How To Close Your Prayer

As you have likely observed in Christian prayers, we always end our prayers with the phrase “in Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.” There is a theological reason for this. We don’t say that phrase as we close a prayer just for the sake of it. To know why we say that phrase at the end of every prayer, we must revisit the Gospel. As you know, everyone has sinned and has fallen short of the glory of God. Because of that, we deserve eternal death as our punishment and are separated from God. No matter how much we pray, our prayers will never reach God, not because God’s hand is short, but because our sin separates us from the presence of God. However, that all changes if a person repents and believes the person and work of Christ.

Christ came to die for the penalty of our sins. Because of His death, God’s wrath has been fully satisfied. Therefore, anyone who is in Christ also partakes in the resurrection of Christ. Those in Christ receive forgiveness and eternal life, and become adopted as God’s children. Peace between God and man has been restored, and the dividing wall of hostility has been broken. For anyone who is in Christ, Christ is their High Priest. Christ is the one who mediates between God and them. Thus, when Christians pray, it is not like God hears their prayers because they pray it. God hears their prayers because they are in Christ. Our prayer reaches God not because of our righteousness, but because of Christ’s righteousness, which was imputed to us and allows us to stand before the presence of God. That is why we pray in the name of Jesus and not with our names whenever we pray. Only through the name of Jesus can we have access to the Father, because Jesus is the only way to Him.

Romans 3:23

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:1

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Isaiah 59:1

Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

Ephesians 2:14-16

14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

1 Timothy 2:5-6

5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

Hebrews 4:14-16

14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

How do you close a prayer?

Another thing that we should remember as we close our prayer is to thank God. Even if we are praying to God regarding our concerns, we can still end the prayer with thanksgiving towards God. No matter how hard your circumstances are, there is always something to thank God for. For example, if a person loses his or her job and is praying to God for a new job, they can still thank God, even after losing a job. It could be thanking God that they are still alive, can still eat, and so much more. The Bible commands us that we are to give thanks to the LORD in any circumstances, for it is God’s will for us. As Christians, our hearts should always be filled not with complaints, grumbling, or bitterness, but with gratitude. One of the ways to show that is by always thanking God every time we end our time of prayer. We only have to look closely at our lives and circumstances to see how God’s grace and mercy have been at work all along, because sometimes we tend to overlook and miss out on them. However, if we look at them carefully, we will see that there are many things for which we can thank God.

Here is an example of closing your time of prayer with thanksgiving:

God of mercy, Your mercy carries me through everything. I pray for Your comfort as I go through hardship in life, as well as the grace and strength to persevere and faithfully run the race that You have set before me. Thank You because You are the God of mercy who comforts me in times of affliction. Thank You because it is You who sustains me all the time. Thank You because I am still in the faith and faithfully obeying Your commandments, despite the hardships I am going through. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Whenever we close our prayer by saying the phrase “in Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen,” let it be something that we say not out of mere repetition or tradition, but something that we speak out of faith in the finished work of Christ, knowing that we can only approach God’s throne of grace through Him.