Jesus Prayer
Many Christians talk about Jesus Prayer, or the Lord’s
Prayer, as if there was only one. But he was constantly engaged in prayer, even
though we only have the words recorded from a few of them. But if we were to
follow the pattern of Jesus prayer, and indeed, follow his teaching on prayer,
which all too many have forgotten to do, then we have a key to establishing a
relationship with the heavens.
Jesus taught his followers to pray unto the Father. Did he know that there
would come a time when his followers would be confused and misled to pray unto
Mary, Apostles, supposed saints, and even himself! Is there anything in the
following words that can be misunderstood?
9 After this manner
therefore pray ye:
Our Father who art in heaven (Matthew 6:9)
Who authorized man to
pray unto Jesus? There is no hint in
the Holy Bible that Jesus taught his followers to pray to him. Neither is there
anything to indicate that the Apostles prayed to Jesus, nor that they taught
the early Christians to do so. Nevertheless, people have ignored the
words of the Savior and even invented a so called Jesus prayer.
Christianity should rest upon the words of the Holy
Scriptures. Any church which professes Christianity, which is practicing
religious performances that are contradicting the religious practices set forth
by Jesus Christ himself, and were faithfully upheld by the Apostles and the
Church as long as the Apostles were alive to lead it, must overlook its
religious practices. Praying to Jesus is one such practice. The
worst kind of such prayers is the set Jesus prayer.
There are many good, Christian people who have been taught
to pray to Jesus. This is not an attack on these people. They have turned unto God
the only way they knew how, and they will be blessed for it, and their prayers
will have been answered. This is what Paul's letter to the Romans explains,
that he who has not been given a law cannot be judged for breaking it.
15 … for where no
law is, there is no
transgression. (Romans 4:15)
But now, listen, all good, Christian people everywhere:
9 After this manner
therefore pray ye:
Our Father who art in heaven (Matthew 6:9)
Now the law has been given to you! Now, if you want your
prayers to be heard, and answered, you must
pray unto the Father!
But there is one thing
that differ us from Jesus when he was on earth. He was perfectly free from sin.
Since he was that, he was not spiritually dead, or in other words, he was not
cut of from the presence of the Father, so he could talk directly to the Father.
We pray in the name of Jesus. Since we are cut of
from the presence of the Father, we cannot reach the Father directly with our
prayers. We need someone who has access to the Father to convey our prayers
unto him. By ending our prayers "In the name of Jesus Christ" we do
something which causes Jesus to open up the gates to the Father. Jesus' name is
the access name, since there is no other name given under the heavens whereby
man can be saved.
Jesus is more than willing to convey respectful prayers
unto the Father when they are offered in Jesus' name.
Return from 'Jesus Prayers' to - Home
|