by Peter Doseck
Peter and John were busy men after the resurrection of Jesus, yet they never failed to take time to pray. One day they went to the temple together at a time the Bible calls “the hour of prayer.” It was 3:00 pm, and I am sure lots of people were focused on business as usual in the city, but Peter and John were focused on being about the Father’s business.
When they arrived at the gate of the temple, a gate that was called “Beautiful,” they were about to pass a crippled man who lay there every day, begging for whatever passersby might give him. The man noticed Peter and John, and he called out to them as he did to everyone who came near. I expect he said something like, “Sirs, can you spare some change?”
Peter immediately locked eyes with the man and replied, “Look at us.” The man looked at them eagerly, expecting to be given something of value. What he got, however, was more than he could have imagined.
Peter said boldly, “I don’t have any silver or gold, but what I do have I will give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” The Bible says Peter grabbed the man by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones were strong.
The man was so shocked he jumped up and stood for a minute, then he walked, and finally he went into the temple with them, all the while leaping and praising God. Guess who saw him? Everybody. Guess what they did? They ran to see this awesome sight, and God was given great glory.
We must never underestimate the power of the name of Jesus!
The Right to His Name
The name of Jesus is not well-accepted in many places today, even in places where you would think it would be welcome. We know the world is trying to get us to exempt ourselves from faith in the name of Jesus, but worse yet are the religious people who are trying to straddle the fence.
Public figures who do not know Jesus personally, but want you to think they do, will pray in “the name of God” or “in the name of Christ”, thinking they will be regarded as tolerant and inoffensive. No, the Bible says we are to pray in the name of Jesus.
Mark 16:15 says, “And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”
The name of Jesus has been given to believers, those in a personal relationship with Jesus, and it is a part of our birthright. It’s like when you were born you were given a name, but then there was a name that you received as a family inheritance. Your name might be Bob to your friends, but the judge at the probate court is only concerned that you are Mr. Smith, because only Bob Smith can claim the inheritance. Only Bob Smith has the birthright.
Your name did not come by works; it came as a gift from your parents. You could not earn what they gave you because it was only available as a right of birth.
In the same way, when Jesus gave us His name, He gave us power over all of the things His name is authorized to do. Everything Jesus was enabled to do, we as believers can do in His name.
It’s not something we can earn. It only comes by right of birth, and a birthright is only available through relationship. So in order to use the name of Jesus, you must be born again. You must be blood bought and blood washed. There is no other way.
When you are born again, you have an identity with Jesus Christ and you are marked. The devil knows who you are, and you need to know who you are. God will enforce and stand behind your right to use the name of Jesus, just as a judge for a son who has the right to inherit his father’s estate will strike the gavel and say, “Case closed!”
I have seen blind eyes opened in the name of Jesus. I have seen deaf ears unstopped in the name of Jesus.
We Must Believe
1 John 3:22-23 says, “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He gave us commandment.”
Notice we are commanded to believe on the name of Jesus Christ. It’s not an option, so surely if we believe on the name of Jesus, we will believe in what the Name can do.
Some will say the day of miracles has passed, but how can that be when miracles were abundant for Jesus, for the people who believed in Him after He was resurrected, and for men and women all around the world today? The name of Jesus has not lost its power!
We do not doubt that wretched souls in the deepest, darkest places in life are saved and set free by just whispering the Name. We don’t doubt because His name still brings salvation for anyone who will call upon Him; and if His name still saves, then His name still brings miracles, signs, and wonders.
The name of Jesus is unexplainable in its majestic structure, power, and glory, and we are to build a sure foundation of faith in that Name. Our faith should never be shaken, nor should it be questioned. We must believe the things that have been said about His name – the things that are timeless accounts from the Word of God, and the things that are relayed to us in testimonies we hear today.
I have seen blind eyes opened in the name of Jesus. I have seen deaf ears unstopped in the name of Jesus. Mute tongues have been loosed in the name of Jesus. Crippled limbs have been restored in the name of Jesus.
Miracles are not just for special people; they are for people like you who are willing to use the Name. It’s the simplicity of the name of Jesus that heals, delivers, and saves.
