I don't find any certain command in the Bible concerning which Person
of the Godhead to pray to. Certainly, we must realize that to pray to
Jesus, the Father, or the Holy Spirit is to pray to God, for there
is only ONE God (Deuteronomy 6:4). The Apostle Paul speaks of the
"mystery of God" in Colossians 2:2. The Godhead is a mystery indeed,
but we believe it because the Bible teaches it, and the Holy Spirit
bares witness with our spirit that it is true. God has manifest (or revealed)
Himself to mankind in the Persons of God the Father, God the Son, and
God the Holy Spirit.
I pray to all three Persons of the Godhead, usually depending on the
circumstances. When I pray for guidance, comfort, or power, I usually
pray to the Holy Spirit because the Bible mentions the Holy Spirit
with those things. If I want something from God, I'll usually pray to
the Father, asking “In Jesus name” as the Gospel of John directs us to do so. Daily, I speak with the Lord Jesus, just as I would a friend,
Who knows and understands what it means to suffer and be rejected
and despised of men. I don't think it really matters to which
Person of the Godhead we
choose to pray, just as long as we understand that we are praying
to ONE God and that we must come to the Father through the Son, i.e.,
in Jesus' name. Jesus said in John 14:6 that we must come to
the Father through Him, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth,
and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." Jesus is one with the Father, and the Holy Spirit lives within
the believer's heart. The Holy Spirit is God within us. Thus, we
pray TO the Father, THROUGH the Son, IN the Spirit.
This is not to say that we cannot pray directly to the Holy Spirit,
knowing that He is the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9), or that we
cannot pray to the Son of God, Who is called the “Everlasting
Father” in Isaiah 9:6.
The Godhead (Trinity) is a mystery that unbelievers cannot grasp,
because it is spiritually discerned. Unbelievers cannot reconcile their finite human thinking with the eternal
truth of God. But as true Christians, we understand (1st Corinthians
2:14-17; Luke 7:35).
Here is a wonderful quote from Dr. Jack Hyles' excellent book, EXPLORING PRAYER WITH JACK HYLES . . .
I remember one night years ago when Dr. John R. Rice and I were at a Bible conference together. Before he preached, he prayed something like this, "Oh, Father, breathe on me. Lord Jesus, help me to preach tonight. Holy Spirit, give me power."
After the service a young preacher came to Dr. Rice and said, "You made a serious mistake while you prayed to God the Father, then you prayed to Jesus, then you prayed to the Holy Spirit." He continued, "The proper procedure is to pray to the Father through the Son in the Spirit."
Dr. Rice looked at him with a sheepish grin and replied, "Son, I've been in the family long enough until I know all of Them personally. I just talk to whichever One I need to talk to at the time." The old giant patted the young man on the shoulder and went his way.
There is nothing wrong with the child of God saying, "Jesus, I love You," "Father, supply my needs," and "Holy Spirit, give me power." Sometimes we can be so busy being theologically correct that we can be spiritually empty! Oh, for the heartbeat of the Christian faith! Oh, for the lilt and joy! Oh, for the tears and the burden! Oh, for the warmth and the tenderness!
SOURCE: Dr. Jack Hyles, EXPLORING PRAYER WITH JACK HYLES, chapter 35
The most important thing is that we understand it is only on the basis of Christ's blood sacrifice that we are entitled to approach the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:15,16). Amen!
