To whom do we direct our prayers?
Jesus taught us to pray to the Father, in His name, helped by the Spirit: prayer in Scripture runs to God through Christ, never around Him. Our one Mediator always lives to intercede at the Father's right hand, and even the angels in God's presence refuse reverence from men, saying, worship God.
This question arose from studying How do I pray? and Do I need a priest to reach God?.
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Addressed to your Father
'Pray to your Father who is in secret,' Jesus said, and taught the pattern: 'Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.' Prayer in the New Testament is family speech directed to the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit. The address itself is theology, and Jesus wrote it for us.
But you, when you pray, enter into your inner room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
He said to them, “When you pray, say, ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
In my name, straight to the Father
On the night He was betrayed Jesus drew the route plainly: 'whatever you may ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.' Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full. He even calls it love: the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved me and believed that I came from God. Asking in Jesus' name is not a formula tacked onto prayers; it is the road prayers travel.
“In that day you will ask me no questions. Most certainly I tell you, whatever you may ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full.And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I came from God.For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.
Whatever you will ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you will ask anything in my name, I will do it.And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
Our intercessor already lives
Christians are never told to recruit additional intercessors, because the decisive One is on duty: 'he is also able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, seeing that he lives forever to make intercession for them.' Paul asks, who intercedes for us? And answers: Christ Jesus, at the right hand of God. The Spirit helps us pray; the Son presents us; the Father receives us.
Therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, seeing that he lives forever to make intercession for them.Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, yes rather, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don’t know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can’t be uttered. He who searches the hearts knows what is on the Spirit’s mind, because he makes intercession for the saints according to God.Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Even angels decline the honor
Twice at the climax of Revelation John falls at an angel's feet to worship, and twice the angel refuses: 'Look! Don't do it! I am a fellow bondservant with you,' he says, and then commands him plainly, worship God. If glorious beings in God's immediate presence deflect reverence, how much less may devotion, trust, or prayer be routed through any creature? Scripture reserves the hearing ear for God alone: You who hear prayer, to you all men will come.
I fell down before his feet to worship him. He said to me, “Look! Don’t do it! I am a fellow bondservant with you and with your brothers who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy.”And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Now I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. When I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who had shown me these things. He said to me, “See you don’t do it! I am a fellow bondservant with you and with your brothers, the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
You who hear prayer, to you all men will come.O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.
Let no one rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and worshiping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
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Verses to meditate on
Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
“In that day you will ask me no questions. Most certainly I tell you, whatever you may ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
Therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, seeing that he lives forever to make intercession for them.Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
He said to me, “See you don’t do it! I am a fellow bondservant with you and with your brothers, the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
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