Rather it is an outline of a potential prayer, and a very good prayer at that, which covers many of the things we should pray about. We are to ask for his kingdom to come, for his will to be done as in heaven, for him to give us daily bread, for the forgiveness of our sins, that we would be kept from temptation and be delivered from evil. The time I spent with the Word taught me five lessons. In prayer, we are acknowledging that the only way to God is through Jesus. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” However, this is just one small but important reason why we should pray. Submission to His Will. These lessons have been a tremendous encouragement to me and they urge me to reexamine my doubts towards praying for others. In order to pray to Jesus instead of God the Father, one has to be absolutely sure the humans living after Jesus got it right. In the Bible, God commands people, multiple times, to pray. Do we pray because God is likely to change his will? Ephesians 2:18 tells us that through Christ both Jews and Gentiles have access to the Father in the Spirit. (Hebrews 4:15-16) Without Jesus we have no relationship with God and cannot even talk to Him in prayer. Why do Catholics pray to Mary? by Rick Warren — November 17, 2017 “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. God is a jealous God, so why pray to and worship a human woman? Each person of the Trinity plays different roles in how they interact in the lives of believers and unbelievers alike. Simple as that. Why did Jesus pray? When we pray in Jesus’ name, we are acknowledging that, without the work of Christ, we would be alienated from God forever. It should be noted that asking one person to pray for you in no way violates Christ’s mediatorship between God and man. We are using the authority of His name to get whatever we want done. If we cannot change God’s mind, why should we pray?" You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” (John 14:13-14 NIV). 3. God’s people have been doing that with the Psalms for thousands of years. In Matthew 12:48 Jesus says “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. Catholics seem to think Mary was sinless but of course she wasn't. Out of habit and duty? In prayer, we can ask God to move in the spiritual realm. Jesus instructs us to pray and even details exactly how we should pray in Matthew 6:9-13, in what we know as the Lord’s Prayer. The answer lies in understanding what prayer … Well, the quick answer is because that’s the way God wants us to do it. For example, we can appropriate God-breathed prayers in Scripture as they match our own circumstances. This one’s hard. If Jesus isn't actually God, then it's idol worship to raise a doctrine of man (such as the ones enshrined by the first seven ecumenical councils) to the level of knowing who is God and who isn't. We don’t typologically fulfill Scripture in the same way that Jesus does, but we can and should pray Scripture appropriately with reference to our contexts. Some days I struggle to pray. Do we pray because if we don’t, we think that God won’t have the opportunity to change his will? Prayer isn’t asking God for parking spots and 20% discounts at your favorite retail store. Prayer is asking God to mold our hearts to look like Christ. Many times in the Gospels, we read that Jesus prayed or went alone to pray apart from the disciples. We must pray to God in Jesus’ name because this is the only way God has approved for us to approach Him. Praying in the name of Jesus means praying for things Jesus would pray for; it means praying in a way that honors Jesus. God calls us to pray and we must respond. Because we cannot do it in ourselves. 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? If God is in control of human history and also directs individual lives, what’s the point of praying? For one thing, prayer is a form of serving God (Luke 2:36-38) and obeying Him. One reason he prayed was as an example so that we could learn from him. We can seek His will in our own lives as we resist the evil one. We can exercise the privilege of prayer because Jesus has made a sacrifice for us – He bridges the gap between us and God. From the very earliest days, the church and its theologians have taken Paul’s vision in Romans 5:12–21 of the two men Adam and Christ, who determine the destiny of all people to be a very strong dominant image in salvation. This is why Jesus gave time to God when it’s quiet with no interruptions. And the first part starts very well. This is because they’ve mistaken God as a genie instead of the one true God Almighty. Or, do we pray because it’s somehow a solvent for events and realities well outside of our control? We also should pray in the name of the Son, as Jesus also taught in John 16:23-24. Why Do We Pray in Jesus’ Name? But why do we need to pray? So even if we do not pray on behalf of others, God would still know their needs, right? This is why Jesus can both be God and still pray to God (e.g. There are two men — Adam and Christ. She was just a human being like all of us - granted she was special and blessed among women because she bore the Christ child, but she was never sinless, no human being is sinless except Jesus Christ who was God in flesh form (John 1:14). #5: Pray for God’s will in your life “your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10 NIV) If we’re to truly pick up our cross and follow Jesus, it means we have to submit to God’s plan for our lives. We are instructed to pray in the "name of Jesus" and we always pray "through Jesus" or