Articles
To Whom Should We Pray?
In most cases in the New Testament, we are told to pray to God or to God the Father.
Jesus, Himself, taught His disciples to pray this way. "In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father
in heaven, Hallowed be Your name" (Matthew 6:9). There are examples, however, of some
praying to Jesus. "And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus,
receive my spirit"" (Acts 7:59). One could argue that prayers directed to the Lord in the New
Testament are prayers directed to Jesus. Jesus said that His followers could ask Him for things.
“And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You
may ask Me for anything in My name, and I will do it” (John 14:13-14).
It seems clear that we can pray to Jesus for things we need. However, the Bible does not
give us clear direction as to when or about what a believer should talk to Jesus, as opposed to
God. Whether a believer prays to God or Jesus is left up to the individual. However, the vast
majority of scriptures dealing with prayer make it clear that God is the principal source of all
things, and therefore should be the chief focus of our worship, praise, and supplication.
There seem to be no scriptures about directing our prayer to the Holy Spirit, but the Holy
Spirit is involved in our prayers. "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).
Nowhere in the scriptures are we to direct our prayers to angels, saints, images, ancestors,
and the list goes on. The world, even some so called churches, have gone astray. God is the one
who answers prayers and the only one to whom we are to pray. ~B Tolbert
