To Whom It Concerns: Praying to God, Jesus, or Both?
Growing up I always started my prayers with “Dear God…” but later in my prayers, I found myself talking to Jesus. So, should I have started my prayers with “Dear Jesus…? Does it matter? Should we pray to God, Jesus, both? Well, The Bible actually says a lot about that.
As a general rule, it is best to pray to God the Father, in Jesus’ name, through the Holy Spirit. This best aligns with a biblical understanding of prayer and the nature of the Trinity. It highlights both the divinity and unity found within the Trinity as well as the distinctive roles of each person within it.
That’s a lot. But God is worth a lot. And if we want to truly learn to pray well, then we ought to know who to address our prayers too, as well as why it’s important in the first place. So, perhaps it’s best we dig into the nature of the Trinity for a bit.
The Nature of the Trinity
The concept of the Trinity is one of those concepts that people try to avoid talking about. Why? Because it can be hard to understand, explain, and grasp. I imagine we can only scratch the surface of understanding the Trinity, after all it has to do with an infinite God.
Dr. Tony Evans defines the Trinity in his Bible Commentary saying,
“Trinity is a theological term (not a biblical one) used to describe the biblical teaching of the nature of God. There is one God who exists in three co-equal persons who are one in essence yet distinct in personality. Thus, God is three in one.”
Dr. Tony Evans
The term “Trinity” is not found in the Bible, but the concept very much is. All throughout the Bible, we catch glimpses of the reality of our triune God. For example, in Matthew 28:19, Jesus tells His followers to baptize others in the name (singular) of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
This verse offers perhaps one of the clearer understandings of the Trinity that we have in the Bible. All together, the Bible teaches us the following about the Trinity.
- There is one God.
- This one God exists eternally in three persons (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).
- These three persons are co-equal having the same attributes and nature.
- While each person is fully and completely God, the persons are not identical.
Make sense? Great Let’s move on. Or perhaps an ice cream break after all that thinking.
Imagine you have a big ice cream cone with three delicious scoops, one chocolate, one vanilla, and one strawberry. Now, each scoop is different, but the scoops make up one yummy ice cream cone. Each scoop is 100% ice cream, but not identical.
In a similar way, the Trinity is like God being three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each one is different, but co-equal having the same attributes and nature. Each one is 100% God, but not identical.
There are three Persons in one God. But there is only one God, one ice cream. But what does the reality of the Trinity mean practically for our prayer life?
Well, that means that it is entirely acceptable to pray to any person in the Trinity. The Father is God, so we can pray to Him. Jesus is God, so we can pray to Him. The Holy Spirit is God, so we can pray to Him. All are worthy of our praise and worship.
But the does guide us on how to structure our prayers in relation to the reality of the Trinity. John Piper says it this way,
Pray to God the Father in the power of God the Spirit, in the name or by the authority and the merit of God the Son. That is the trinitarian structure mainly of prayer in the Bible.
John Piper
Now, let’s take a look at each aspect in a little more detail.
Praying to God
Prayer is communicating with God, based on a relationship with Him, where we acknowledge our dependence on Him and His ability to meet our needs. Through the different types of prayer, we can express love and gratitude toward God as well as seek guidance and understanding.
Want to know the different types of prayer? Then check out this article where we look at the key elements of six different types of prayer and what makes them so unique.
All throughout the Bible, we seek examples of people praying directly to God and we are encouraged to do the same. In fact, Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:6,
“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.”
Matthew 6:6, NIV
Jesus also encourages us in His model prayer to pray to, “Our Father in heaven…”
Scripture makes abundantly clear that we are to pray to God. Not only does Jesus command it, but we see instances where others pray directly to God.
For example, the book of Psalms is filled with examples of prayers King David often prayed to God.
Hannah, in the Old Testament, prayed directly to God asking for a child (1 Samuel 1:10-11) and Solomon prayed to God for wisdom (1 Kings 3:5-14). Hannah’s prayer begins with, “Lord Almighty,” and Solomon’s “Lord, my God.”
Both Hannah and Solomon recognized God as powerful and prayed directly to Him, knowing that He can meet their needs.