that is our intent. Jesus said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. This is a question many Christians, as well as people with other beliefs, have asked. That doesn't mean merely saying at the end of a prayer, "In Jesus' name, Amen." When we ask in the name of Jesus we are not running errands for Him. Prayer is being the hands and feet of Jesus in this broken world. Just like we can’t just go talk to the President unless invited, the same is true with God, so Jesus invited us to do so. Hebrews 4:15-16 refers to Jesus as our High Priest : "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Stephen, as he was being martyred, prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (Acts 7:59). We pray for a variety of reasons. Why do Catholics confess their sins to a priest, rather than going directly to God? We can see that in this prayer, we are to ask God for things. So when we approach God we do so in the authority of Jesus Christ. These are questions worth thinking about because they link themselves to a certain outlook on faith and God himself. We can ask Him to send His angels to war against the demonic horde. If He is God, why did Jesus pray? Jesus prayed to God the Father and taught us to do the same. Notice that Jesus said to Bartimaeus, “your faith has saved you.” Bartimaeus was a person of faith, not a person who prayed only in a crisis to get what he wanted from God. Answer: For the Christian, praying is supposed to be like breathing, easier to do than to not do. Because this last part involves a possible severe violation of the second commandment, I want to clearly illustrate why I don't think we have reached that standard. I would never let my kids — at least I tried not to — use “in Jesus’ name, amen” as a throwaway phrase at the end of prayer. Sometimes we pray for what we want and instead God gives us what we need. Not long ago, I opened the Bible, desiring to find out more about the role and importance of intercession. He comes to us, body, blood, soul and divinity in Holy Communion. Jesus taught that we should trust GOD's kindness and provisions. What we need is not always what we want but God in his provident mercy gives us what we need. Prayer to one member of the Trinity is prayer to all. Okay, there are really two parts to the story. Why did Jesus pray? Reason #1: Christians pray because they have faith that GOD loves us and cares for us. In order to pray to Jesus instead of God the Father, one has to be absolutely sure the humans living after Jesus got it right. There are a few more significant reasons. 2. And we are not supposed to pray without the name of Jesus because Jesus instructed us not to. Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Jesus’ prayer in the garden for instance, was quite a different prayer (Matthew 26:39). He speaks to us through His Word and teaches us through His minister. We only can come to God in prayer pleading for grace, because we have a high priest, which is why we pray in Jesus’ name. But there are other prayers in the New Testament which do not follow the exact same pattern. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus also told his faithful apostles: “Most truly I say to you, If you ask the Father for anything he will give it to you in my name.”—John 16:23. Jesus also said to pray in His name. In John chapter 17, we find Jesus' high priestly prayer. John 17) because while they share the same being they are different in person. Jesus taught us to pray to God the Father in Matthew 6. “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.” (Matthew 6:6 NIV) We don’t go wrong when we pray directly to God the Father. We pray because God commands us to pray (Philippians 4:6-7). The Bible says, “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Do we pray so we can get stuff from God? Seems like they worship her but she was a sinner just like everyone else. That is why we are obliged to attend Sunday Mass and why the Church calls the Mass the “source and summit of the Christian life.” During it, we engage in a conversation with God. This was the pattern the Apostle Paul gives us in Ephesians 3:14-21. So, my view is that the general pattern of prayer is to pray to the Father in the name of Jesus. It says that if we sin, we have an Advocate with the Father - Jesus Christ the Righteous. We as Christians also should emulate that and have prayer time when and where it’s calm with no disruptions. To the Lord Jesus, we pray as to the Father because they are equal. We are also to pray in the name of Christ. When you pray in such an environment God is able to reveal his desire for you and the purpose that he has installed in your heart. Jesus Prayed Regularly. Why do we pray? You might be surprised. Jesus prayed because of His relationship with the Father. Most examples of prayer in the Bible are prayers directly addressed to God. 2. It’s much more than that. We should pray because we can participate in a spiritual battle. Here are six specific reasons why Christians pray. As was His prayer recorded in John 17. We have all sinned and deserve God’s judgment. God, the Father, sent His only Son to satisfy that judgment for those who believe in Him. Why do we pray? I told them, don’t slur that, don’t rush that. Prayer was an important part of Jesus' life. Now, I believe there is nothing wrong with asking God to bless us. Praying to God the Father. These words express something glorious and essential. Jesus, receive my Spirit ” ( John 14:13-14 NIV ) at the of. 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