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Glory · Prayer
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.
https://glorystudy.com/questions/to-whom-do-we-direct-our-prayers · Scripture quoted from the World English Bible
Matthew 6:5-15
As you read: Whom Jesus addresses: your Father who sees in secret; hallowed be His name.
5“When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Most certainly, I tell you, they have received their reward.
6But 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.
7In praying, don’t use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking.
8Therefore don’t be like them, for your Father knows what things you need, before you ask him.
9Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
10Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.
13Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen. ’
14“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15But if you don’t forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
John 16:16-28
As you read: The risen Lord routing prayer through Himself to the Father, and the Father's love for direct askers.
16A little while, and you will not see me. Again a little while, and you will see me.”
17Some of his disciples therefore said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you won’t see me, and again a little while, and you will see me;’ and, ‘Because I go to the Father’?”
18They said therefore, “What is this that he says, ‘A little while’? We don’t know what he is saying.”
19Therefore Jesus perceived that they wanted to ask him, and he said to them, “Do you inquire among yourselves concerning this, that I said, ‘A little while, and you won’t see me, and again a little while, and you will see me?’
20Most certainly I tell you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.
21A woman, when she gives birth, has sorrow, because her time has come. But when she has delivered the child, she doesn’t remember the anguish any more, for the joy that a human being is born into the world.
22Therefore you now have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.
23“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.
24Until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full.
25I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. But the time is coming when I will no more speak to you in figures of speech, but will tell you plainly about the Father.
26In that day you will ask in my name; and I don’t say to you, that I will pray to the Father for you,
27for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I came from God.
28I came from the Father, and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.”
Hebrews 7:20-28
As you read: The permanent priesthood of Jesus: the saving, ongoing intercession of the Son of God.
20Inasmuch as he was not made priest without the taking of an oath
21(for they indeed have been made priests without an oath), but he with an oath by him that says of him, “The Lord swore and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.’”
22By so much, Jesus has become the collateral of a better covenant.
23Many, indeed, have been made priests, because they are hindered from continuing by death.
24But he, because he lives forever, has his priesthood unchangeable.
25Therefore 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.
26For such a high priest was fitting for us: holy, guiltless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
27who doesn’t need, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices daily, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. For he did this once for all, when he offered up himself.
28For the law appoints men as high priests who have weakness, but the word of the oath which came after the law appoints a Son forever who has been perfected.
Revelation 19:9-10
As you read: John falls at a heavenly messenger's feet and is told: see you do it not; worship God.
9He said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” He said to me, “These are true words of God.”
10I 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.”
'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.”Matthew 6:6
“Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.”Matthew 6:9
“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.”Luke 11:2
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.”John 16:23-24
“for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I came from God.”John 16:27
“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.”John 14:13-14
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.”Hebrews 7:25
“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.”Romans 8:34
“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.”Romans 8:26-27
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.””Revelation 19:10
“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.””Revelation 22:8-9
“You who hear prayer, to you all men will come.”Psalm 65:2
“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,”Colossians 2:18