Who should we pray to?

[B-A-C]

Who should we pray to? I am sincerely curious here.

Jesus said in Matt 6; ...
Matt 6:9; “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

Similarly in Luke 11, Jesus speaks of asking the Father.
Luke 11:13; If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”

Now, I'm not saying we can't ask for things in Jesus name, but are we supposed to ask Jesus or the father?
John 14:13; Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

Is there any verse in the Bible that says we should specifically pray to Jesus? I know he is our mediator, ( 1 Tim 2:5; ) but he is a mediator between the Father and man.

John 16:23; In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.

I also believe the Holy Spirit can make intercession for us as well ( Rom 8:26; ) but again... intercession between who? I think God and mankind.

I'm not really saying praying to Jesus is wrong, but I'm asking is there a verse that says we should pray to Him instead of the father?
I think some Christians believe our ultimate goal is to get to Jesus. While we can't get to heaven without Jesus, I think we should really be trying to get to the Father.

John 14:6; Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

 

[Jehonadab]

To have the spirit of Christ is to live as did Christ and pray as did Christ.

No, you will not find any scripture that supports that we should direct our prayers to Jesus.

Jesus is the mediator between man and God which means that our prayers are offered through him to God.

Some churches pray, "Father, I come to you through our Lord Jesus." Or they pray to the Father and conclude their prayers, "This, as always, we ask in the name of Jesus our Lord, Amen."

But this is but the tip of the ice-burg of things you have gotten wrong.

2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

James 1:1a "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,....."

Titus 1:1a "Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ,......"


1 Timothy 2:3-5 "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus"


1 Timothy 2:5 "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus"

The following verse has in mind that Jesus is the ark of our salvation, and we are kept afloat in him so as to be passed through the water of God's word of judgment and destruction upon this ungodly world, just as 1 Peter 3:20-22 speaks about:

Acts 4:12 "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby<[literally, "in"+ which] we must be saved."

Sorry about the clumsy effort to find the right words. In Christ we have that good conscience whereby we begin being able to receive of life-giving water.

 

[james1523]

Christ is both the mediator and the means to the source. If we want something from the source, then we can pray the Father. If we want something from the means, then we can pray the Son.

The importance of praying to Jesus should not be understated. Prayer to Jesus can be more effectual than prayer to the Father where it concerns our faith and conscience. This is because when we pray to Jesus we pray to a man just like us, who experienced everything we could experience, and so it may be easier for us to relate to God in Jesus. On the other hand the Father is invisible, mysterious and hidden, and is Spirit, so it can be harder for us to relate.

If Jesus is God, we can pray to Him. Clearly, Jesus is God (John 20:28).

In John 14:1 Jesus asked his disciples to believe in him in the same way they believe in the Father "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me."

Implicitly, Jesus was also saying "you pray to God, pray also to me". Because in the following verse 14, Jesus says "You may ask me for anything....".

Praying to Jesus is the same as praying to the Father because John 10:30 says "I and the Father are one".

When we pray to the Father we are praying to the invisible unseen God. When we pray to the Son, we are praying to the visible manifestation of the Father (John 10:30, John 14:8-9).

Either way we are still praying to our Father.

This is disputed by the Arians and the Jehovah Witnesses and others, who do not believe that Jesus is God.

Praying to Jesus verses:

1 Cor 1:2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:

John 14:14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Acts 7:59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

Eph 5:19 ...Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord

Acts 8:24 Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”

Acts 8:22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart.

Rev 2:20 ...Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. (last verse of the Bible).

It doesn't matter if we pray to the Father, the Son or the Spirit. When we pray to any one person of the Trinity we pray to all three. There is no problem praying to any of the persons of the Trinity. Because the three are one.

Strictly speaking the Father is the source, the Son is the means, and the Spirit is the application. So we should pray to the Father and the Son, whether we have need of something from the source, or something from the means. Prayer to the Spirit is not really necessary because the Spirit is with us, we don't have to pray to Him in Heaven, but we can talk and fellowship with Him, such as to know His moment by moment will (Acts 13:2, 2 Cor 13:14).

I like to pray to Jesus because many religions and deists pray to "God" and even some pray to "the heavenly Father" but do not believe in Jesus. I pray to Jesus with the understanding that the name Jesus encompasses the complete God. He is the complete God in human flesh (Col 2:9), and I am not merely praying to the Son only, as if He were somehow secondary or lesser than the Father.

