"Ask anything in my name?"
This statement means "consistent with my nature".
Apparently, this brother doesn't think the church
bears fruit in prayerfulness. He is only correct in
saying that tacking on "in Jesus name" is not some
formula for success.
John 15:
7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you,
you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit;
so you will be My disciples.
Exodus 34:
5 Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him
there, and
proclaimed the name of the Lord.
6 And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed,
The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering,
and abounding in goodness and truth,
7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and
transgression and sin, by no means clearing
the guilty,
visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and
the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.
To pray in His Name is to invoke His divine attributes for
His people. As simple as the publicans prayer:
"Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner."
We ask for mercy, for He has stated that this is His very
nature. He loves mercy, and expects us to demonstrate
that nature in ourselves, by being merciful. (Mt. 18)
Psalms 116:
Then I called upon the name of the Lord:
O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul!
5 Gracious
is the Lord, and righteous;
Yes, our God
is merciful.
6 The Lord preserves the simple;
I was brought low, and He saved me.
7 Return to your rest, O my soul,
For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.