“To Whom It May Concern”

Friday, September 14, 2018

I know that we pray to God, but I have a problem when people say we cannot talk to Christ.  Did Stephen not talk to Christ as he was being stoned?  Did Paul not beseech the Lord three times?  Are Christ and God not one?  Is Christ not our Advocate and Mediator?  What’s your take on talking to Jesus?

Sincerely,
Deep In Conversation

Dear Deep In Conversation,

The example of Stephen is clearly a case of someone talking to Jesus, but you must remember that Stephen was looking at Jesus at the time (Acts 7:55-56)... this isn't your average prayer – if Jesus was standing in front of you, you wouldn't call it prayer, and that is exactly what happened to Stephen.  Also, the example of Paul in 2 Cor 12:8 isn't a good proof text because it could be referring to Jesus or the Father – both are referred to as ‘Lord’ in the Bible.  This is an issue that brethren have mixed reviews on.  Personally, we don't feel comfortable condemning someone for praying to Jesus, but at the same time, the example we see throughout the Scriptures is that of praying to the Father… especially since that is the way Jesus taught us to pray (Lk 11:1-4).  Jesus specifically said there would come a time when we wouldn't ask Him anything, but we would pray to His Father and the Father would answer our prayers that are prayed in Jesus' name (Jhn 16:23).  The problem with praying to Jesus is that we simply don't have any examples of it in the whole New Testament.

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