I don't mean to imply that people do this consciously when they add, "For Jesus' sake" to their prayers. But that is the way it sounds in heaven. Even if Jesus did need our help, you and I don't have any standing in heaven that would guarantee help for Him. We are the ones who need the help. It's for our sake that we are praying. And Jesus has the standing or the credit in heaven that enables us to come to God in His Name and receive those things we need. For example, if you go to the bank with a friend's check and ask the cashier to cash that check, the cashier will ask if you have the money on deposit in your own account to guarantee the amount of the check. If you don't, he'll refuse to cash it. When you pray, "For Jesus' sake," it's like trying to cash a check when there is no money in your account because you don't have the credit in heaven - Jesus does.
But if you go to the bank with a check endorsed by a wealthy man who has an account at that bank, then there will be no questions asked. The cashier will hand over the money.
Jesus is our "credit" in heaven, so to speak: He has all the credit we could ever need to get "our check cashed" - our prayers answered. And when God hears His children pray in faith in the Name of Jesus, He responds to their prayers based on Jesus' credit or Jesus' standing in heaven. In that mighty Name, God gives us the answer to our prayers. If I have a stomachache, for example, and I am praying for healing, I wouldn't ask God to heal me for Jesus' sake - to help Jesus. I don't want to be healed for Him. It's my stomach that needs help, not His! I'm the one who is hurting. It's for my sake, on Jesus' credit.
Similarly, if I need $100, and I ask the Father to help me get this money for Jesus' sake, I would be praying foolishly because Jesus does not need the $100. The money is for my sake, not His. Jesus doesn't need $100; I do. I need the $100 to help me, so it's for my sake, on Jesus' credit. Many an honest prayer fails because of folks ending their prayers, "For Jesus' sake." If you have been doing that, stop it. It makes a lot of difference whether or not our prayers are scripturally based. That's the reason we fail many times in our praying. Our approach is all wrong. Peter and John said when they were at the Gate Beautiful, "... why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?" (Acts 3:12). In other words, it isn't by the believer's own power or holiness that he gets an answer to prayer.
You don't get your prayers answered because you're good either. You get an answer to prayer because of Jesus - and because of your standing in Jesus. Thank God. Jesus has a standing in Heaven. He is the only way to approach the Father. You can't get there any other way. Thank God, in Jesus' Name we can come boldly to the throne of God (Heb. 4:16). Let's use a little sense and go as wise children, using the mighty Name of Jesus which He has given us. Jesus gave us the right and the authority to use His Name.
