My Bedtime LP

I bet you thought I had forgotten about this blog, eh? Nope. It just took my until last week to finish the research for this post.

Sorry about the click-baity title, but I’m not selling anything here so…. The LP in the title isn’t a record album. It’s the Lord’s Prayer.

The Lord’s Prayer

On the slight chance that you’ve never heard the Lord’s Prayer, here are Jesus’ words as recorded by Matthew (NIV).


Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
  on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
  as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
  but deliver us from the evil one.

Now here’s my personal version that I’ve been using at bedtime (if I don’t fall asleep too soon).

Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done on earth,
  as it is in heaven.
Give us/me our/my daily bread tomorrow.
Forgive me my sins,
  as I forgive those who sin against me.
Lead me not into temptation,
  but deliver me from evil.
I ask all this for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

I waffle on the daily bread line. Sometimes I say, “us”; sometimes I keep it to myself. It works either way. And you should have noticed several other personalizations. These make sense to me because, when Jesus originally spoke the words, it was in the daytime to a group of men, his disciples. At my bedtime, the day is over and done, and there isn’t a group of men in the room (usually).

The original Lord’s Prayer makes most sense when prayed early in the day by a group of Christians. Hm. Ya think Jesus had that in mind when he taught it?

Note that in both versions, there is no tagline: “For thine is the kingdom…” or “For the kingdom, the power….” I wonder how many people think that that line is part of the Lord’s Prayer. It’s been around for hundreds of years. Not that there’s anything wrong with it. It’s just technically not part of the original prayer.

I did add my own tagline because that (elsewhere) is how Jesus taught us to pray - in his name.

And that brings me to the main point of this post.

Praying to God the Father

While it’s not wrong to pray to Jesus directly, the Bible teaches us (with one exception...sorta) to ask God the Father for what we want in Jesus’ name.

I read through the entire New Testament looking for prayers and references to prayer. Below is a list of what I found. It does not include references where people are praying to or asking things of Jesus while he was here on earth. Those I consider special cases. When Jesus is standing right there with you and you believe he is God and can do what you want or need, it just makes sense to go to him directly.

The list also does not include Jesus’ own prayers to his Father. Just know that he did pray to his Father often.

As you read through the list, look for the exception in John, chapter 14. There are also a few other comments sprinkled throughout the list.

Matthew 6:6
When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 6:9
This is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven….”

Matthew 6:32
For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

Matthew 7:11
    ...how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

Matthew 9:38
    Ask the Lord of the harvest….

Matthew 15:31
    And they praised the God of Israel.

Matthew 18:19
    ...if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.

Mark 11:22-26
    “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

Luke 11:2
    When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name.…”

Luke 11:13
    If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?

Here is the one seeming exception I found. The scene is Maundy Thursday in the upper room. Just before the quotation below, Jesus has said, “Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me….” So I think it’s fair to say that Jesus was saying his disciples should treat him just like the Father and ask him for what they want. If so, then it’s still praying to God the Father. Does that make sense? (Any scholars who understand more about this than me should feel free to chime in here.)

You could also use this to justify (as I mentioned at the beginning) praying to Jesus directly. However, I think this should be the exception to the rule as it seems to be here. Look at all the other references that say to pray to the Father!

John 14:13-17
    And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
    If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with your forever - the Spirit of truth.

John 15:7-8
    If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

John 15:16
    You did not choose me, but I chose you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

Here may be another exception. It depends on when “that day” is.

John 16:23-27
    In that day [“when I will see you again”] you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
    Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.

I don't know if the original (Greek) specifies a person of the Godhead when it says, "Lord", here.

Acts 1:24
    Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart.”

Acts 4:24-30
    When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heaven and the earth and the sea. … to conspire against your holy servant Jesus….”

This next quotation from Stephen I consider the same as when Jesus’ disciples spoke to him in person. Stephen knew him personally and was still talking to him as if he were standing right there. Maybe Stephen could even see him!

Acts 7:59:60
    While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”

Again, I don’t have the text in the original language. (Even if I did, I couldn’t read it.) It seems, however, that “God” normally equates to “God the Father”.

Acts 16:25
    About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

Romans 1:8
    First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you….

Romans 1:9
    God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times….

Romans 7:25
    Thanks be to God - through Christ Jesus our Lord!