God’s attributes, what makes God, well God, make Him a worthy recipient of our prayers. Some of these attributes include,
- God’s Omniscience (all-knowing)
- God’s Omnipotence (all-powerful)
- God’s Love
- God’s Compassion
- God’s Faithfulness
- God’s Immutability (Unchanging Nature)
If you want to explore these attributes a little further, or discover more attributes of God, then check out this article. It is a brief Bible study on who God is, it discusses these attributes in more depth as well as looks at how God choose to define Himself.
It’s these very attributes that make God not only worthy of our prayers and praise, but also the very reason we desire to pray to Him in the first place.
Likewise, through the Bible, we see that Jesus has these same attributes. This means that He is also worthy of our praise and prayer.
Praying in the Name of Jesus
All throughout the Bible, we see both Jesus, as well as His followers, either encourage us to pray in Jesus’ name to do so themselves. But what does that even mean? To pray in Jesus’ name means that we pray in His authority. We acknowledge His authority and seek to align our will with His.
Jesus states in John 14,
“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask for anything in my name, and I will do it.”
John 14:13-14
This doesn’t mean that the phrase, “In Jesus’ name” is a magical spell that guarantees we get what we want from God. But it is a guarantee that Jesus will answer our God-glorifying prayers. Why? Because it brings glory to the Father.
Earlier we talked about how we can and should pray to God directly. But it is only through Jesus that this is possible. Ephesians 2:18 says, “For through Him [Jesus] we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.”
Here we see the whole Trinity at play once again. But note that it is Jesus who grants a believer direct access to the Father.
Jesus Our Mediator
This is because Jesus is our Mediator. He bridges the gap between humanity and God. 1 Timothy 2:5 states,
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.”
Jesus is our mediator, but how does He mediate for us? It is through His death on the cross for our sins and His resurrection from the dead. This sacrifice on our behalf, enables us to approach the throne of grace with confidence (Hebrews 4:16).
So, we are to pray primarily to the Father in the name of Jesus. That means by His authority. We ought to do things His way. This is part of the reason why the Lord’s prayer, or model prayer, is so popular.
It’s Jesus’ example of how we should pray. It provides us with guardrails for our own prayers, making sure we stay in line with God’s will and still have the freedom to fully express ourselves.
Pray in His Authority and Surrender to His Will
Praying in Jesus’ name not only means praying by His authority, but also seeking to submit to His will. Jesus, again, gives us the example, praying in the garden of Gethsemane, “May your will be done.”
The gospel of Jesus Christ ought to be at the very heart of our prayers, because it is only through the gospel that we can approach God. We must seek to align our requests to Jesus’ teachings and submit to His will.
Thus, we ought to pray in Jesus’ name. Doing so, we choose to die to self and surrender to His lordship in our lives. To pray in Jesus’ name is a testimony to the gospel at work in our lives. An illustration of the gospel to our spirits.
The Role of the Holy Spirit in Prayer
Lastly, we are to pray to God in the power of the Holy Spirit. He who hovered over the waters at creation, who performed miracles through prophets, who raised Jesus from the dead–He ought to be the source of strength behind our prayers. The Holy Spirit offers us guidance, comfort, and empowerment in our prayer life.
He Prays For Us
The Bible talks a lot about the Holy Spirit’s role in our prayer life. For instance, Romans 8:26-27 reads,
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.”
How wonderful and beautiful and encouraging it is to know that the Holy Spirit prays for us.
I’ll be honest with you, these last few weeks, I’ve been praying the same prayer over and over. And there are times, I don’t know what to say anymore. So, I sit in comfort knowing that the Holy Spirit is praying for me in accordance with the will of God.
He Guides Our Prayers
He not only prays for us, but can serve as a guide for our prayers as well. We can see this in the book of John, “But when he, the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come” (John 16:13).
The Holy Spirit guides our prayers and thoughts to the truth. When we don’t know what to pray, He reminds us of the truth, the reality of who God is.
There are times when, I don’t feel like my prayers are being heard. They fall on deaf ears, or so I feel. Then, I’ve gotten into the habit of listing what I know to be true about God and my circumstances. This brings me comfort, which happens to be another way the Holy Spirit works in our lives.
