“In that day” after the disciples have come into a fuller knowledge of the Father, they will be able to pray in the name of Jesus, as they should. Note that asking in the name of Jesus is not an attempt to illicit His support. It is instead, pleading His work and His Person. The basis of our prayer is the whole essence of who He is and what He has done for our salvation.

Note also that Jesus does indeed pray for His disciples (John 14:16, 17:9), but these prayers were during the earthly ministry of Jesus. After His resurrection things will be different. The intercession of Christ for the believer is spoken of in (Rom 8:34, Heb 7:25, 1 John 2:1). Does this contradict with the present passage? No. As Calvin notes, “The blood by which He atoned for our sins, the obedience which He rendered, is a continual intercession for us.” “Our approach to the Father rests firmly on Christ’s priestly work for us.” (Morris) His work is a perpetual intercession on our behalf. It doesn’t need to be supplemented by any additional intervention by Him for us. The interceding words of Christ to the Father are simply, “I died for him. My blood has been applied to his life.” His work on the cross was enough.

John 14:16  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you for ever—

John 17:9  I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.

Romans 8:34  Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

Hebrews 7:25  Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

1 John 2:1  My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defence—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

This brings up 2 additional, and rather staggering, points. First, Christ’s sacrificial work was so complete that our prayers to the Father would not be better if they came from Christ Himself! We are not to ask Jesus to pray for us; we are to pray directly to the Father.

Secondly, the thought that Jesus is more merciful or more ready to hear than the Father is completely excluded. We have personal access to the Father, Who is desirous that we should talk directly with Him! Jesus will develop this thought further in the next verse.