quotes from Chapter 6 Praying in the Name of Jesus by Dr. Randal Roberts
"Thus abiding in Christ appears to serve as a functional synonym for 'asking in My name.'"
"So praying in the name of Jesus, living a life of obedience, and persistently asking in faith according to the will of God are apparently all descriptions of the same essential prerequisite for effective petitions: being 'in synch' with God both in how we live and in what we ask Him to do. Those pre-conditions provide important qualifications to the otherwise seemingly open-ended promises attached to prayer. Failure to recognize these conditions will inevitably lead to disappointment and disillusionment."
"Any notion that the phrase has some sort of magical power over God is refuted by the botched exorcism in Acts 19:13ff...."
"...any influence with God does not come from the words themselves but from the harmony with His sovereign will that they represent."
