Today in Bible study one of the guys mentioned that he had been to a retreat and there the teacher expounding on the instructions to the disciples on prayer (Matt. 6:9-14). The teacher made the statement that we should never pray to Jesus (nor the Holy Spirit) but only to the Father. That we can ask things in the name of Jesus and that the Holy Spirit will guide us to ask the right things but our prayer is only to the Father. <br><br>What do you think? I must admit I haven't heard this before and would like some opinions and directions to good studies on the subject.
Actually I have heard of that before, but it was probably about 15 years ago and you brought it back to memory.[img]http://www.the-highway.com/w3timages/icons/smile.gif" alt="smile" title="smile[/img] <br><br>This was a question that I wondered about for a few years, but never asked anyone about myself.<br>From Scripture reading myself, I must admit that as far as I can tell I don't see any examples of people praying to Jesus or the Holy Spirit. <br>But I have heard many people over the years open in prayer to Jesus.<br><br>As you can see, I am not much help to you [img]http://www.the-highway.com/w3timages/icons/sorry.gif" alt="sorry" title="sorry[/img] . But perhaps now I will find the truth of this matter, [img]http://www.the-highway.com/w3timages/icons/thanks.gif" alt="thanks" title="thanks[/img] for bringing it up.<br><br>Tom<br>
I have been in prayer with people who have addressed the Father, the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit in their prayers. It’s always made me feel a little funny. I’ve also wondered if it was appropriate. Something in me convicts me that we should offer our prayers to the Father alone in Jesus' name alone. For He is the only mediator between God and man.
Alexander Whyte wrote a beautiful study on the subject of prayer entitled, ”Lord Teach Us To Pray” This book is available on-line, just follow the link I enclosed.
When His disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray He replied, “When you pray say, ‘Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name.’” (Luke 11:1)
Christ is the Revealer of the Father's name, and they who pray in the name of Christ have for their confidence this promise, "Whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son" (John 14:13) - and this, "Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, He will give it you" (John 16:23).
It’s also interesting to note that when Jesus dwelled with men on the earth He always prayed to His Father. And now that He has gone on before us to heaven He still intercedes on our behalf to our Father in heaven. See John 17 ."I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. (v.9-11)
Wes
When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died, my richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride. - Isaac Watts
Like you, I have not heard this before. I suppose I would ask about two New Testament passages (there may be others, but these come to mind):
1) I Corinthians 1:2 has Paul identifying the Church as ..."all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.... Is "calling upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord" praying to Him? My impression is that in the Old Testament when people called upon the name of the Lord, so to speak, they were praying.
2) In Acts 7, when Stephen said "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit", is that a prayer to Jesus?
I guess I am a little bit curious about this statement, because the Gloria in Excelsis, in some form or another, is a rather old prayer/hymn of the Church, and it features prayer addressed to Christ as well:
GLORY be to God on high, and on earth peace, good will towards men. We praise thee, we bless thee, we worship thee, we glorify thee, we give thanks to thee for thy great glory, O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty.
O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ; O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou that takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer. Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us.
For thou only art holy; thou only art the Lord; thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
So--I too would be interested if anyone else has further thoughts. I do know prayer to the Father in the name of Jesus is certainly Scriptural, but the statement you heard has me pondering.
The New Geneva Study Bible notes on Prayer (at Luke 11:2) has this:
As with the other aspects of prayer, petitions should ordinarily be directed to the Father, as the Lord's Prayer shows, but prayer may be directed to Christ, as in the days of His incarnation (Rom. 10:8-13; 2 Cor.12:7-9), and to the Holy Spirit (Rev. 1:4).
The in the days of His incarnation is helpful to me: the instances of people petitioning Christ directly do not seem to have been rebuked on that account, and it is hard for me to conceive the Lord not rebuking petitioners for addressing Him directly, if such prayer were indeed proper only if addressed to the Father. The NT pattern is, of course, predominantly that of addressing the Father, but there does not seem to be a forbidding of prayer to the other members of the Godhead.
WCF XXI seems to leave the door open for this as well. Following II: [color:blue]Religious worship is to be given to God, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost;, III defines prayer, with thanksgiving to be [color:blue]one special part of religious worship, and in the requirements which follow, [color:red]addressing the Father alone does not appear. If being worshipped is accepted by each member of the Trinity, is one right to imply that being addressed in prayer will be rejected by Christ and the Holy Spirit?
In reply to:[color:"blue"]WCF XXI seems to leave the door open for this as well. Following II: Religious worship is to be given to God, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost;, III defines prayer, with thanksgiving to be one special part of religious worship, and in the requirements which follow, addressing the Father alone does not appear. If being worshipped is accepted by each member of the Trinity, is one right to imply that being addressed in prayer will be rejected by Christ and the Holy Spirit?
Paul,
Thanks for pointing that out. The Westminster Divines seem to have already been where I was trying to go--that if Christ and the Holy Spirit are equally God with the Father, then each of the Persons of the Trinity is worthy of our worship, adoration, and praise. And it seems to me that worship and praise must include prayer.
God the father has to be glorified in all that we do. That is why we were called, we were called to be holy and righteous for God and by that glorify Him. So, yes indeed I do believe we pray to the Father in Jesus name.
