Pray to God

Pray to the Father In the Son By the Spirit

John 16:23–24 NASB95

“In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.

Pray to the Father

Jesus tells His disciples that there is a day coming that they will have direct access to the Father. He says that they will not have to ask him anything but can go straight to the Father.

When we pray Jesus demonstrates how to pray. Matthew 6:9-10

Matthew 6:9–10 (NASB95)

“Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven ,Hallowed be Your name.‘ Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.

Jesus specifically tells us to pray directly to the Father. We are to recognize the relationship that we have with God the Father. He is one who cares and loves his children. If you had a good father then you recognize a glimpse of what God is like. If you didn’t have a good father, then you recognize what you desire in a father. God is the perfect Father. He understands us perfectly and cares for us accordingly.

We are also to recognize His holiness. The word hallow means to honor as holy. God is perfect and has no sin. Their is no harmful motive in Him that would cause harm and destruction for His children. Just as a good father would not do that to his own children, God will not do that to us. This does not mean that He doesn’t allow difficulties in our lives. He allows them so we can grow in them.

God also disciplines us as His children Hebrews 12:5-11

Hebrews 12:5–11 NASB95

and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, Nor faint when you are reproved by Him; For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom He receives.” It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

God disciplines us so that it will yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness. When we are going down a path of sin God takes the necessary actions in our life to steer us off of the path of sin. This is normally the natural consequences of our sin.

We should pray to God because of our relationship with Him. Paul explains it in Romans 8:15-17

Romans 8:15–17 NASB95

For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

We are children of God the creator. We can call Him “Abba!” this means “daddy. it is a term of endearment. We can pray to the Father directly.

Pray in the Son

This means that the only way we can get to the Father is through belief in Jesus. God does not listen to the prayers of those who come to Him in any other name. If a person comes in the name of Muhammad God will not hear their prayers. If they come to God in the name of Buddha, Mary, Confucius or any other name God will not hear their prayer.

To pray in the name of Jesus shows that you believe in Jesus as God’s Son. That He is equal with God and the only way to God. John 14:6

John 14:6 NASB95

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

Acts 4:12 NASB95

“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

We must confess in faith and salvation in Jesus in order to pray directly to God. John 16:27

John 16:27 NASB95

for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father.

To pray in the name of Jesus is to come to God through faith in Jesus.

Pray by the Spirit

Our prayers should be spirit led. He will guide our hearts on what to pray. John 16:8-11

John 16:8–11 NASB95

“And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

The Spirit enables us to confess our sins through conviction and confession. He also instructs us in paths of righteousness. He also puts things in perspective regarding judgment. Everyone needs a relationship with Jesus to avoid the coming judgment.

There are also times when we don’t know how to pray and the Spirit helps us Romans 8:26

Romans 8:26 NASB95

In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;

The Holy Spirit helps us on what to pray.

Pray to the Father Because He Loves You

John 16:26–28 NASB95

“In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father. “I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again and going to the Father.”

We must understand that God loves us. There are different opinions about how we relate to God. Some believe that He is a moral police officer waiting for us to mess up so he can punish us. Others think that He is a God that gives us anything we ask for and owes us anything we ask for. Still others believe that He is inconsequential in their life because they don’t recognize His divine hand in their life. Others may believe in God but don’t think He cares because He doesn’t seem to help us in our difficulties. I could go on and on about what people think about God, but their is one undeniable fact that is stated plainly in scripture and that is God loves us!

So what does that mean practically? Who do you know that loves you the most. What indicators lead you to believe that they love you the most? When you understand these you will see the love of God. Only God’s love far surpasses the love of the one who loves you the most.

When I think about those who love me the most it is my wife and kids. I believe they love me the most because they know me the best. They know all the good and certainly all the bad, yet they accept me and support me and are always interested in how I am doing. I know that there is nothing I can do that will jeopardize their love for me. This is the way God is with me. He even know what I will do in the future and still loves me.

Pray to the Father For Peace.

John 16:33 NASB95

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

Jesus tells us that this world will be full of tribulation. We know this to be true. Jesus has given access to the Father so we can have peace in a world of tribulation.

Jesus tells us that we can take courage no matter how bad this world gets or how difficult things get. This is because no matter what happens, those who put their faith in Jesus Christ will have everlasting life.