One of the more common misconceptions propagated by several churches
is that you are not worthy to speak to God. Priests, Pastors,
Rabbis, et al... try to shame their congregations so deeply into a lack
of self worth that the members:
- do not pray at all
- or do not pray to God directly
Where do you fall? Are you not praying at all? This is the
simplest to overcome. Talk in complete silence to God, through
His Son Jesus. I've never heard the voice of God myself.
Some believers have. Instead, my communications back from God usually
come in the form of a 'new' thought entering my mind or an inspiration
to do something, possibly nothing.
This is after all how God nudged me into ordainment as a minister.
Sometimes his communication back to me comes in the form of 'gifts',
'miracles', tangibles, or what have you. You need open your mind
to the notion that until the Glorious Coming, you probably will not
hear God talking back to you, instead he will use images, thoughts,
tangibles, 'gifts', etc...
As seen in the following excerpt from Matthew, our Teacher, Jesus
tells us to pray secretly (silently) and to pray TO THE FATHER!
Open public prayer is often used by many to put on the "sheep's hide"
over their "wolven hide". The feign humility by flaunting, "
HEY! LOOK AT ME! See how humble I am?". Silent prayer is very
okay with Jehovah, it should be with you.
Matthew 6:5-6 5And when you
pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love
to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the
street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you,
they have received their reward. 6But when you
pray, go into your room and shut the door and
pray to your Father who is in secret; and your
Father who sees in secret will reward you.
There is only one way to pray to God. That is to pray through
His Son. Praying to anyone else is praying to the wrong God.
Reference the following excerpt from John.
John 16:23-28 23In that day you will
ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask anything
of the Father, he will give it to you in my name. 24Hitherto
you have asked nothing in my name; ask, and you will receive, that
your joy may be full. 25I have said this to you in figures;
the hour is coming when I shall no longer speak to you in figures
but tell you plainly of the Father. 26In that day you
will ask in my name; and I do not say to you that I shall pray the
Father for you; 27for the Father himself loves you, because
you have loved me and have believed that I came from the Father.
28I came from the Father and have come into the world;
again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father.
Jesus tells us to ASK (PRAY) IN HIS NAME, anything of HIS
FATHER and God will give you what you need to be joyous. There
are no references in the Bible telling us that we aren't worthy, or
that we should pray to anyone else, through anyone else. There
is no one else or way to pray properly. The Lord's Prayer contains
much of what is needed to grasp this concept. Note the first two
words, "Our Father". Jesus never made room for praying to an image,
a saint or even TO himself, Jesus. Jesus knew he wasn't GOD, and
made that message clear. God's own words at Isaiah 42:8 are "I am the
LORD, that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to
graven images" Prayers not directly to God are worshipping the
wrong god. It is no small wonder that so many sincerely good people
are missing out on God. Only Jehovah, is called at Psalm 65:2,
the "Hearer of prayer".
Prayers to Mary, Saints, Angels, Relatives, even Jesus, aren't heard
by God. Do you think that Jesus would be so bold as to try to
usurp Jehovah's authority? Lucifer did that, is he in God's favor?
It's easy to pray and Jesus commands us to pray, pray often and pray
to His Father, through Him. If Jesus is your savior, why would
you not obey his commands? Because someone humiliated you into
thinking you couldn't talk to God? God loves you so much, he gave
you his son, so that you could live forever, back in Eden. It
is powerful, but simple.
Be a mirror of Jesus in all things. - AmenBy Rev. Matthew Gerrior
November 22, 2002