John 14: 9-14
“Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”
Oh, Philip! Philip asked Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” This is the same Philip that Jesus tested when he fed the 5,000. Jesus asked Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” Philip, probably in a panic, replied, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little” (John 6:7). Why did Jesus test poor Philip? Can you imagine, standing in a huge crowd all day with Jesus, probably ready to go to lunch yourself, and Jesus asks you how are we going to feed all these thousands of people? Count the money in your bank account right now. If it were me, I would definitely be panicking!
But Philip knew Jesus. He knew Jesus’s true identity right away. Remember, this is also the same Philip who invited Nathanael to come and see Jesus, boldly proclaiming: “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” (John 1:45). Philip basically tells Nathanael that Jesus is the Messiah, the one we’ve been waiting for! The Messiah was to be a prophet like Moses (Deut. 18:18). It was under Moses’s leadership that God fed the Israelites manna from heaven (Ex.16:4).
In his distress, Philip forgot that Jesus is greater than Moses! Philip lost sight of Jesus and lost his boldness. So when Philip asks Jesus to show them the Father, and that is enough, Jesus asks him, “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?” Jesus provided for the 5,000 that day, just like God did for the Israelites in the wilderness. Philip has seen the Father, in Jesus.
Jesus associates his power and authority with his Father: “The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.” He is in the Father, and the Father is in him, and the works that Jesus does are an overflow of this relationship, which we are invited into (John 17:20-23)!
So, how do we pray in boldness, authority, and in the name of Jesus? We must know him, and remember what we know about him. When we are faced with seemingly impossible problems, when we are asked to feed 5,000 people (metaphorically), we must remember who it is that we are with. Jesus tested Philip, but Philip took his eyes off of Jesus and instead focused on the problem.
Jill Weber says that we must speak to our problems about God, instead of the other way around! She is right! Remembering who God is will change the way we pray. Only then may we pray in boldness, and in the name of Jesus.
Listening Prayer:
What is the biggest problem in your life right now? Ask the Holy Spirit to bring it to mind. Listen for how God reminds you who he is, and praise him! See how your prayers change once you spend time remembering and praising God for who he is.
Prayer:
Oh Lord! We do know you, though sometimes we forget. Forgive us for the times we forget we know that you are Yahweh God, creator of all things, and that nothing is impossible for you. Help us to know you more, Lord. Help us as we pray, knowing that because of Jesus, we may approach you boldly and with confidence. Help us to pray in your name, Jesus. We want to honor you with our prayers. We want to see you do the impossible, and partner with you in the works that you have set us apart to do. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
Resource: Bible verses on Praying with Boldness
Hebrews 4:14-16
“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
Ephesians 3:10-12
“His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.”
John 16:23-26
“In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. “Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.”
2 Timothy 1:6-7
“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”