The Holy Spirit plays an active and vital role in our prayer lives. He intercedes for us and guides us in prayer, inviting us to experience God in a deeper more personal and profound way.
The Holy Spirit, like the Father and the Son, is God. As such, He is worthy of our praise and prayers. It is His power that raised Jesus from the dead and continually works in our lives making us more like Christ.
Praying to Saints: Is it Biblical?
We’ve seen how we can pray to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, because God is worthy of our prayer and praise. It’s best to pray to directly to God in the name of Jesus, by the power of the Spirit.
But what about praying to saints? Is it Biblical?
The answer to that question varies among Christian traditions and denominations and is still debated among Christians today.
If you were to ask a Catholic or Orthodox Christian, then their answer is yes. But if you ask a Protestant then the answer is no.
| Chrisian Tradition | Prays to Saints? |
|---|---|
| Orthodox Christianity | Yes |
| Roman Catholic Christianity | Yes |
| Protestant Christianity | No (with some minor exceptions) |
Historical Context
Historically, saints can serve as examples within Christian theology. Their lives and martyrdom are recognized as models of faith. This is both true and biblical. Christians who have gone before us stand as witnesses and testify to the power of the gospel at work in our lives (Hebrews 11).
The martyrdom of early Christians often led to their veneration. They were held up as models of those who sacrificed their lives for the faith. Over time, people began to travel to sites associated with these early Christians as focal points for devotion.
In time and with the writings of Church Fathers like Augustine of Hippo and John Chrysostom, praying to the saints became more and more popular, especially during the daily spiritual lives of medieval Christians.
The saints came to be viewed as heavenly intercessors and advocates for Christians here on earth, as they have a more “direct access” to God than those who remain on earth. As such, their prayers are often viewed as more effective and sought by Christians today.
Biblical References Related to Praying to Saints
Those who support praying to saints use Scripture to support their beliefs. That said, Scripture must be interpreted correctly, and there are differing perspectives on key passages used to support praying to the saints.
For example, James 5:16 says, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
And Revelation 5:8 reads, “And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.”
These are just two verses that are used to support the idea that prayers to saints are biblical.
The argument goes something like this: You ask your friends and family to pray for you here, so why not ask those in heaven? The saints are alive, near God, and completely righteous. Therefore, their prayers are effective and we can ask them to pray for us.
Why I Believe Praying to the Saints Is NOT Biblical
In my opion, this is a clear example of adding to Scripture to make it say what you want. While there are different interpretations of those verses, the context does not allude to praying to individuals in heaven.
I also disagree for a number of other purely practical and theological reasons,
- Saints are not omniscient (all-knowing). If I am praying to St. Nicholas and 1,000 other people are praying to him as well, all over the world. How can I be sure he hears me?
- God is omnipresent (all-present). God is everywhere. As such, He is just as near to me as He is those saints in heaven. They are not “nearer” to God, as God is omnipresent.
- Jesus’ Mediatorship is abundantly sufficient. The Bible makes clear that Jesus is our mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). If He intercedes for me, if He mediates for me (and biblically He does), then I need no one else. That said, the Bible does make certain that asking other believers (alive on earth) for prayer is biblical.
- My prayers are effective. Biblically, all Christians are saints. All Christians are consistently called saints in the Bible, more so than they are called Christians (Acts 9:13, 32; 26:10; Philippians 4:21). As such, I am a saint. Through Jesus, I can approach God confidently and my prayers are equally effective (James 5:16-17).
While I recognize and respect the differences of opinion and theological interpretations of praying to saints, I see no evidence or reasoning to support the belief as Biblical. Therefore, I do not pray, nor will I pray to the saints.
That said, despite any theological differences all Christians are united in the essential doctrines of the faith. God loves us and wants to be a part of our lives. Jesus is Lord and Savior to all who come to Him in faith. There is no other God.
Any discussion among Christians over differing theological perspectives or opinions needs to be open and respectful, acknowledging the unity that we share in the faith, and speaking in love and encouragement in order to build up and not tear down.
