Hi, I've got a simple question.

Who should we pray too?

I seem to recall some instructions, somewhere in the Bible, where it outlines who we are to pray too. I can't seem to remember where to find it though. Is it ok to pray to Jesus? To pray to God the Father? What about the Spirit? Should we pray to it?

Please note, I'm not asking whether or not we should pray to saints. Best to leave that topic on the Catholic threads!

Thanks! God bless,
Kevin

matthew 6:9-14 shows us a blueprint to prayer.

john 14:13-14
"and whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. if ye ask any thing in My name, I will do it."

now that i think of it, i never pray to the Spirit, i pray for the Spirit. i ask God to send His Spirit and let it flow through me and work His way in me. i never even thought about that one.

I believe you can pray to any part of the God-head; God is the trinity, right? The three-in-one?? Each part equally God?

I think the main reason most people don't pray to the Holy Spirit is simply that they don't understand exactly who he is. There isn't much teaching on and about Him in most churches today.

I know I have notes or something around here somewhere with more information on this topic... maybe I can find them later when I have more time.

Thanks for your input peoples.

That would be greatly appreciated ST!!! I'd love to see some of your notes.

Free, you actually hit it on the head there. I guess the real question is, is it ok to pray to the Spirit? Like you said, I pray for the Spirit, but praying to it?

Hmm...

God bless,
Kevin

greetings Family,

i believe that the Spirit helps us, if not literally guide, us to pray!

Romans 8:26-27
26 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 with groans that words cannot express.
27 nad He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

so, Family, the Spirit helps us (literally leads us) [a hands on, type of thing], as we go before the Father with whatever our petitions may be!
(we don't know how to approach the Father without His Spirit!) (for only the Spirit knows the Father and the Father knows the Spirit) (basically, He knows Himself )

so, the Spirit helps us as we petition the Father or pray to the Father or talk to the Father (about whatever our little heart desires ), but we do this all in Jesus name!

do you see the connection here?

God is helping us in different forms to get to Him!

the Father controls everything!
He's given dominion over everything that is His to His Son! (The Perfect One)
He's given us the Spirit to help us obtain everything that is His - which is His Son and everything that He has given Him!

I Peter 3:12
12 for the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.
(this is also Ps. 34:15)

this shows me that the Father is always alert and ready to receive our prayers!

<font color=red>so, i think that we are to talk to the Father, in the name of Jesus, thru by the Holy Spirit!
<font color=white>

hope this wasn't confusing for ya!

I'm feelin' ya there Phlo!

I would simply add that Jesus gave us the perfect model for prayer, and it began by addressing the recipient of that prayer...Our Father who lives in heaven.

My thoughts exactly phlo and his grace!

Ok, thanks everyone! That helps clarify quite a bit. However, if I can press into the subject a little more...

Is there any verse that says we shouldn't pray to the Spirit? Or can we only draw this conclusion from what we know of the Spirit?

God bless,
Kevin

to answer your question, Kevbo, i would say 'no', i haven't noticed a scripture that says we shouldn't pray 'to' the Spirit!

but i (we) have noticed 'who' we should pray to thru by the example of Jesus, Himself!
(Math. 6:9-13)

okay, now from a BIG PICTURE perspective/view:

your question seems more like a paradox than anything!

do you recall, Kevbo, in the OT when God promised that He will pour out His Spirit upon all flesh?
well, many believe that that promised was accomplished or fulfilled on the day of Pentacoste!
and even being fulfilled today!

do you recall when Jesus said when the Comforter comes, He will bear witness to me (Jesus)? He will only speak of things concerning me! He will bring back to your remembrance things that i've shared with you!

well, doesn't that makes since? that the Spirit will speak of the things of Jesus? since they are, after all, one?

to me, it is a very fine line to separate them!
the Father from the Son from the Spirit!

tho they have specific roles to play and tho they are in specific order, they are one!

and since they are one, praying to the Father is praying to the Spirit! or praying to the Father is praying to Jesus!

but look at this:

Jesus, in the flesh, told us and showed us how to come before our Heavenly Father!
He said say Father and use my name (Jesus)!

and unbeknown to us or whether we know it or not, the Spirit of God leads us, urges us, helps us to pray - whenever we pray!

thus, the glory is all God's!

because, truthfully, we have no power to do anything!
Paul said that it is no longer him (us) that do - but it is now Christ wihtin us that do!
that is, it is the Spirit of God within us that do!

we simply reap the benefit of the 'joy'! rejoicing!
while God do the work!

we give Him our little faith and He takes over!
the disciples believed Jesus, that is why they were able to do miraculous things!
but it wasn't them, it was Christ in them!

Christ, Himself, said that i will be with you always, even 'til the end of the world!

so, when we talk about praying to the Father we must include the Son and the Spirit!
for where ever one is, the other is also!

Jesus just showed us how to get personal and intimate with God! He showed us the way! not a fleshly way but a spiritual way! and He (Jesus) showed us while He was yet in the flesh!

okay, i hope i didn't complicate things!
i hope yousee what i'm saying!

what do you think?

Hi all,

There is God the Father, then God as Father; the former means the first Person of the Holy Trinity, and the latter refers to the entire Trinity. When Jesus taught us to say the Our Father, I assume He meant us to address the latter (the whole Trinity). For all three persons are our Father ("Let us make man in our image"). I can think of no reason to single out the first Person of the Trinity as being alone worthy of our communication. Thoughts?

God bless,

Luke