Who Do You Pray To And Why?

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." Matthew 6:5-10 

When I was a young boy, my uncle would tease me because I was always asking "why". I wanted to understand. After reading scripture about praying, one that I have read many times in the past - the question of "why" raised its head once again. So please indulge me.

I am certain that you are familiar with the Lord's prayer. I am certain that you have noticed that the exact words are not the same in Matthew and Luke. In Luke 11 the disciples asked Jesus, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John [the Baptist] taught his disciples." Jesus did not say, "Ok when you pray to Me", so you would think that would be a clear indication that we should pray to the Father. 

“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.'" - Luke 11:2-4

But, have you ever heard someone pray to Jesus? Did you think that odd? So why did Jesus say, in John 14, that if we "ask Him anything in His name, He will do it?"

"And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask Me for anything in my name, and I will do it." - John 14:13-14 

Think about this. In it's essence praying is merely asking - having a spiritual conversation, isn't it? Have you ever heard or read the phrase, "Pray, tell me."? In other words, I am asking you to tell me. So the question, who are we to pray to, the Father, the Son, or both? As you just read, Jesus seems to tell the disciples, which includes us, to do both. Do you find that a little confusing? Frankly, I have never heard this addressed from the pulpit - have you? I would be interested to hear your thoughts. For many years, I thought that I was to pray to the Father and finish the prayer "In Jesus Name" as a way to establish my right to address God the Father - because the "blood of Jesus" and my adoption. I have been trying to sort it out. 

"In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." - John 1:1-4

Jesus is part of the God-head. We tend to think of Him in terms of His earthly ministry and not the fact that before that He was in heaven with the Father and was sent to save us, then returned to sit at the right hand of the Father and making eternal intercession for us as our high priest. (Hebrews 4:14-15)

And what about the Spirit? How does the Spirit fit in all of this?

Well, we know that the Spirit was sent to be a Helper by the Father when Jesus ascended. We know that the Spirit plays a vital role in our new nature when we are born again.

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." - John 14:26

We also know that the Spirit helps us pray those things that are too hard for us to pray.

"Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God." - Romans 8:26-27

So the Father, Son and Spirit are involved in the act of praying. I had to walk this out in my mind - I think I have and have concluded that we should do both pray to the Father and pray to Jesus. After all prayer is simply spiritual communication with the Father and Jesus. To say that we are not to pray to Jesus is to say that we can have no communication with Him. Let me hear from you.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone