopeless.
What would you have done if you were in their place?
After 16 days, although they were still alive, despair began to take hold—some even thought about ending their lives. But then something happened. Outside, rescue workers and experts from around the world tried every possible method and finally managed to drill a small passage that reached them.
All of a sudden, the 33 men went from hopelessness to hope. But did that mean they were saved already? Not yet. They were still trapped underground, but their state of mind completely changed—they no longer felt overwhelming fear or despair. Through that small passage, rescuers were able to send them real, practical help—food, water, and oxygen.
With hope and this support, they endured for 69 long days. In the end, all 33 men were rescued—a true miracle.
So, what can we learn from this story?
Have you ever felt anxious, as if you were also trapped 700 meters underground? In those moments, prayer is like that small passage—it connects us directly with God.
Through prayer, God reminds us of his promises—that soon he will completely remove all the problems and worries of this world. In his new world, all things that cause us distress will be gone forever. It’s as if God is saying to us, “I’ve found you. I’m going to pull you up soon. Don’t be afraid.” That fills us with hope.
And even now, through this “small passage,” God provides us with practical help. He gives us wisdom, loving brothers and sisters, and his Holy Spirit—just like food, water, and air—to sustain us through difficult times.
Yes, when we pray to God and seek his help, we can feel deep peace and no longer be overwhelmed by anxiety.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV).
Pray in the Name and Power of Christ
"A person cannot always speak in the name of another; cannot do it at all unless he has received an authorization so to do. Then he stands as that person’s deputy; stands in his place; speaks in his name. I am sure that nine out of ten of the prayers of Christians are not offered in the name of Christ, and could not be. It would be a sin against Christ for such prayers to be supposed to be the prayers of Christ. ... But when we talk of the Spirit of God, and we dare ask in the name and use the seal of Christ, to set his signature at the bottom of our petition, then, brethren, depend upon it. Christ will do it." - Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Several times a week, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt steps to the podium to relay to an awaiting press pool the mind and intentions of the president, Donald J. Trump. She does so as all of her predecessors have done. For example: Jen Psaki and Karine Jean-Pierre, on behalf of President Joe Biden; Dana Perino and Ari Fleisher on behalf of President George W. Bush; George Stephanopoulos on behalf of President Bill Clinton; Jim Brady on behalf of Ronald Reagan; Jody Powell on behalf of Presdient Jimmy Carter; and so on.
When they speak from that podium, they dare not speak their own mind. They are conveying policy, they are conveying presidential action, they are conveying administrative intent. To speak their own mind, heart, or opinion would be to misprepresent the office of the presidency, and would be a gross violation of their calling and position.
Likewise, when we pray in the name of Jesus, we are proclaiming that we are praying on His behalf of His authority.
But are we?!
- - Authorization Requirement: Speaking or acting for another requires authorization. This authorization allows one to represent the other person. As believers, we are "authorized" to speak in Jesus' name, in so much as we do not speak amiss. "If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it" (John 14:14, ESV).
- - Praying "In the Name of Christ": Many Christian prayers are not offered "in the name of Christ". Praying in Jesus' name signifies approaching God based on Christ's merit, not one's own, and seeking to please Him and glorify the Father. "Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son" (John 14:13, ESV).
- - Misunderstanding "In Jesus' Name": Adding "in Jesus' name" at the end of a prayer does not guarantee praying with Christ's authority. It signifies aligning prayers with Christ's character and intentions.
- - Authentic Prayer: To pray in Jesus' name requires understanding Him, His actions, and His promises. It means acknowledging reliance on Him for access to God and praying according to God's will. "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us" (1 John 5:14, ESV).
- - Caution: Prayers not aligned with Christ's will or character are considered a sin against Him and should expect no response or fulfillment. "You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures" (James 4:3, NKJV).
Prayers in Jesus' name should be shaped as Christ might offer them and submitted to God's will.
Just as the presidential press secretaries are bound by duty and postion to speak soley in line with the mind and intentions of the president, so must we be quite certain to not overstep the bounds of our own position.
To pray in Jesus' name, we must know the mind of God AND the heart of God, and aptly allign ourselves to it! Only then, when we speak in alignment "with the Spirit of God, and we dare ask in the name and use the seal of Christ, to set his signature at the bottom of our petition, can we depend upon it. Christ will do it."
"If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you" (John 15:7, NIV).
Of Prayers and Paper Airplanes
OBJECT LESSON ...
Take a moment right now to write down a prayer request on a slip of paper. Your mission is to get your prayer request up to the pulpit. You can throw it. You can try to shoot it with a rubber band. Or you can fold it into a paper airplane and try to fly it. Do your best, then let 'er fly!
We often make certain assumptions about prayer. We think it’s some kind of game with a long list of complicated rules, or that it requires some magical strategy or gimmick. So we devise elaborate methods in order to get God to hear us and accept our prayers.
Maybe we think we’ll be heard for our many words, or our impressive words. Or maybe the task looks so daunting that we don't even try.
But truth is, we could have simply walked up here and placed our prayer request on the pulpit.
God doesn't want us to just try to be heard from afar. Rather, He invites us to come near to Him.
Prayer isn’t about getting the right words, but having the right heart -- a heart transformed into a child of God.
"Come close to God, and God will come close to you" (James 4:8, NLT).
"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16, ESV).
""Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus ... let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith ..." (Hebrews 10:19, 22, ESV).