In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask, and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. (Jn 16:23-24)
Jesus is talking about a new relationship between the believer and God. Previously, people approached God through priests. After Jesus’ resurrection, any believer could approach God directly. A new day has dawned, and now all believers are priests (see 1 Pet 2:5), talking with God personally and directly. We approach God, not because of our merit, but because Jesus, our great High Priest, has made us acceptable to God.
Jesus would soon be facing the cross, where He would die for the sins of humanity. His disciples had relied on Christ’s close walk with His Father in heaven and knew that Jesus prayed to the Father for them. For example, He had prayed for Peter whom He knew would deny Him after His arrest: “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” (Lk 22:31) Clearly, they were aware of His intercession for them.
Further, He explains that they could go directly to the Father, in His name.
“In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.” (Jn 16:26-28)
Hebrews 7: 25 shines more light on how we are to pray — the method applied not to just the apostles, but to all believers. “He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” With belief in Jesus, we can draw near to God by faith in Him, directly without the assistance of priest or pastor in this world. Jesus is in heaven at the right hand of God leveraging our prayers to the Father, by additionally interceding for us as our high priest:
“Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Heb 10:19-23)
You may ask, how can I be forgiven if not by confessing to an ordained man of the cloth? Scripture sets the record straight: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 Jo 1:9 ESV)
We are not limit praying for one another, or confessing to lay-elders, especially in the context of praying for the healing of a saint who is ill: “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (Jm 5:16)
It is noteworthy that Paul, a great apostle chosen directly by Christ Himself, requested prayer for the Gospel work that he was conducting — asking the faithful Christians in the established churches of Christ to do so on his behalf for Christ’s glory. (see Col 4:3; 2 Cor 1:11).