Romans 8:15
    And by him [the Spirit] we cry, “Abba, Father.”

Romans 8:26-27
    We do not know what [or how] we ought to pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

Romans 8:32
    He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Romans 8:34
    Christ Jesus, who died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

Romans 10:1
    Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.

Romans 14:6
He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.

Romans 15:30
    I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there.

1 Corinthians 1:4
    I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 13:7
    Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong.

Ephesians 1:17
    I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you  may know him better.

Ephesians 5:19-20
    Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Philippians 4:6-7
    Do not be anxious about anything, by in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 1:3
    We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you….

Colossians 1:9
    For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

Colossians 4:3
    And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3
    We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 1
    Includes more examples, though not extremely explicit ones, of prayer to God the Father.

1 Timothy 2:1-6
    Intimation that prayer is to God the Father, since Jesus is the Mediator between God and men.

1 Timothy 5:5
    The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help.

Hebrews 7:25
    Therefore he [Jesus] is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

James 1:5
    If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

James 1:17
    Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

James 4:2
    You do not have, because you do not ask God.

James 5:13-18
    General comments on the effectiveness of prayers.

1 Peter 3:12 (quoting Psalm 34:15)
    For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer….

It occurs to me at this point that Old Testament believers did not pray to Jesus. They probably didn’t have as “clear” of a picture of the Trinity as New Testament Christians do.

1 John 2:1
    But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

1 John 3:21-23
    Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.

1 John 5:13-16
    I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the assurance we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him.
    If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life.

Revelation 8:3-4
    Another angel, who had a golden censer, cam and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel’s hand.

John, one of the 12 disciples, could see a vision of Jesus, so this also feels like speaking to him while he was on earth.

Revelation 22:20
    Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Jesus in the Liturgy

Then there are the prayers we often speak or sing in our hymnal liturgies. The following references are from Christian Worship. You’ll see that I list 4 times we pray directly to Jesus.

These are ancient references. I think they were created largely to point to the fact that God is 3 persons in one being.

Page 15
    Holy and merciful Father…

Page 15
    Kyrie - Lord… Christ… Lord…

Pages 16-17
    Gloria has elements of prayer to the Father and the Son

Page 20
    Create in me a clean heart, O God…

Page 21
    ...give you thanks, O Lord, holy Father…

Page 22
    Sanctus: Lord God

Page 23
    Agnus Dei: O Christ…

Page 24
    Prayer after Nunc Dimittis: We give thanks, almighty God…
    or...O God the Father…

Page 25
    Blessed Lord (is the Father)...
    or...Almighty God…

Page 26
    Holy and merciful Father…

Page 27
    Lord, have mercy.
    Christ, have mercy.
    Lord, have mercy.
    Merciful God…

Page 28
    O Lord, our Lord...Almighty God, merciful Father…
    O Son of God, eternal Word of the Father…

Page 32
    All prayers are to the Father.

Page 36
    Hear the prayer of your people, O Lord…

Page 38
    Merciful Father in heaven…

Page 42
    All prayers are to the Father.

Pages 48-49
    Venite: Christ is mentioned, but it is for praise.

Pages 55 and 56
    All prayers are to the Father.

I was originally going to say at this point that it makes no sense to start a prayer with “Dear Jesus” and then end it “in Jesus’ name” or “for Jesus’ sake”. But then there is that John passage in which Jesus says exactly that.

I still think it feels wonky to do so.

Pray, Praise, and Give Thanks

There is a difference between prayer and praise and giving thanks. Prayer is asking for stuff. Praise and thanks are not.

Praising and thanking Jesus for his death and resurrection is absolutely a good thing to do. It just seems that petitions should be addressed to the Father.

Again, I’m not saying that you have to stop praying to Jesus. Jesus is God. “I and the Father are one.” But maybe you want to consider asking your Father for things a little more often than you have been.

I don’t want you to feel guilty about praying, “Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest.” Though I wonder if that prayer has contributed to our praying to Jesus, instead of the Father, at other times.

So, as good Lutherans would now ask...

What does this mean?

 

Let me appropriately give you Luther's answer.

When you pray, remember that “God tenderly invites us to believe that he is our true Father and that we are his true children, so that with all boldness and confidence we may ask him as dear children ask their dear father.” (Martin Luther)