Who should we pray to?

[Tinky]

I tend to pray to the Father, but since Jesus said He and the Father are One, I look at it as praying to all that/who God is.

[Kan]

Dear Fresno Joe, 

 

The text on the word of God is close, as the Psalmist says "thy word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against thee"

 

The Lord impressed me, by prompting me to check how many fingers I have. Ten, and the ten commandments came to mind. Anything in spiritual warfare is tested by these ten simple codes. "to the law and the prophets, if they speak not according to them, there is no light in them." 

They are only written material God has ever given to our world by His own hand.

Ten simple and concise statements which define where our loyalty is and Who the law giver is. We need never be mistaken about who we are praying to.

[GoldenEagle]

The Father god, or Jesus Himself?  Does it matter?  I  know it says to pray in Jesus name to the Father.  But I have recollection of something contrary to this?  Maybe my memory is faulty here.  Sometimes it is.  Where are the scriptures that show these things.  I am not gifted in remembering where scripture is.  At all.  Way down at the bottom my gift list. lol.

Jesus said it best:

Matthew 6:5-15

⁵ “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. ⁶ But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

⁷ “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. ⁸ Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. ⁹ Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name.^[a]

¹⁰ Your kingdom come,

your will be done,^[b]

    on earth as it is in heaven.

¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread,^[c]

¹² and forgive us our debts,

    as we also have forgiven our debtors.

¹³ And lead us not into temptation,

    but deliver us from evil.^[d]

¹⁴ For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, ¹⁵ but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

So we are to play to the Father - God. The 1st Person of the Trinity.

Do you see?

God bless,

GE

 

[Pamelasv]

Yes, praying to the Father. Just that as is only one scripture I am quoting, I Corinthians 1:9, "God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowhip with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." I know this isn't a big deal really, but if we are fellowshipping with someone, we are talking to them. Just had to point that out out when I came across this scripture.

[Augustine17]

When Jesus expressed I and my father are one he meant one in spirit.

 

Now it came about when he had finished speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as himself. - 1 Samuel 18:1

 

They loved each other as if they were their own and became one in spirit. The believers are one in Christ and they love each other, and they love Christ, and they love God, and they are a family. A believer could try loving a non-believer on that level but the Holy Spirit will reject them, also the unbeliever does not love what is Godly and therefore cannot love a Godly person fully. So the one in spirit connection could not be made. Take for example marriage, when two people become extremely intimate physically they become 'one in flesh'. When they do this spiritually they become 'one in spirit'. It is written:

 

That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. - Genesis 2:24

 

A spirit that does evil cannot be one with a spirit that does good

 

Also, prayer is addressed to an object of worship, and that object of worship should be the father. The definition of prayer is: a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God or an object of worship. We pray to God in the name of Jesus, and that name is spiritual. When we are spiritually in him the prayer in his name can be made. An outsider cannot do it. It is written: 

 

Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 And the evil spirit answered and said to them, "I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" 16 And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.… - Acts 19:15-16

 

They spoke in His name but did not abide in His name. Prayer and request is different, prayer is reverent compared to a request. The father is the ultimate authority, but the Stephan in the bible did not pray to Jesus. He called out to him.

 

 As Stephen was being stoned to death, he called out, “Lord Jesus, please welcome me!” 60 He knelt down and shouted, “Lord, don’t blame them for what they have done.” Then he died. - Acts 7:59-60

 

Like Jesus, when he was dying, though he is alive, he asked that his enemies be forgiven. He is a true disciple, and to Jesus he did not pray, prayer should be done to the Father in the name of Jesus.

[alisonm328]

The Father god, or Jesus Himself? Does it matter? I know it says to pray in Jesus name to the Father. But I have recollection of something contrary to this? Maybe my memory is faulty here. Sometimes it is. Where are the scriptures that show these things. I am not gifted in remembering where scripture is. At all. Way down at the bottom my gift list. lol.

Thank you sooo much for asking this question! Oh my gosh i could go on forever about the billions of times during or after prayers when I've started wondering this and thinking am I sinning? Lol and even worrying that I could be offending the father or the son. Lol. It's the most simple thing but somehow so confusing!!

[Pamelasv]

I kind of look at it as since they are one, your praying to both, tho it is clear repeatedly about praying to the Father in the name of Jesus, or technically thru Him if you have him as your savior.

Edited February 2, 2015 by Pamelasv

[GoldenEagle]

I kind of look at it as since they are one, your praying to both, tho it is clear repeatedly about praying to the Father in the name of Jesus, or technically thru Him if you have him as your savior.

 

[Riverwalker]

Dear Fresno Joe, 

 

The text on the word of God is close, as the Psalmist says "thy word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against thee"

 

The Lord impressed me, by prompting me to check how many fingers I have. Ten, and the ten commandments came to mind. Anything in spiritual warfare is tested by these ten simple codes. "to the law and the prophets, if they speak not according to them, there is no light in them." 

They are only written material God has ever given to our world by His own hand.

Ten simple and concise statements which define where our loyalty is and Who the law giver is. We need never be mistaken about who we are praying to.

 

Kan the less you try and contain God in yourself, the greater God can be in your life.

 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and LEAN NOT UNTO YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING

 

If God has to shrink himself to fit your sensibilities before you will finally trust Him.....you will be waiting a very long time.

 

 

As to the question as a previous poster said, Jesus told us to pray to our Father through the Holy Spirit, In His Name.....but since they are all one in the same....just throw it up there, He'll catch it

[Kan]

 

 

Kan the less you try and contain God in yourself, the greater God can be in your life.

 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and LEAN NOT UNTO YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING

 

If God has to shrink himself to fit your sensibilities before you will finally trust Him.....you will be waiting a very long time.

 

 

As to the question as a previous poster said, Jesus told us to pray to our Father through the Holy Spirit, In His Name.....but since they are all one in the same....just throw it up there, He'll catch it

 

 

Praise God for that truth via you.