Teaching kids to pray to Father, or always Jesus?
 

In prayer, like at the evening dinner table, my kids primarily always ask the blessing opening with "Thank you Jesus...", and end with "in Jesus name". Hardcore oneness I guess-LOL


I'm not demanding theres really too much wrong with that, but to commonly never mention "Father" seems a little unbiblical to me. When I open in prayer I usually say "Father". I guess they go without using "Father' because our service leader at church ALWAYS just says "Jesus" this or "Jesus" that, no "Father" distiction at all.



And then yesterday, my 5 yr. old's memory verse was :
1 Thess. 1:1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

She seemed a little confused at that verse LOL


Anybody run into this stuff?

Re: Teaching kids to pray to Father, or always Jes
 

It's simple. Pray to whom Jesus prayed to, His Father and God.

Re: Teaching kids to pray to Father, or always Jes
 

There are a plethora of these verses out there which we all summarily ignore and go on about our business.

When discussing this subject I tend to avoid scriptures like the one that was your daughters memory verse because of the standard "Well brother... "and" in this verse can also mean "even"... as to say God our Father EVEN the Lord Jesus Christ"

So... since there are so many out there where this standard retort cannot be put into play I avoid those.

There are other examples that are less likely to be quickly explained away although they are just as quickly ignored.

Such as...

1Cr 8:6 But to us [there is but] one God, the Father, of whom [are] all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom [are] all things, and we by him.

2Cr 11:31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.

Eph 1:3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly [places] in Christ:

Eph 5:20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

And so on...

That last one having more to do with your question of prayer.

When I pray I pray beginning... "Father... etc" and I end my prayer "In the name of Jesus Christ."

Re: Teaching kids to pray to Father, or always Jes
 

How about "To Whom it may concern"? :lol

Re: Teaching kids to pray to Father, or always Jes
 

My heavenly Father IS whom it concerns. :)

Re: Teaching kids to pray to Father, or always Jes
 

;)

Re: Teaching kids to pray to Father, or always Jes
 

When we were married, the minister started praying with "Dear heavenly presence...".

Re: Teaching kids to pray to Father, or always Jes
 

How about "The Big Kahuna"?

Re: Teaching kids to pray to Father, or always Jes
 

I don't think it really matters. I'm glad to hear that your kids are praying. :thumbsup

Re: Teaching kids to pray to Father, or always Jes
 

D4T, I pray the same way and it seems to me many others do as well. Both Oneness and trinitarians.

The prayer that was given us as an example of how we should pray, The Lord's Prayer, starts out addressing "Our Father...."

Re: Teaching kids to pray to Father, or always Jes
 

When Marilla Cuthbert asked Anne of Green Gables if she ever prayed, she said, "Mrs. Hammond told me that God made my hair red on purpose, and I've never cared for him since." :toofunny

Re: Teaching kids to pray to Father, or always Jes
 

roflmbo!!!!

Re: Teaching kids to pray to Father, or always Jes
 

I'm seeing a few of the Enseyites moving away from calling Jesus ... the Father ... which is not very traditional 20th century OP theology.

Re: Teaching kids to pray to Father, or always Jes
 

Indeed it does. It seems pretty straightforward to me.

But many do not. I didn't for many years until my study of the word led me to begin to do so.

Re: Teaching kids to pray to Father, or always Jes
 

Jesus told the folks in His teaching session that we call the sermon on the mount, "after this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father..." Matthew 6:9

About a year and a half later, when a disciple asked Him, "Lord, teach us to pray..." Jesus responded by teaching, "When ye pray, say, Our Father..." Luke 11:2

It's interesting that in neither of these index prayers or sample prayers, He did not mention praying "in Jesus' name." Later He did tell His disciples to approach God in His (Jesus) name in John 14:13,14; John 15:16; and John 16:23, 24, 26

In The Living Bible, John 16:23-26 reads:
23 At that time you won't need to ask me for anything, or you can go directly to the Father and ask him, and he will give you what you ask for because you use my name. 24 You haven't tried this before, [but begin now]. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and your cup of joy will overflow. 25 I have spoken of these matters very guardedly, but the time will come when this will not be necessary and I will tell you plainly all about the Father. 26 Then you will present your petitions over my signature! And I won't need to ask the Father to grant you those requests,

Next to the John 16 passage, I have the following notes in the margin of my Bible:
His name on a check is good for any amount
and
They will no longer address Jesus directly as a man directly in person. They will address Jesus as God who is the Father as far as His deity is concerned. Paul Ferguson

Somewhere I used to have a bookmark like the attachment below

Re: Teaching kids to pray to Father, or always Jes
 

You Luke 11:2 verse seems to be about as clear as it can get.




I don't know that I've EVER heard one time, a oneness pentecostal pray like Peter and John did after the ascension here. Anybody else?

24And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:

25Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?

26The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.

27For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,

28For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

29And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,

30By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.





That kinda aloud prayer might get me crucified in my UPC church.
However, it is in there, so we should be able to pray that way, and even teach our kids to pray that way with a clear concious of not turning our back on what is supposedly "oneness", should we not?

Re: Teaching kids to pray to Father, or always Jes
 

Why not pray to all three Gods, like we did in the AG? :heeheehee

Re: Teaching kids to pray to Father, or always Jes
 

lol...

...He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him... (John 5:23)

...And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. (John 12:45)

He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. (2 John 1:9)

I guess if you call on Christ, you have both the Father and the Son

Re: Teaching kids to pray to Father, or always Jes
 

Why would you guess that if you call on Christ you have both the Father & the son when none of those verses instructed us to call on Christ?

The verse above denotes a difference not a complete and total oneness. The verse says that the son was sent by the Father.

Again... the son was sent by the father. A difference between the two. The Father is invisible. No man has seen the Father. But God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself.

Hath both... 2... both... Father and son...

We are instructed to pray to the Father in the name of/authority purchased by the son.

Re: Teaching kids to pray to Father, or always Jes
 

Just a question: When the bible mentions Jehovah, do you think it is talking about the Father or the Son ?

Re: Teaching kids to pray to Father, or always Jes
 

It is talking about the one God who is everywhere and yet invisible, who exists from everlasting to everlasting, who is eternal.

Re: Teaching kids to pray to Father, or always Jes
 

I usually start with Lord rather than Father, unless I am praying the Lord's Prayer. And end in Jesus name. Amen!!

Re: Teaching kids to pray to Father, or always Jes
 

Not to offer any critique or condemnation for the way anyone else prays. That is, beyond any doubt, none of my business.

But... if you don't mind... I'd like to ask a question.

Considering that the Lords Prayer was Jesus' instruction to the apostles on how to actually pray doesn't it seem odd that the only time you pray starting with Father is when you are actually praying that prayer while other times you deviate from that?

Re: Teaching kids to pray to Father, or always Jes
 

Were they disobeying the clear teaching on prayer that Jesus had given them?
Was their prayer invalid?

Re: Teaching kids to pray to Father, or always Jes
 

Maybe they still just hadnt received the revelation of the oneness of God yet. Or should I say the revelation of "the oneness of Jesus Christ". :nah that aint it.



Im thinkin Peter STILL simply had the same revelation that Jesus had said:"Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God".