Why pray to the Father?
There are sincere Christians around who struggle in prayer when it comes to the issue: to Whom should we pray? To God the Father, God the Son or God the Holy Spirit?
Does it matter? Perhaps not. The thief on the cross addressed Jesus: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42). And Stephen, among the first seven deacons and the church’s first martyr, addressed our Lord Jesus just before he died: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (Acts 7:59).
What about praying to the Holy Spirit? There is nothing wrong with this; after all, the Holy Spirit is God as much as the Father and the Son. Hymns modern and ancient have sung directly to the Holy Spirit:
“Holy Spirit, we welcome you” – Chris Bowater (b.1947).
“Holy Spirit, truth divine, dawn upon this soul of mine” – Samuel Longfellow (1819-1892).
These things said, I want to make the case for praying—generally speaking—to God the Father. Keep in mind that there is no rivalry in the Trinity; the persons of the Trinity heap praise on each other. The Father doesn’t mind that we pray to His Son or to the Spirit; the Holy Spirit doesn’t mind that we pray to the Father or to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Why then pray to the Father?
Seven reasons for addressing our prayers to the Father
First, Jesus directed us to do so – at least twice – as in the Lord’s Prayer.
“Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name’” (Matt.6:9).
“When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name’” (Luke 11:2).
Second, Jesus always directed His own prayers to the Father. For example,
“I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise” (Matt.11:25).
“Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you”(John 17:1).
The only time Jesus called Him Godwas when He was dying on the cross and cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt.27:46). This was the moment when all our sins were transferred to Jesus: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor.5:21). It is called propitiation – when Jesus turned the Father’s wrath away.
Third, the Apostle Paul let us know that he prayed to the Father:
“I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named” (Eph.3:14-15).
Fourth, the Father is omniscient—that is, He knows the future as perfectly as He knows the past and present. Jesus admitted that He did not know the day of His Second Coming (Matt.24:36). Whether He—along with the Holy Spirit—knows the future as perfectly as the Father is an understandable deduction we might make (cf.Matt.28:18). But the Scriptures do not directly address this.
Fifth, to affirm the God of the Bible – the Father. To show we are not ashamed of Him.Jesus said, “The Father is greater than I” (John 14:28). Was this statement merely an act of humility? I don’t think so. I believe it is true – for more reasons than I will attempt to unravel here. At the same time we must never forget that the Word – logos –was in the beginning with God and the Word was God and nothing was made without the Lord Jesus (John 1:1-2; Col.1:16-17). Jesus is God as though He were not man and yet He was man as though He were not God; He was and is the God-man. But there must be a good reason Jesus said, “The Father is greater than I”. And Paul makes an interesting eschatological statement: “When all things are subject to him [Jesus], then the Son himself will be subjected to him [the Father] who put all things in subjection under him, that God [the Father] may be all in all” (1 Cor.15:28). I am not able to explain all that this means. But I have felt for a long time that the least mentioned and the least honored and most neglected person of the Godhead among some Christians in our generation is God the Father. Many books are written about our Lord Jesus Christ, and an incalculable number of books are written about the Holy Spirit (I myself have written at least three books on the Holy Spirit). It is my opinion that Jesus Himself would applaud books written about His Father – the least understood and most hated person of the Trinity. The world does not generally send vicious attacks upon Jesus but rather God the Father for allowing suffering.
Sixth, only a Christian can refer to God as Father. The Muslim can’t. Think about that. No Muslim considers Allah as Father—ever! But you and I can. Even the liberals who refer to God as Father of all men and women because of their universalism bring no glory to God for doing this. You and I have the high and inestimable privilege of calling God Father. Only the believer in Jesus Christ can rightly do this.
Seventh, when you get to know God as He is in Himself, you will be overwhelmed with worship. Moses requested, “Teach my your ways . . .” (Exod.33:13). Too many of us pray in order to get something from God. Try this, getting to Know Him as He is in Himself. You may find yourself saying, “I am so grateful to have a God like this”. You will find yourself saying, “God, I love your for being just the way you are. I would not change you even if I could”. Yes.
What a mighty God we have!
Finally, if it is not of great consequence whether to pray to the Father, to Jesus or to the Holy Spirit, why make a case for praying to the Father? I answer: I want to be as biblical as I can be. I want to be God-centered and Christ-centered in my theology and in my preaching.