Prayer, as God Designed It
Faithful brethren have always held that the Godhead consists of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each personality possesses the attributes of Deity. Roy Lanier expressed it this way in his notable work, The Timeless Trinity for Ceaseless Centuries:
When we speak of the unity of God, we have in mind two things: (1) that there is but one infinite, eternal, self-existent Being, one essence, and (2) and that this one essence is undivided and indivisible (45).
However, he goes on to say that "within that one Spirit essence are three personal distinctions, each of which may be, and is, called God…" (46). Since they possess the same essence, they are always in perfect agreement. In the Bible, these Three have different functions.
The Father is the designer, the originator. The second personality of the Godhead (as He is often referenced) is the One who became incarnated as a man (Phil. 2:5-8)—Jesus. He died for our sins on earth but is now seated at the right hand of God (Heb. 10:12; Acts 2:30-33). The Holy Spirit gave miraculous gifts to followers of Jesus, thus offering evidence of the truths they were preaching (Mark 16:20; Heb. 2:1-4; 1 Cor. 12:8-10). He also inspired the Word which we all read and study.
Jesus made it plain that the Father is the originator of the New Testament system. In John 12:49-50, He made the following affirmation:
"For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak."
Jesus did not originate the gospel He preached; the Father did. Does this arrangement somehow make Jesus less Divine? We find Him in full acceptance with this arrangement; He is not pouting about not being able to make innovations in the plan. The Father originated, and Jesus communicated. The Holy Spirit followed this same arrangement, as foretold by Jesus:
"However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come" (John 16:13).
Neither Jesus nor the Holy Spirit spoke on their own authority. They received their message from the Father. Both agreed fully with the message and fully with the role each one of them was assigned.
There has always (so far as we know) been "a division of labor" within the Godhead. In the Old Testament it appears that the Father originated the plan, that Jesus took the form of a human being on various occasions, and the Holy Spirit displayed power and inspired men to record the truths God wanted preserved. The fact that each one exercises a different role within the Godhead does not indicate superiority or inferiority. All stand in perfect agreement on all things; no jealousy exists. With human beings, such might be the case—but not with Almighty God.
In fact, those who write concerning the Godhead have never meant any disrespect, but we refer to the Father as the first person of the Godhead, while Jesus is called the second and the Holy Spirit the third. This way of referencing each is not an attempt to rank them in terms of importance; it simply furnishes a way of distinguishing them.
The Scriptures do teach that God is the head of Christ (1 Cor. 11:3), but that no more indicates rank than the fact that the husband is the head of the wife (Eph. 5:23). In Christ Jesus, male and female are one (Gal. 3:28). Many have trouble disassociating the function of roles from equality.
Jesus is the head of the church (Eph. 1:22-23) and the King over the kingdom (Acts 2:30), but at "the end" He will deliver the kingdom up to the Father (1 Cor. 15:24). At the current time the Father has put all things under Jesus; He, however, is the exception (v. 27). When the Son delivers up the kingdom, He Himself will be subject to the Father, "that God may be all in all" (v. 28). One being subject to another does not in the least imply inferiority.
Therefore, if prayers are offered to the Father rather than to Jesus, He is not offended, though some brethren seem to be mightily incensed. Actually, the function of the High Priest, which Jesus is, involves ministering for us to God. We do not pray to the High Priest; we pray to the Father, and our High Priest makes sure He receives and answers them (Phil. 4:6-7).
Prayer
The New Testament teaches that, with respect to their different roles, prayer is to be addressed to the Father through Jesus. Our Lord Himself taught this very fact. On one occasion His disciples asked Him to teach them to pray. "So He said to them, 'When you pray, say, \"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name…\"'" (Luke 11:1-2). Is this verse difficult to understand? When Jesus Himself prayed, He said: "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that your Son may also glorify You" (John 17:1). Praying to the Father is something that Jesus personally did, and He taught His disciples to do the same.
While Jesus was upon the earth, He was God in the flesh, and people directed their requests to Him, knowing that He had the power to grant them. However, as the time came for Him to return to heaven, the disciples needed to direct all of their requests and thanks to the Father. Following are some passages in which He taught this precept to His apostles. These are all from His last lengthy conversation with them:
"And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it" (John 14:13-14).
"You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you" (John 15:16).
"And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full" (John 16:23-24).
Do these verses not seem straightforward? However, we noted in our review of Andrew Hallenbeck's book, Praying to Jesus, that he often quoted scholars who agreed with his position—while ignoring those who held a different view. One of those he frequently cited was J.W. McGarvey. So, in a spirit of good-natured irony, below are comments on these three passages from his well-known work, The Four-Fold Gospel (Bowling Green, KY: Guardian of Truth, n.d.):
John 14:13-14: [The second token of Christ's union with the Father would be manifested in the efficacy of prayer made in his name. Hitherto prayer had not been thus made (John xvi. 24). God would glorify Himself through Christ by answering prayer thus made] (663, emph. GWS).
John 15:26: "…and gave them the privilege of supplementing their personal deficiencies by prayer made effective through his name" (669-70, emph. GWS).
John 16:23-24: He entered heaven as our high priest (Heb. ix. 24), and part of his priestly office is to make intercession for his people (Heb. vii, 24, 25). The use of Christ's name for intercessory purposes was new to the apostles, since it was only thus employed after his ascension (676, emph. GWS).
Of course, these comments are not needed to establish the point; the reader understands the same concepts that McGarvey penned. Equally easy to comprehend are the passages that mention giving thanks to God through Christ. A few that come to mind are listed below:
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all… (Rom. 1:8).
Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 5:20).
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:6-7).
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him (Col. 3:17).
You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:5).
The Scriptures are consistent and clear. Almost every time the Father and Jesus are mentioned together, the Father's name is listed first. Below are several examples:
Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:3; 8:6
2 Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:3
Ephesians 1:2; 6:23; Philippians 1:2
Colossians 1:2; 2:2; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 3:11
2 Thessalonians 1:1, 2; 1 Timothy 1:2
2 Timothy 1:2; Titus 1:4
Philemon 3; 1 John 1:3
Jude 1
The only exception is 2 Thessalonians 2:16. Paul may have had a reason for the reversal in that text, but the normal pattern was already used twice previously in this letter. Numerous times the expression, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, appears, also.
Some like to cite Stephen and Paul as examples that Christians ought to follow in "praying to Jesus." Even though these events occurred after Jesus returned to heaven, both instances involve direct address. Stephen saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God and spoke to Him. Paul had more than one conversation with Jesus. But we have not. Should Jesus appear to any follower today, presumably (unless we are tongue-tied) we would be permitted to speak to Him directly, also.
Failing that, we should follow the pattern taught by Jesus, practiced by Jesus, and encouraged by what the apostles wrote. Our prayers should be addressed to the Father, through Jesus, our only Mediator and High Priest. After we receive an answer, we should give thanks to God through Christ, also. In this way we know for a certainty that we have followed the Scriptures and obeyed our Creator. Why try to innovate by trying something different—something that many in denominations do? We only need to try to please God as instructed.