The Prayer That Unlocks
Heaven
By Kenneth E. Hagin,
Sr.
The
Name of Jesus is the access to the heart of the Father.
We
have a key that unlocks the door of our automobile. We may say that we unlock
the door, but really it is the key that does it.
We
also have a key that fits the ignition. We could not start the car without this
key.
This
key is the important factor in driving the car.
We
couldn’t get anywhere without it.
The Name of Jesus
There
is a key to prayer that will unlock the doors and windows of Heaven and grant
our every need. Without this key we can’t get anywhere. This key is found in
John 16:23-24.
And
in that day ye shall ask me nothing (Jesus speaking). Verily, verily I say unto
you, “Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my Name, He will give it to you.”
“Hitherto
ye have asked nothing in my Name. Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may
be full.”
Jesus
is our Mediator, Intercessor, Advocate and Lord.
He
stands between us and the Father.
No
place in the Bible is it ever recorded that Jesus told His disciples to pray to
Him. They always were told to pray to the Father in Jesus’ Name.
Therefore,
if we want to be sure that our prayers reach the Throne of God, we must come according
to the rules laid down in His Word.
In
the above Scripture Jesus said, “In that day ye shall ask me nothing.” He said
this to His disciples before He went away. He was talking about His present
position of Mediator, seated at the right hand of the Father.
Another
translation reads, “In that day ye shall not pray to Me.” Jesus said to ask the
Father in His Name. This is the key that will unlock Heaven on our behalf.
We
can tell Jesus how much we love Him, but when it comes to praying, we must ask
the Father through the Lord Jesus.
Ephesians
3:14-15 says, “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, of whom the whole family in Heaven and Earth is named.”
It
is not important which church we belong to, but it is important which family we
belong to.
Overflowing Joy
John
16:24 says, “Ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be full.” There is
real joy in knowing the Father will answer our prayers.
The
beloved preacher Smith Wigglesworth worked for many years as a plumber before
he began his full-time preaching ministry.
Once
while installing plumbing in a large house, he noticed the owner kept coming
in, looking at him and then leaving.
Finally,
she entered the room where he was working, sat down and asked, “What in the
world is that causes that wonderful expression on your face?” “You look as if
you are full of joy!”
He
told her that morning at breakfast his wife had told him two of their children were
very ill. Before they ate, they went upstairs, laid hands on the children, and
prayed for them. They were instantly healed and joined their parents downstairs
for breakfast.
Wigglesworth
said it was wonderful to have such a wonderful Jesus.
He
told the woman, “The Scripture says to ask and ye shall receive, that your joy
may be full.”
Certainly
our joy could not be full if our children were ill, but the Lord told us to ask
Him for what we need, “that our joy may be full.”
The
woman asked Wigglesworth if Jesus would save her and give her this wonderful
joy too. Wigglesworth assured her He would.
She
accepted the Lord and started rejoicing. She asked Wigglesworth if she could
keep this joy.
He
answered the only way to keep it was to give it away. He told her she should
tell all the women at her club meeting about her salvation. She did, and all of
them were saved. This is the way to keep it …tell others about it.
If
Wigglesworth had gone to work that day with two sick children at home, his joy
would not have been full. He would have been worried. He would have looked
distressed. Instead, he had a light on his face-a radiance that was obvious to
all who saw him.
Something
seemed to flow out of him. What was it? It was the joy the Father had promised
when we ask Him for our needs and receive in faith.
On
another occasion, Wigglesworth was in dire financial need. At that time he was
in London visiting in the home of a wealthy man. Wigglesworth simply committed
his financial burden to the Lord and refused to worry about it. He told no one.
He knew the Lord would take care of it.
As
he and his friend were out walking in the park, Wigglesworth was happy and
singing, rejoicing in his spirit.
His
rich friend commented that he would give all he owned to have the same spirit
of joy that Wigglesworth had.
Wigglesworth
told him that it wouldn’t cost him anything. All he had to do was cast all his
cares on Jesus. Wigglesworth explained this is what he had done, and he was
without a care in the world. He could be free and happy.
He
still did not mention his financial need to his friend, but instead talked of
victory and joy in Christ Jesus.
One
man had material wealth, but no joy. The other lacked material things but was
filled with joy. What was the secret?
Wigglesworth
knew of the truth of the Scripture, “Ask, and you shall receive, that your joy
may be full.”
Can
your joy be full when you are having great financial burdens pressing you?
Can
your joy be full when you have unpaid bills that are due?
If
you have asked God to supply your needs, and you believe “ye shall receive”,
your joy can be full.
Joy that Precedes the
Fact
Sometimes
you have to have the joy before you will receive what you are praying for. If
you are worrying and trying to figure matters out alone, you hinder God from
helping you.
You
are carrying the burden instead of letting Him carry it. In fact, if you are
worrying, it will do little good to pray, because you are not praying in faith.
“Be
careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving,
let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all
understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians
4:6-7).
When
I was holding evangelistic meetings, I often would drive straight through from California
to Texas. My mother once told me that when she knew I was traveling, she prayed
that the Lord would be with me. And she stayed awake at night worrying, waiting
for the telephone to ring with news I had been in an accident.
I
told her she was wasting her time praying if she was going to stay awake
worrying.
Prayer
is more than that. “Ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”
We
should be full of joy before we receive what we ask for because we have His
Word that He heard our prayer.
Ephesians
5:20 “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the Name
of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Notice
here that Paul tells us to give thanks for all things “unto God and the Father”
in the Name of Jesus.
Paul
tells us to pray to the Father and not to Jesus. The Name of Jesus is the
access to the heart of the Father in all our real praise and thanksgiving.
Someone
said the way we pray doesn’t make much difference. But if it doesn’t, why did
God inspire Paul to write the epistles?
To
say these verses are not important would make as much sense as it would to say
John 3:16 isn’t important. If we believe John 3:16 is important, we also must
believe that all Scriptures are important and are for our instruction in
walking with God.
When
you want to get an answer to your prayers, follow the teachings of the Word and
pray to the Father in the Name of Jesus.
When
many people pray, they conclude their prayer, “for Jesus’ sake”. However, we
are not told in the Word to pray for Jesus’ sake. We are taught to pray in the
Name of Jesus.
What
is the difference?
When
we go to God and tell Him to do something for Jesus’ sake, we are asking it to
be done to help Jesus on our credit.
It
makes a lot of difference what our attitude is. The reason we fail many times
in our praying is because our approach is all wrong.
Sometimes
we think God should answer our prayers because of our own merit or goodness.
It
isn’t by our power or holiness that we get an answer to prayer. We don’t get
our prayers answered because we are good.
They
are answered because of Jesus. He has a standing in Heaven. He is the only
approach to the Father. We can’t get there any other way. We come to the Father
in His Name. Jesus gave us the right and the authority to use His Name.
The
keys to seeing answers to our prayers is through the mighty Name of Jesus.
