Praying to the Father or Jesus?

[Nicodemus1968]

Originally Posted by Hoffman

I’m sorry to inform you, sir, we are not the wife of Christ yet! We will be presented as Paul said, yet were not at that point yet.

You and Scott must go to the same church.

Ok, well, at least you understand you’ll be the wife someday. I guess thats a start.

I was just pointing out that prayer comes in levels, like I said it was my PERSONAL OPINION. I didn’t say it was gospel, I just gave the my opinion to what they thread was generated for.

I do also use the same levels of prayer into relationship with Jesus. You have
Newborn, Friend, Son or Daughter, and Wife. You have inspired me to look into another level in our relationship with Jesus.... A Stranger.

[MawMaw]

Our Father who art in Heaven
Hallowed be thy NAME!

Most of us know His Name is Jesus! \o/

[1 God]

I pray to the son since the Father is in the son. The Father, father's me(us) through the son.

[Hoffman]

Originally Posted by 1 God

I pray to the son since the Father is in the son. The Father, father's me(us) through the son.

I pray to the Holy Spirit.

[1 God]

Awesome! God is great. However we pray, pray fervently.

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Costeon

In around 30 years of attending a UPCI church I have never heard anyone pray like the believers pray in Acts 4.24-30, where they pray to the Father and speak of Jesus in the third person:

27 “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus . . ." (or your holy child)
29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” (or, of your holy child Jesus)

I'm sure if I prayed this way, speaking to God about Jesus, people would at the very least think it was odd, but I would imagine many would think it was wrong.

Do you pray like they do in Acts 4? Most people that I hear pray address Jesus in prayer.

How do you think we should pray? Who do we address?

There is evidence for prayer to the Father and to Jesus, with more examples of the former.

I've always been puzzled by this because, again, there are instances where prayer is made to the Father while distinguishing him from Jesus.

Any of your thoughts on how to solve/explain this would be greatly appreciated.

The thing that stands out to me is that they address God- “They lift up their voice to God...”

My second thought is that Thomas understood who Jesus was - “My Lord and my God.”

My third thought is that in our Trinitarian saturated environment today, we are too far removed from the apostles knowledge and truth in who God was and His plan becoming “God manifest in the flesh”.

That is something that we as individuals are responsible to arrive at. It is something I strive for. Let me understand and think as the apostles did.

This is an interesting verse in Psalm 69:4 “Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me. I AM FORCED TO RESTORE WHAT I DID NOT STEAL.”

The Apostles, IMO, were acknowledging the Work of God.

[TJJJ]

Originally Posted by Hoffman

I’m sorry to inform you, sir, we are not the wife of Christ yet! We will be presented as Paul said, yet were not at that point yet.

I am sorry to inform you sir, but the Church IS the wife of Christ currently. Paul makes analogy to that in Ephesians.

Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body.

The marriage supper began at Pentecost and has been going every since then.

We are the Bride, we are the wife.... we are the body.... we are the Church.

Rev 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
Rev 21:10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

[1 God]

Originally Posted by TJJJ

I am sorry to inform you sir, but the Church IS the wife of Christ currently. Paul makes analogy to that in Ephesians.

Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body.

The marriage supper began at Pentecost and has been going every since then.

We are the Bride, we are the wife.... we are the body.... we are the Church.

Rev 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
Rev 21:10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

And the bride is found going inside the city...


24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.

26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.

27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

[votivesoul]

Originally Posted by Costeon

In around 30 years of attending a UPCI church I have never heard anyone pray like the believers pray in Acts 4.24-30, where they pray to the Father and speak of Jesus in the third person:

27 “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus . . ." (or your holy child)
29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” (or, of your holy child Jesus)

I'm sure if I prayed this way, speaking to God about Jesus, people would at the very least think it was odd, but I would imagine many would think it was wrong.

Do you pray like they do in Acts 4? Most people that I hear pray address Jesus in prayer.

How do you think we should pray? Who do we address?

There is evidence for prayer to the Father and to Jesus, with more examples of the former.

I've always been puzzled by this because, again, there are instances where prayer is made to the Father while distinguishing him from Jesus.

Any of your thoughts on how to solve/explain this would be greatly appreciated.

Toward the end of my time with the UPCI, I began to realize the need to pray more Biblically. That was going on six years ago. Now, I pray very much, intentionally, to both God the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus and also, at times, I specifically call upon the Lord Jesus.

I realized that if I was going to be afraid of the Biblical language of prayer, or that if I was going to be too concerned with what others thought of me making distinctions between God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, even when such distinctions are Biblically accurate, that my relationship with the Father and the Son, would suffer.

[Tithesmeister]

Originally Posted by Nicodemus1968

I believe prayer and the style is based on a persons faith.

Some may pray the Lord’s Prayer because thats the faith they have at that time, others may get a little bold and start talking to him. You can say Father, Lord, King, Shepard the list goes on and on yet, my OPINION, is the more intimate prayer you’ll say the name Jesus.

Ill use Jediwill as an example, he mentioned he has a little girl, that little girl knows him as daddy, or dad, or pa. To strangers or acquaintances he may be known as Mr. Jediwill, but to his wife its first name or maybe even a pet name.

I hope you can see where I’m going with this, our prayer is an intimate time, as the church we are the wife of Christ. We come to Christ as a wife, we call him by the first name, we know him, and he knows us. Your marriage is a direct reflection of your relationship to Christ.

Originally Posted by Hoffman

I’m sorry to inform you, sir, we are not the wife of Christ yet! We will be presented as Paul said, yet were not at that point yet.

Originally Posted by Nicodemus1968

You and Scott must go to the same church.

Ok, well, at least you understand you’ll be the wife someday. I guess thats a start.

I was just pointing out that prayer comes in levels, like I said it was my PERSONAL OPINION. I didn’t say it was gospel, I just gave the my opinion to what they thread was generated for.

I do also use the same levels of prayer into relationship with Jesus. You have
Newborn, Friend, Son or Daughter, and Wife. You have inspired me to look into another level in our relationship with Jesus.... A Stranger.

I may be easy to entertain. But this is Brother Nicodemus arguing and even being inspired by Hoffman. Think about it.

That’s classic!