To whom do we pray? That is a question that many people have asked throughout the centuries. Some say that you should direct your prayers to the Father, others say to pray to Jesus Christ, and still, others say to pray to the Holy Spirit.
But what does the Bible teach about it? Is it okay to pray to all three persons of God, or just one? Let’s take a look and see if we can come up with an answer.
We are fundamentally talking about our God Who is made up of three persons – The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. We will take a deeper dive into that, but the simple answer to the question is this:
Actually, it’s Biblical to pray to either person of the Trinity. Many people come up with the tradition of addressing their prayers to the Father and closing using Jesus’ name. For example, we begin by saying, “Dear Father” or “Dear Heavenly Father” and close their prayer by saying, “In Jesus’ name, Amen,” or similar closing phrases in Jesus’ name. This is not a bad tradition. However, from a Biblical perspective, it can be very appropriate to address your prayers to either person of the Trinity, as they are one.
To Whom Should We Pray? Be Mindful of the Trinity.
One of the most mind-boggling concepts that Christians believe as reality is called The Trinity. The Bible teaches us that there is one God, but He exists in three parts. The Father, the Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are all part of this one God. Christians have struggled for centuries trying to grasp the concept. But I really have it all figured out…NOT. But, there are some things that we can understand.
There is no need to try to act like I, or anyone else fully grasps this topic. There are fundamental aspects about the God of the Bible that we must believe by faith because the concept is written about throughout the scripture. However, when it comes to the simple mind of a man attempting to understand incredible concepts about our Creator, we are limited.
That’s how I feel about the Trinity.
The Bible is clear that there are three distinctive, but equal parts of God – but it blows my mind. I believe it, yet I won’t really understand it well until I get to heaven.
We place our faith in God, but He reveals details of Himself through the Holy Scriptures. And, although we don’t ever want man-made creeds to be raised above scripture, there are certain historical Christian creeds that are useful as they help teach us about what the true word of God says.
One, to which church historians and theologians refer is the Athanasian Creed. The primary content is accepted by Catholics and Protestants alike. It touches on the Trinity quite well. Here is a small excerpt that puts us in context here:
“And the universal faith is this: that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Essence. For there is one Person of the Father; another of the Son; and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one; the Glory equal, the Majesty coeternal.”
Taken from the Athanasian Creed.
The Father is one part of the Trinity. He loves us and wants to have a relationship with us. We think of God the Father as the Head, Creator, and Sustainer of all life. However, Jesus and the Holy Spirit were with Him and equal to Him in the beginning.
Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the incarnation of God as a human being when He came to Earth. He came as a man to die on the cross for our sins. He rose from the dead and now lives in heaven with the Father.
The Holy Spirit is another part of the Trinity. He comes to live and abide IN us, working through us. It’s important to note that the Holy Spirit doesn’t simply come and walk with us and along beside us. He is the Spirit of God Who has come to dwell in, live in, and live His life through us. Through the daily activity of the Holy Spirit, you can live your life well and change your actions to honor God. The Spirit is given to us so that we might live HIS life of love, obedience, and fulfillment.
However, as some writers will remind us, don’t look at the trinity as you would a pie with 3 different pieces. That would mean that Jesus is one-third God, the Father is one-third, and the Holy Spirit is one-third. That is not correct at all. Each person of the Trinity is equally God.
Ok, let’s blow our minds even further here.
The Father is equally God but He is not Jesus or the Holy Spirit. Jesus is equally God but He is not the Father or the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God, but He is not the Father or Jesus.
Each member of the Godhead, The Trinity, is God. Three in One. Total unity. Totally God.
To Whom Should We Pray? The Father.
As we mentioned it’s not a bad tradition and Jesus modeled praying to His Heavenly Father. Personally, that is normally who I address. The Heavenly Father is generally seen and illustrated as the head of the Trinity, although he is co-equal to Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Confused yet?
The Father has the aspects of the greatest father that could ever be possible. You may or have had a good Earthly father. Or, your father may have been a big failure to you. However, just imagine the most loving, sincere, faithful father that your mind could ever dream up. Multiply that times ten thousand and you wouldn’t even come close to the wonderful Fatherly attributes of our Heavenly Father.
So, I address many or most of my prayers to the Father. Does Jesus and the Holy Spirit know and understand my prayers as well” Certainly, they do. It’s great if you want to address your prayer to your Heavenly Father.
When Would We Pray To The Father?
As we’ve suggested, much of the time you could pray to the Father. You can go to Him with anything. Specifically, you can thank Him for the plan of Salvation and for sending His only Son, Jesus, to be a sacrifice for our sins.
