Listening to: The Unthanks on Myspace
Should you address prayers to the Son, or just the Father?
I'm not entirely sure, but think the best answer is summed up nicely by Tim Chester:
"The unity of the Trinity means we can address prayer to the Son and the Spirit - the Son and the Spirit are truly God and so can truly receive prayer. But the norm in the New Testament is to address prayer to the Father through the Son by, or with the aid of, the Holy Spirit." (p. 39, The Message of Prayer)
In relation to this discussion I found the following references in the Gospel of John, intriguing.
"Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it." (14:13-14)
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser... Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me... If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you...I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you." (15:1-16)
"you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy... So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full." (16:20-24)
Most exciting was to see that the parable of the true vine is so much about prayer.
'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.' As Chester says, it's rare; but it's there.
ReplyDeleteI think Paul in 2 Corinthians 12 (asking 'the Lord' to remove his thorn in the flesh) is talking about praying to the Son.
ReplyDeleteIt isn't anywhere near as common as prayer to the Father in the name of the Son, though. And of course, since the Trinity acts towards us from the Father through the Son by the Spirit, we'd expect our response back to be the reverse (by the Spirit, through the Son, to the Father).
Phil... you're a poet. You're quite right of course.
ReplyDeletePete, it was actually that verse which got me thinking about this as the sermon was on 2 Cor 12.
I feel like it is slightly messy. Shame the Bible is always less neat and tidy than you would like... or maybe not. I'd like to understand more though.
The only other one I can think of off the top of my head is "Come Lord Jesus" (Rev 22:20, unless you count pre-ascension requests to Jesus). One thing that strikes me is that all three are uttered in quite straightened circumstances. I've no idea if that has any significance.