Practical Guidance for Prayer
God is worthy of our praise and prayer. As such, we can pray to God the Father, to Jesus, and/or to the Holy Spirit. Ideally, though, we can pray to God the Father, in the Name of Jesus the Son, and by the power of the Spirit.
Incorporating the Trinity into our prayer life can lead us to a deeper encounter with God. So, here are some practical tips for that,
- Trinitarian Awareness:
- Begin your prayers with a conscious acknowledgment of the Holy Trinity. Recognize the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit as distinct persons within the one Godhead.
- Address Each Person Directly:
- Engage in direct communication with each person of the Trinity. For example, start by addressing God the Father, express gratitude to Jesus, and invite the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
- Use Scripture:
- Incorporate passages from the Bible that explicitly mention the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Scriptures can serve as a foundation for your prayers and help you align your thoughts with the revealed nature of God.
- Adoration of the Father:
- Dedicate a portion of your prayers to adoring God the Father. Praise Him for His attributes, such as His wisdom, love, and sovereignty. Reflect on His role as the Creator and sustainer of all things.
- Thank Jesus for Salvation:
- Express gratitude to Jesus for His sacrifice and the salvation He offers. Thank Him for His teachings, love, and the example He set during His earthly ministry.
- Seek Guidance from the Holy Spirit:
- Specifically invite the Holy Spirit into your prayers for guidance, wisdom, and understanding. Acknowledge the Spirit’s role as a comforter, advocate, and the one who leads believers into truth.
- Pray in Jesus’ Name:
- Conclude your prayers by invoking the name of Jesus. This practice aligns with Jesus’ teachings, emphasizing that whatever you ask in His name will be granted (John 14:13-14).
- Trinitarian Formulas:
- Use traditional Trinitarian formulas in your prayers, such as “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” These formulas can serve as a reminder of the Triune nature of God.
- Reflect on the Trinity’s Work in Your Life:
- Take moments in your prayers to reflect on how each person of the Trinity has been active in your life. Consider instances where you have experienced the love of the Father, the grace of Jesus, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
- Pray the Lord’s Prayer:
- The Lord’s Prayer, taught by Jesus, inherently includes a Trinitarian perspective. As you pray it, reflect on the lines that address the Father, seek His will, ask for daily bread (nourishment from Jesus), and seek deliverance from evil through the power of the Holy Spirit.
- Periods of Silence and Listening:
- Create moments of silence within your prayers to listen for the guidance and promptings of the Holy Spirit. Allow space for God to speak to your heart.
- Trinitarian Hymns and Worship Songs:
- Incorporate hymns and worship songs that explicitly glorify the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Singing can be a powerful way to express your devotion to the Triune God.
Remember, the key is to approach your prayer life with a heart open to the presence of the Father, the love of Christ, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Prayer is vital to the Christian life. It is one of the primary ways in which we can have powerful, life-transforming encounters with God.
Key Takeaways
- As a general rule, it is best to pray to God the Father, in Jesus’ name, through the Holy Spirit. This best aligns with the divinity, unity, and distinct rolse within the Trinity.
- The Trinity is the doctrine that God exists as one God in three co-equal and co-eternal persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). Understanding this has huge implications and significance in understanding prayer.
- The Triune God is worthy of our praise and prayers.
- Praying in Jesus’ name, emphasizes His role as mediator between God and humanity and the importance of submitting to His will.
- The Holy Spirit aids us in prayer by praying for us and guiding us in prayer.
- Christians have differing views on praying to the saints. There are theological, practical, and biblical concerns for praying to the saints, and it is not recommended.
- The Triune God ought to be incorporated into our prayer life as it leads to a deeper encounter with God.
Understanding the Trinity enriches our prayer life, guiding us to approach each person with reverence and sincerity.
Whether in direct communication with God, praying the name of Jesus, or seeking guidance from the power of the Holy Sirit, prayer remains a transformative conversation that reflects the unity and diversity within the Trinity, inviting us to a deeper encounter with God.
As such, we should always strive to pray to God in the name of Jesus and by the Spirit’s power. Then God gets the glory and we, the joy of fellowship with Him.
