Getting the right address

New Christians often feel confused about who to pray to. They hear older Christians addressing their prayers to Almighty God, to our Heavenly Father, to 'the Lord', to Jesus and sometimes to the Holy Spirit.

Perhaps this is because older Christians are themselves often confused about who they are speaking to when they pray! Should we be praying to the triune God, or to God the Father, or to Jesus? Can we pray to the Holy Spirit? Some of us fudge by praying to "the Lord" without attempting to mentally clarify who or what we mean. But what does the Bible have to say?

In the Old Testament, all prayer was addressed to the One God. Various names for God might be used, but the same person was being prayed to.

Jesus prayed to his Father and taught his disciples to do the same (Luke 11:2). Paul more often speaks of praying to 'God'. Sometimes he refers to 'the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ'. (See for instance Colossians 1:3 'We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you.')

In the book of Acts, the apostles often pray to 'the Lord'. However, the word 'Lord' is used in Acts to describe both Jesus Christ and God the Father ( eg compare Acts 1:6 and 3:20). Thus it is sometimes difficult to know who is being addressed as 'Lord' in prayer. Who is meant, for instance, in Acts 1:24 'And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen" '?

Only once in the New Testament is Jesus clearly and specifically addressed in prayer, by Stephen as he was being stoned (Acts 7:59). And if Jesus taught his disciples to pray to his Father, we might expect that they would be obedient in this. So it seems the New Testament model is to pray to God the Father.

John's gospel offers another slant on how we are to pray. Jesus tells his disciples that they should pray to the Father 'in his name' and whatever we ask in his name he will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son (John 14:13). In fact, Jesus says we should not ask him directly for anything. "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." (John 16:23)

The meaning of prayer 'in Jesus' name' is worth a post in itself. Still, I have to admit that although I usually pray to the Father when praying for others, I often find myself praying directly to Jesus about my own struggles. There is something comforting in speaking to someone 'who has been tempted in every way as we are and yet without sin' (Hebrews 4:15). But is this unbiblical? Who do you pray to, in practice?