I also pray to the Father because He is the source.

Practically this is a guide on how we can know whether to pray to the Father or the Son or the Spirit. If we want to pray to the invisible God, we pray to the Father. If we want to pray to the visible God, we pray to the Son.
There is no rules but I like to think of it like this. If we are praying to God in our room in secret, then we should pray to the invisible God, the Father.
If we praying to God in a public place, like Stephen as he was dying, then we should pray to the visible God, the Son - not merely for our benefit but moreso for the benefit of the hearers. In public, we want to be sure that we are pray-ers to Jesus and not merely to "God" or "Father" because deists and other religious also pray in this way, but they do not address Jesus as God.

If we want something from the source, such as food, wealth, whatever, we pray the Father. If we need to pray for the means, such as the strength to do something, or for something to be done (such as the miraculous salvation of a certain person) then pray the Son. If we want to know God's will for a specific moment, then fellowship and talk with the Spirit.

In summary, God is Trinity, if you pray to one person of the Trinity, you pray to all three. The name Jesus encompasses the complete God, and so is a more "complete" and accurate addressing of God than merely "God", or "Father".

 

[Jehonadab]

Christ is both the mediator and the means to the source. If we want something from the source, then we can pray the Father. If we want something from the means, then we can pray the Son.

The importance of praying to Jesus should not be understated. Prayer to Jesus can be more effectual than prayer to the Father where it concerns our faith and conscience. This is because when we pray to Jesus we pray to a man just like us, who experienced everything we could experience, and so it may be easier for us to relate to God in Jesus. On the other hand the Father is invisible, mysterious and hidden, and is Spirit, so it can be harder for us to relate.

If Jesus is God, we can pray to Him. Clearly, Jesus is God (John 20:28).

In John 14:1 Jesus asked his disciples to believe in him in the same way they believe in the Father "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me."

Implicitly, Jesus was also saying "you pray to God, pray also to me". Because in the following verse 14, Jesus says "You may ask me for anything....".

Praying to Jesus is the same as praying to the Father because John 10:30 says "I and the Father are one".

When we pray to the Father we are praying to the invisible unseen God. When we pray to the Son, we are praying to the visible manifestation of the Father (John 10:30, John 14:8-9).

Either way we are still praying to our Father.

This is disputed by the Arians and the Jehovah Witnesses and others, who do not believe that Jesus is God.

Praying to Jesus verses:

1 Cor 1:2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:

John 14:14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Acts 7:59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

Eph 5:19 ...Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord

Acts 8:24 Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”

Acts 8:22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart.

Rev 2:20 ...Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. (last verse of the Bible).

It doesn't matter if we pray to the Father, the Son or the Spirit. When we pray to any one person of the Trinity we pray to all three. There is no problem praying to any of the persons of the Trinity. Because the three are one.

Strictly speaking the Father is the source, the Son is the means, and the Spirit is the application. So we should pray to the Father and the Son, whether we have need of something from the source, or something from the means. Prayer to the Spirit is not really necessary because the Spirit is with us, we don't have to pray to Him in Heaven, but we can talk and fellowship with Him, such as to know His moment by moment will (Acts 13:2, 2 Cor 13:14).

I like to pray to Jesus because many religions and deists pray to "God" and even some pray to "the heavenly Father" but do not believe in Jesus. I pray to Jesus with the understanding that the name Jesus encompasses the complete God. He is the complete God in human flesh (Col 2:9), and I am not merely praying to the Son only, as if He were somehow secondary or lesser than the Father.

I also pray to the Father because He is the source.

Practically this is a guide on how we can know whether to pray to the Father or the Son or the Spirit. If we want to pray to the invisible God, we pray to the Father. If we want to pray to the visible God, we pray to the Son.
There is no rules but I like to think of it like this. If we are praying to God in our room in secret, then we should pray to the invisible God, the Father.
If we praying to God in a public place, like Stephen as he was dying, then we should pray to the visible God, the Son - not merely for our benefit but moreso for the benefit of the hearers. In public, we want to be sure that we are pray-ers to Jesus and not merely to "God" or "Father" because deists and other religious also pray in this way, but they do not address Jesus as God.

If we want something from the source, such as food, wealth, whatever, we pray the Father. If we need to pray for the means, such as the strength to do something, or for something to be done (such as the miraculous salvation of a certain person) then pray the Son. If we want to know God's will for a specific moment, then fellowship and talk with the Spirit.

