There is an

oft quoted scripture passage that concerns me from time

to time. This week presented an opportunity for one of

those times to make itself known.

I was driving down the road

and pushed in a tape my sister had left in my car. The

first line of the song that came on went something like

this, "Whenever two agree in my name, they can ask

what they will of the Father and it will be done..."

It has always bothered me

the way those words are so loosely tossed around. Don't

get me wrong - their message is most comforting.

However, in too many situations we try to distort or

twist their meaning for our own selfish gain.

We do not always accept

them entirely in the context in which I believe they were

intended to be heard and claimed.

Of course I am just one

opinionated person, and many far more learned Bible

scholars than I have attempted to discuss the concept

proposed here: that God answers the prayer of two or more

of his children who are agreed. But it is the opinion of

this writer that the whole of Scripture should be

considered when laying claim to various truths that we

think make our lives a bit easier from time to time.

Do we fully understand the

"two or three gathered in my name" concept? In

the early years of our marriage my husband and I had a

joint checking account in his name. If I wrote a check, I

signed it "Mrs. Daniel Holt." And if I sought

to obtain anything with that signature, in his name, I

always tried to make sure he knew about my action and was

in agreement with what I sought to purchase in his name.

(Honest, I did!) It was not always possible to contact

him about every single purchase; so, in order for that

arrangement to work, I had to get to know my husband

rather well. In fact, I had to learn to know him well

enough to be able to make decisions even when I could not

consult with him.

I think it is a pretty good

idea to know well anyone in whose name we attempt to do

business. What bothered me about the message conveyed in

the song I mentioned is what I perceived as too much

emphasis on the "two or three gathered

together" and not enough emphasis on "in my

name."

I don't want to

oversimplify this concept, but the bottom line is we

sometimes get together and decide among ourselves what's

best for those we love and then we pray to that end. We

pray and believe and expect in force, only to grow weary

and become disappointed, and even bitter, because God did

not do what we think He said He would do if we agreed and

asked. Or we look around us and wonder who the guilty one

is who is not in full agreement.

But do we ever consider the

impact of those three little words "in my

name?"

What does it mean to ask

for something in the name of Jesus?

This writer believes it

means we have to walk with him and talk with Him and get

to know him - really get to know Him. Here again I

don't want to shift too much emphasis toward how well we

know Him. Faith is the name of the game, not works. All

the studying of the Scriptures that I could ever do will

never qualify me as knowledgeable enough of Jesus to

speak for Him. But I do think it is possible to discern

His will and know what He would do in certain situations.

We just have to communicate with Him. We literally have

to walk with Him and talk with Him and discuss the

affairs of everyday living with Him.

We have to ask Him

questions and be patient until the answer comes. And it

does come. Always. And He answers in a voice we can hear

and know. When we know that voice and listen to it, it

will lead us into truth and there, in that glorious realm

of truth, we will find the wisdom to know how to pray to

our heavenly Father. (The voice, of course, is that of

the Holy Spirit. We must remember, Jesus said He had to

go to the Father so the Spirit could come to us... and He

said His Spirit would be everywhere and respond to all,

and lead us into all truth.)

That, I suppose, is a point

I am trying to make. It is truth that we must seek to

know. God's truth for our questions, our lives, our many

challenges, predicaments and heartaches. Assuredly,

miracles do happen when two or three pray in unison.

Prayers are heard and answers come. People and

circumstances change. Grace reigns over all when, united

as one, we claim God's blessings in the name of Jesus

Christ.