You can thank Him that, as the Father, He endured extreme sadness at the torture, the agony, and the death of His Son. You can thank God the Father for raising Jesus from the dead. He is the “Father” figure of the trinity and there is nothing that you can’t tell Him.
To Whom Should We Pray? Jesus.
Okay, so we know it’s fine to pray to the Heavenly Father. Jesus modeled that. So, if Jesus is a co-equal part of God can we pray to Him, and when might we do that? Here are some thoughts.
Jesus came and lived- walked on this earth in a much more difficult time than most of us would know today. There were no modern living places for Him. the Bible said he had no place to lay his head. He and his disciples traveled and stayed wherever they could – basically homeless, staying with their followers when possible we think.
He was tempted, had emotions, and wept at times. He laughed. He was fully human yet fully God. There is no pain that we might have that is so great with which He cannot sympathize. But, in John 10:30 Jesus said, “The Father and I are one.” So, how about praying to Jesus?
When Would We Pray To Jesus?
Here is one example among very many when you might pray to Jesus. A devoted Christian usually expresses thanks in prayer for the most awesome, mighty, and important event that ever occurred. That is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins.
So, is there any reason that I would be prohibited from praying to Jesus, thanking Him for what he did, for the suffering that He endured for me? Would it be wise to thank Him for His sinless life, for not yielding to temptation, and for having a love for me that allowed him to endure what He did for me?
Of course! That would be an awesome reason to address your prayers directly to Jesus.
You could also address the same type of prayer to the Father for sending Jesus and the Spirit for guiding Jesus. It’s it making a bit of sense here?
Of course, there are many other reasons that you might pray to Jesus. You have that choice!
To Whom Should We Pray? The Holy Spirit.
When we are born again and become true children of God, the Holy Spirit comes into us forever, assuring us that we have an eternal home with God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 12:13) In the book of John, Jesus said that He was going to send us a Comforter and helper – someone to be our guide. This is the Holy Spirit.
Jesus told His disciples:
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.” John 14:16-17
So, how intimately are you known by the Holy Spirit? We can’t imagine how much so! He knows the deepest parts of our hearts.
When Would We Pray To The Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit will never leave us. However, are we always being obedient in allowing Him to be as active in our lives as He can be? No. but, He gives us the choice.
You might pray to the Holy Spirit inviting Him to be specifically active in a circumstance you are facing or to work through you in a specific way when dealing with people you meet. There are limitless topics in which you might address the Holy Spirit.
I remember one of the first times that I heard a minister directly address the Holy Spirit in his prayer. It was in a youth gathering where many teenagers were coming to know Christ for the first time. I had an incredible amount of respect for this particular Godly man (his name was Dave Busby).
He prayed a prayer asking God to work during that moment. Then, in the middle of his prayer he directly addressed the Holy Spirit by saying something very close to this, “Holy Spirit, I ask you to be active here in this time.”
So, were God the Father and Jesus aware of that prayer and hear that? Of course, they did! But, Dave was totally aware of the Person of the Holy Spirit and directed that portion of the prayer to Him.
Did he have to do it like that? No, he didn’t. He felt compelled to call on the Holy Spirit’s name personally. We have that freedom as well. The great thing about it? The Holy Spirit will guide our minds and thoughts if we let Him and He can instruct us in any questions or uncertainty about how and to Whom we pray at any moment.
Summing Up
So, how should we decide to whom should we pray in various situations? Here is the bottom line that gives us freedom in our prayer life. God – whether it be the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit is not standing there with a clipboard checking off and grading us on who we address in prayer.
I believe that He gives us freedom in that. There are quite a number of example prayers on this website that have been written to help others as they pray. We intentionally used various ways to address God. Don’t get hung up on this.
If you feel like addressing either Father, Son, or Holy Spirit specifically, go ahead. If you feel like simply addressing God, go ahead.
You know what? God is much more concerned that you come to Him in prayer and seek Him and turn to Him for your needs. Also, just go to him and give Him praise and thanks for all that He has done.
Yes, it is a tradition to address The Father and do so in Jesus’ name. Maybe we have shown that to be a way, but it is not the only way. I think I can positively assure you that if you cry out to God the Father, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit, they are not going to reject your prayer and say, “Sorry, you have the wrong person of the trinity – go somewhere else!”
Just pray – any time -any place to the One True God, Who exists in three Persons.
God is ready to hear from us and to have a relationship with us.
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