In summary, God is Trinity, if you pray to one person of the Trinity, you pray to all three. The name Jesus encompasses the complete God, and so is a more "complete" and accurate addressing of God than merely "God", or "Father".

Where I disagree with you is that Christ does not live to do our will, but he lives to do the will of the Father.

When we pray to the Father in accord with his will, it is the Father that then moves Jesus to respond.

Prayer is different than casual conversation. Prayer is about letting our petitions be made to God the Father.

Can we talk to Jesus as one talks to a brother? Yes indeed we can. But we do not pray to our brothers even though we may lean on them for support.

Jesus laid down his human life for his brothers, which we are if we love him and the Father. 1 John 3:16 "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."

Romans 8:29 "For whom he,[the Father] did foreknow, he<[the Father] also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son<[our lord Jesus], that he<[Jesus} might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Gee, I wonder how that got obscured?

 

[RJ]

A great thread and it peeks my curiosity at times as well.

• I beleive in the trinity for more numerous reasons to mention here than to take away from your thread. I think I have enough knowledge to separate a lot of their fuctions but not enough to fully understand how they all work as one. There are plenty of verses that support my true lack of understanding like: "The Father and I are one" , " He sat down at the right hand of the Father" and " No one comes unto the Father, but my me".
• I personally do not do or have a good feeling about praying to one of the saints or someone like the "Blessed Mary". I will not argue doing it or not doing it, it is just not for me.
• Being a Chrsitian, who is in me?....The Holy Spirit, Jesus or God?....all three! It really doesn't concern me, to love one is to love them all.
• But, after all this, I just have it in me that there is a hierarcy with the Father as the God Head. I don't see any one man that has taught me that but God's word.
• In heaven, who is the father but God. Jesus is God has he claimed but I truly beleive he meant that as God the son. So in heaven my wife will be my sister; won't Jesus be my brother? It gets complicated but I don't fret over it.
• I talk to Jesus often, is that not prayer?
• For some reason, I am not comfortable with continual talk about pray to God for this and pray to God for that, go to God for this, get on your kness before God with out any mention of Jesus. But, also, again, I believe in the order of things and God is first. After all it is God who first gave you to the son.
• For the most part, I like to pray to the Father and in the name of Jesus Christ.

 

[james1523]

Where I disagree with you is that Christ does not live to do our will, but he lives to do the will of the Father.

When we pray to the Father in accord with his will, it is the Father that then moves Jesus to respond.

Prayer is different than casual conversation. Prayer is about letting our petitions be made to God the Father.

Can we talk to Jesus as one talks to a brother? Yes indeed we can. But we do not pray to our brothers even though we may lean on them for support.

Jesus laid down his human life for his brothers, which we are if we love him and the Father. 1 John 3:16 "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."

Romans 8:29 "For whom he,[the Father] did foreknow, he<[the Father] also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son<[our lord Jesus], that he<[Jesus} might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Gee, I wonder how that got obscured?

Christ living to do the Father's will makes no difference where it concerns our will.

We either pray to the Father with our will that is according to His will, or we pray to the Son with our will that is according to His will. We should also not forget the oneness of the believer's will with the Father's will
because we have the mind of Christ - 1 Cor 2:16.

If we define prayer as the petitioning of God, then we should pray to the Father. But if we define prayer as the spiritual communication with God, then we can pray to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

But there is no problem to petition the Son as well:
As the example of the stoning of Stephen shows, Stephen petitioned Christ to receive his spirit.
In 2 Cor 12:8, Paul petitioned Christ to remove the thorn in his flesh, 3 times. This also proves petitioning Christ is not an issue.

In the Bible Jesus accepted and still accepts all kinds of prayer, whether petition or praise. In John 5:23 we are told to honor the Son as the Father..therefore we can also pray to the Son as to the Father.

Those who have more spiritual understanding, realize that petitioning Christ or the Father is not petitioning two different Gods, but the same God, because the Father and the Son are one, and the Son is the visible manifestation of the Father. If we know Christ we know the Father, and if we pray to Christ, we pray the Father. Whether we address Christ or the Father, we can be assured that our prayers are heard and will be answered.

The Athanasian Creed affirms the equality and the oneness of the 3 persons of the Trinity: there is no heirarchy within the Trinity:

But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, is all one,
the Glory equal, the Majesty co-eternal.
..
So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God.
And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.