In Jesus’ Name I Pray by Costi and Christyne Hinn

TJ the squirrel is busy gathering nuts for winter when his friend Jo tells him that he has found a way to get all the food he wants without even working hard. He simply has to pray for what he wants and add the “secret” phrase “In Jesus’ name” to the end. Jo tells TJ that he really has to believe and if he has enough faith and uses the secret phrase God will give him what he asks for.

TJ believes with all his might and prays using the secret phrase. However, when he returns home he sees that none of his prayers were answered and he begins to question God’s love. TJ’s neighbor, Grace, comes over and tells TJ that praying in Jesus’ name is about “focusing on what Jesus wants first, not what you want…Jesus wants us to pray for things that he talks about in the Bible. He promises to help us do those things.”

TJ and Grace then pray for Jo and head out to let him know what praying “in Jesus’ name” really means.

This charmingly illustrated picture book was carefully crafted to help children understand what it truly means to pray “in Jesus’ name.” I appreciate that the authors unfold exactly how a child might be tempted to pray if they misunderstand this phrase or have been taught erroneously.

Grace tells TJ, “[Jesus] will do anything that you pray in his name, but that doesn’t have to do with getting more toys or having a bigger house.” She then goes on to give examples of praying for the things that Jesus promises to help us do. This is spot on and will hopefully spark a conversation with your child(ren) expanding on the subject to clarify further.

Your children will love the illustrations and endearing characters and you will love the focused lesson on the true heart of prayer. This is a lovely book to add to your home library and I highly recommend it for your family!

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1. What does it really mean to pray “in Jesus’ name?”
2. Why does God not answer all of the prayers we pray “in Jesus’ name?”
3. How often do you pray for stuff you want and how often do you pray for things Jesus wants for you?