"In that day you will ask in My name…for the Father Himself loves you…" —John 16:26-27
You know about the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. You know they are referred to as the Trinity or Godhead. Three in one. But maybe it is a bit of a mystery to you. Because you don't fully understand it does not make it any less true. We visited one of our granddaughters this past weekend. I installed a light fixture for her. She pointed at the Service Panel where all of the circuit breakers are and asked if she needed to turn the breaker off. I then explained how electricity flows through the black wire to where the light fixture was going through the light switch and what the purpose of the switch is. Which is to interrupt the flow of electricity from the circuit breaker to the fixture. I could see that I was telling her how to build a watch and not merely what time it was. A simple "No" would have been sufficient for her. She doesn't fully understand how electrical circuits work, but she does know it turns lights on. Do you remember the verse about the man and woman becoming "one flesh"?
"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate." - Mark 10:7-9
You know that, and yet do you understand its deep spiritual significance? You do know that the marriage of a man and woman is sacred before God. Martie and I are one and yet we are unique human beings.
Ok that is the context - not fully understanding what is true? Last Sunday there was a significant storm early that morning so we hunkered down and streamed the church service into our RV. As I listened to the preacher praying - he addressed Jesus as if he was praying to Jesus. I do not believe that the Bible tells us to pray to anyone but the Father. When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He did not say, "Pray to me."
"Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” So He said to them, When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one." - Luke 11:1-4
He did say that we should ask in His name. Jesus is not the Father, He is the Son and He has a specific place and purpose in the Godhead. By His authority we are able to approach the Father to ask for anything. Through the shed blood of Jesus, His sacrifice for our sins. We pray to the Father. Jesus is our high priest making intercession for us - meaning that His sacrifice offered, once for all, is sufficient for eternity. He is our propitiation - the One who satisfied God's wrath toward our sin.
"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." - Romans 8:1
"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
I think it is pretty simple. Each member of the Godhead has a role in our prayers and petitions.
But wait there's more!!!! We must be careful that we ask consistent with the Father’s will. That we don't we ask for things and then “tack” – in Jesus name – on the end as if somehow that makes our request irresistible to the Father. I’m concerned that we don’t give enough consideration to our personal spiritual condition when we approach God the Father. As if it does not matter – hey! I said PLEASE! When we say “in Jesus name” it should be a reminder to us that the only reason the Father hears us is because of Jesus. So it is more of an acknowledgement than a guarantee of a positive answer to our prayer. James wrote (James 4:3) that “we have not because we ask not and that for which we do ask, we ask amiss.” Much of our time in prayer has to do with physical and relational issues, not spiritual. What do you imagine that Jesus prayed about? I think it was about His relationship with His Father. Intimate conversations. In Philippians 4, Paul makes it clear that we are to “be anxious for nothing but in everything let our requests be made known to God”. Peter wrote that we are to “cast all our cares on Him” (1 Peter 5:7). But the assumption is that the context is our desire to be one with Jesus even as He is one with the Father. How about it?
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
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