In Mexico City a few years ago, we lined up over 80 deaf people in a Miracle Service. I have people in my church today who can testify that every single one of them heard when we put faith in the name of Jesus. The people who saw this great miracle do not doubt the power in the Name, and neither should you, my friend.
What the Name Can Do
The Bible says we can cast out devils in the name of Jesus. In other words, devils are not a problem. They are not even a consideration in our lives. Believers need to stop allowing the image of the devil that Hollywood has invented to intimidate them. That image was created by people who have no faith and no idea what to do when the devil shows up.
Acts 16:16-18 says, “And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying. The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.”
Paul dealt with this demon, a rooted and established devil that had been accepted by this girl as normal, but it wasn’t normal at all. Paul broke years of deception, corruption, manipulation, and control in one moment of time by the mention of the Name.
We have allowed the world and unbelieving believers in the church to strip us of faith in the name of Jesus. We cannot doubt the Name has power. We cannot doubt that it will do today what it has always done. We cannot doubt that what God upheld through the name of Jesus for Paul and others back in the day, will be withheld in the name of Jesus today.
I have been in over 20 nations, and I have found some places that are filled with witchcraft, demonic manifestations, occult activity, and darkness, and yet the name of Jesus has never failed.
One of the first times I visited Africa I encountered a woman who had been pregnant for over 18 months. You may think this is impossible, but there she was, and people around her testified that it was the truth.
This poor woman was carrying a dead baby in her womb, and her body would not let the child go. She had been cursed by a witch doctor, and no medical doctor in the region would touch her. Can you imagine carrying a dead child in a womb for over nine months?
We prayed for this woman in the name of Jesus, and the very next day someone came to tell me she had given birth to a living child. Hallelujah! You cannot convince me the name of Jesus has lost its power!
Men who travel with me get the same results as I do when they put faith in the name of Jesus. They sometimes ask people in the crowd to pray for one another just to prove that it has nothing to do with a man, but everything to do with the Name above every name. Guess what happens? They get the same results … miracles!
You Can Do It!
You can use the name of Jesus. It’s easy, and it should be a way of life, because it’s your nature to mention the Name. The devil knows you have the right and the power, but do you?
You can be free to use the name of Jesus as much as you want. You can see Him demonstrate Himself and uphold the validity of who He is, His work, His redemption, and His resurrection. You can show the world that Jesus is alive.
John 16:23-24 says: “And in that day ye shall ask Me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”
“In that day” refers to the day of the New Covenant, when men and women are born into the family of God. That day is today.
Think of it this way: Jesus has never heard “No” from the Father. He knows that if you pray in His name, God won’t tell you “No” either. He will hear, and He will answer.
Jesus was successful in every prayer He ever prayed, and He kept the disciples in His name. In John 16:23-24, as Jesus was preparing the disciples for His departure, He assured them the use of His name would be just as successful for them.
When we use the name of Jesus, the same power of prayer, the same release and receiving of that power, the same attention, and the same moving of the Father that Jesus experienced in His life we can experience, too. Don’t ever doubt that God has heard you. Whatever you can envision God doing for Jesus, He will do it for you.
Hebrews 4:16 says: “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
There is a place for us at the throne of grace, and when we mention the name of Jesus, it is no longer us visiting alone, but it is as if Jesus is standing there with us. In this place of grace and mercy God moves as surely and quickly for us and He would for Him.
You are a child of God who has been infused with the right to use the name of inheritance, the name of Jesus. The Bible tells us God will respond to the name of Jesus, and we know He cannot lie. God is faithful, and He upholds His Word, watching over it and bringing it to pass.
The name of Jesus is marvelous in its power, glory, and majesty. It is the name that has authority over every other name in the world. Be bold and confident today, and as you use the name of Jesus, be prepared to receive whatever you ask in that matchless name.
Peter Doseck is a noted author whose books have impacted countless lives. He is also founder and senior pastor of Only Believe Ministries Christian Center in Botkins, Ohio. As an itinerant minister, his dynamic Miracle Crusades have resulted in over 2.1 million salvations and thousands of miraculous healings. More than 45,000 pastors from around the world have been transformed during his impartation meetings and over 2,500 new pastors have been launched into the ministry. To learn more, visit peterdoseck.com.
