I have been fascinated for as long as I can remember by the general Christian practice of praying to Jesus and closing by saying simply, "Amen." The Bible is as clear about prayer as about anything else included in it. Christians are taught to pray to the Father in Christ’s name:
(John 15: 16) - "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you."
(John 16: 23-24) - "And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full."
There is a HUGE difference between feeling a personal connection to / relationship with Jesus as your Savior and Redeemer and using that connection / relationship to place Jesus between you and the Father in prayer - to allow Him to be your mediator with the Father. It’s hard to read the Bible in its entirety and come to the conclusion that we should pray to Jesus. Rather, we are to pray in His name ("through Him") - invoking His grace in allowing us to speak directly with the Father.
3 comments:
Maybe because the purpose of it is not clear to them?
Excellent point, backandthen. Purpose really does direct almost everything we do. A different purpose would create a different practice. I'll have to think about that some more, but I appreciate the insight.
Ostensibly, when one believes that Christ and the Father are the same being, I guess it doesn't make a difference. Or maybe it does for them, I don't know.
The reminder is nice. Obviously I always pray in the name of Christ, but I do not often think about the purpose--what it means.
On a related note, there is a scripture about the veil in the temple that I thought of while reading this:
Hebrews 10:19-20:
19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
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