?? Prayers to the Son rather than to the Father

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bond-servant

Puritan Board Sophomore
In my 15 years in the Baptist church, there was one thing I heard over and over, in every Baptist church we were part of all around the country:

"Lord Jesus... <continued prayer>"

Almost every prayer was directed TO Jesus rather than directed to the Father in the name of Jesus.

Why? Isn't this unsound Scripturally?

The 'Lord's Prayer' as an example Jesus gave to His disciples was to the Father

Jesus' high priestly prayer obviously was to the Father,

Joh 15:16 "You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you **ask of the Father in My name** He may give to you.

Joh 16:23 "In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.
Joh 16:24 "Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.
Joh 16:25 "These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father.
Joh 16:26 "In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf;
 
I address the whole trinity.

I figure the Spirit prays for me anyway, so He will fix it if it is wrong.
 
Fisher's Catechism:

QUESTION 98. What is prayer?

ANSWER: Prayer is an offering up of our desires to God for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies.

Q. 3. May we not direct our prayers to any of the persons of the adorable Trinity?

A. To be sure we may: for the Three-one God being the sole object of religious worship, whichever of the three persons we address, the other two are understood as included, 2 Cor. 13:14.

Q. 21. In whose NAME are we to ask things agreeable to God's will?

A. In the name of Christ.

Q. 22. What is it to pray in the name of Christ?

A. It is, "in obedience to his command, and in confidence of his promise, to ask mercies for his sake?"[166]

Q. 23. Is the bare mentioning of Christ's name, a praying therein?

A. No; but a "drawing our encouragement to pray, and our boldness, strength, and hope of acceptance in prayer, from Christ and his mediation."[167]

Q. 24. "Why are we to pray in the name of Christ?"

A. "Because the sinfulness of man, and his distance from God, by reason thereof, is so great, as that we can have no access into his presence without a Mediator."[168]

Q. 25. Is there any other Mediator but Christ, in whose name we may approach to God?

A. No; "there being none in heaven or earth appointed to, or fit for that glorious work but Christ alone, we are to pray in no other name but his only, Col. 3:17.[169]
 
Thanks for your reply. Help me out here please:

Yes, prayer must be in Christ's name, yet Scripture over and over directs us to pray TO the Father in the name of Christ, His Son, our mediator.

... I don't see where 2 Corinthians 13:14, greeting each other in the fellowship of the Spirit equals praying in any of the names of the Triune God. ??

Certainly Scripture talks of praying IN the Spirit, but I have never heard any corporate prayer TO the Holy Spirit. ?
 
It is not unsound to address any member of the Trinity in prayer, unless you believe that they are not equal in their divinity, which would of course be an error of serious consequence.

WLC#11 states, Q: "How does it appear that the Son and the Holy Ghost are God equal with the Father?"

A: "The Scriptures manifest that the Son and the Holy Ghost are God equal with the Father, ascribing unto them such names, attributes, works, and worship, as are proper to God only."

Prayer is a part of divine worship, and if each member cannot be worshipped in a way appropriate to the whole, then we have set up an ontological subordination amongst them. Note that when we sing our hymns in worship, many of them are written in the form of a prayer to the various persons of the Godhead (I'm thinking here of the Trinity Hymnal), as well as the fact that the men of the Westminster Assembly prayed prayers to the specific persons of the Godhead.

Helpful, in this respect, is John Owen's treatise on "Distinct Communion with the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost", which can be found in volume two of the Goold edition. He discussed how whenever we commune with one member of the Godhead in a primary manner, we are communing with and glorifying the others in a secondary manner. His concern was with our communion by virtue of our union with Christ, but his insights can be applied equally well to prayer. For if we take into account the economic distinctions among the members (the work primarily given them in Redemptive History), and pray to them in a way appropriate to the work given each, then we magnify the others as well by thier secondary work.
For example, if we are adoring Christ for His sacraficial death on our behalf, we are secondarily glorifying the Father who sent him, as well as the Spirit who applies that redemption to us.

You are probably bothered by focus on Christ to the exclusion of the Father, which, considering our understanding of the Trinitarian nature of God, should be a cause for discomfort. Yet, prayer to Christ/Holy Spirit/Father alone, when balanced by a fully Trinatarian method of prayer at other times, should be encouraged.
 
:ditto:

For my own part, my general rule of thumb is to pray to the Father, in the name of Jesus, by the help of the Holy Spirit. However, I could envision myself or someone praying "Jesus, help me!" or "Holy Spirit, be thou my Comforter, guide me and direct my steps." But I usually if not always pray according to that general rule.
 
Well, I certainly believe all persons of the Trinity are equal and I do not believe it is heresy to pray to the Son. My concern is always to be on sound Scriptural footing. ... let me rephrase my original question for clarity,

Aside from the confessions:

Can anyone show me passages of Scripture (time frame: after Jesus' death and resurrection) teaching or giving a direct example of someone praying TO Jesus or the Spirit directly rather than to the Father God In the name of Jesus?

It may be in Scripture and clear. I just haven't seen it.... ?
 
The circumstances were unusual but...

Acts 7.59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
 
Originally posted by bond-servant
Great Link Andrew, thanks!

You're welcome, Beth!
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I think there are two things to keep in mind: 1) we are commanded to pray in a certain light - to the Father. he is seeking worshippers to worship Him and the relationship that is restored is with the Father throught he Son, by the power of the Spirit (as Andrew noted).

Yet, at the same time, God IS Father, Son and Spirit. You pray to all of them anyway.

But covenantally - we pray to the Father because He is seeking a re-established relationship with covenant breakers.
 
Originally posted by bond-servant
Thanks for your reply. Help me out here please:

Yes, prayer must be in Christ's name, yet Scripture over and over directs us to pray TO the Father in the name of Christ, His Son, our mediator.

... I don't see where 2 Corinthians 13:14, greeting each other in the fellowship of the Spirit equals praying in any of the names of the Triune God. ??

Certainly Scripture talks of praying IN the Spirit, but I have never heard any corporate prayer TO the Holy Spirit. ?

Beth - I don't believe you err by praying to the Father. Neither do I believe we err if we pray to Jesus. The main thing is...pray!
 
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