On several occasions, Jesus taught His disciples how to pray. He taught them how to pray before His death (Mt. 6:9-13; 7:7-11; Lk. 11:1-4), and He taught them how they should pray after His death, burial, and resurrection (Jn. 14-16). On every occasion, Jesus taught His disciples to pray to the Father, not to Jesus or the Holy Spirit. In fact, Jesus explicitly told His disciples not to address Him in prayer after He left them in the Father’s care: “And in that day ye shall ask me nothing.… Read more
Category: Prayer
Running from a Lion to a Bear
When Amos addressed Israel regarding the judgment of the Lord, he wrote, “Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him. . .” (Amos 5:18, 19). With these verses Amos was referring to inescapable judgment, but it can also be said that sometimes when people attempt to avoid something harmful they may often go to an extreme which can be just as harmful as the issue they were initially trying to avoid. … Read more
The Question of Praying to the Holy Spirit
Should Christians pray to the Holy Spirit? Considering the clarity with which the Scriptures teach men to pray exclusively to the Father, one may wonder why this question even needs asking. Sadly, some openly teach that Christians may address the Holy Spirit in prayer. What are the repercussions if Christians begin believing such a doctrine? In the future, will congregations all over the world be praying to the Holy Spirit in worship assemblies? This is a dangerous doctrine which needs to be answered.… Read more
It’s Not the Model Prayer for Us
Many call the prayer of Matthew 6:9-13 “The Lord’s Prayer.” Members of the church of Christ generally call it “The Model Prayer,” while referring to the prayer of John 17 as “The Lord’s Prayer.” This is because the words of John 17 are an actual prayer of the Lord to His Father, and the prayer of Matthew 6 was a model for Jesus’ disciples.
If we call Matthew 6:9-13 “The Model Prayer,” do we understand that it is no longer the pattern for Christians today?… Read more