What does it mean to pray in Christ's name?

Ancient cross close to Crazywell Pool on southern Dartmoor (England)

Image from Wikimedia Commons

Sometimes, I really want to shout this from the housetops:

Many people have a very strangely childish notion, that "praying in the name of Christ" means simply the addition of the words "through Jesus Christ our Lord" at the end of their prayers. But depend upon it, they do not by adding these words, or any words, bring it about that their prayers should be in the name of Christ. To pray in the name of Christ means to pray in such a way as represents Christ. The representative always must speak in the spirit and meaning of those for whom he speaks. If Christ is our representative, that must be because He speaks our wishes, or what we ought to make our wishes; and if we are to pray in the name of Christ, that means that we are, however far off, expressing His wishes and intentions.

-- Charles Gore

The fundamentalists who, on public occasions when the setting is clearly interfaith, make a fuss about tacking those words on have truly missed the point.