
Praying Glory Prayers
• Series: License to Pray
For the next four weeks we are going to take some time to look at prayer especially in John 14, 15 and 16. In these passages it’s almost as if Jesus is tossing the keys of prayer to the disciples and telliong them to use the power of his name to ask for things to happen. This morning we talk about glory praying. John 14:12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. Let’s read these verses in greater context. This will set up the context for learning how to pray glory prayers. John 14:10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. This is a parallel passage that happened after a powerful healing in which they question how Jesus did it. John 5:19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. Now, let’s do a little Bible study about what Jesus is saying. All of these prayer versus have a perimeter around them. In other words, there is a boundary when using the power of prayer. Notice what Jesus is saying; Jesus and his father are working together with one heart, one mind and one purpose. Jesus and the father are always working together, in tandem and all of his works originated with the father. This is an important principle of prayer. Jesus just didn’t go out and do whatever he wanted. This whole thing about works is very important. We, just like Jesus, must work in solidarity with what the father is doing in this world. Every work that we do in the name of Jesus and every work that Jesus did in the name of his father is empowered with the spirits power and presence. Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. John 14:12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. Jesus did not say these words to give us an incurable itch for miracles or for the supernatural to be seen in spectacular ways. But Jesus is encouraging us to pray and to use his name - when we use his name we are using his authority as if we were standing in for Jesus himself. When we use his name it’s like having the power of attorney - I am able on his behalf or someone’s behalf to make decisions or sign documents. But the main thing in the Scripture is not greater works/miracles. And the main thing is not getting what you want in Jesus name. But the main thing that I want to focus in on this morning is verse 13 and 14. John 14:13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. It is absolutely incredible that Jesus will step into our asking and get involved. “I will do it.” But again, there’s this perimeter - “use my name so that I can bring glory to my father.” This is what I call a glory prayer. That we are praying a prayer that Jesus himself says, “I will answer so that I might glorify my father.” A Glory prayer is the kind of prayer that pleads with God to go public with his greatness. A prayer that asks God to show off. Many of our prayers are to bring glory to ourselves… But a glory prayer shines the light on the awesomeness of God. A glory prayer means… We are asking for an extension of his greatness to this world. We are asking for an extension of his greatness to meet your personal needs we are asking for an extension of his greatness to permeate this church. We are asking for an extension of his greatness to change things.