Pray to Jesus

Why would anyone pray to a stand in, when we can pray to the real deal, Jesus Christ? Praying to others, dead or alive would be likened to a man having a sexual liaison with a prostitute. The man goes on to say, “I was thinking of my wife all the time, even though I am with this prostitute.” If this were true, why not go home and have a just and right relationship with your wife?

Praying to Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit insures intervention. Praying to others insures destruction.

Praying to the dead would fall under the category of spiritual adultery. If we were to pray to another for our intercession, would it also be O”K to have a picture or image of that person before us? Would we be allowed to bow down before that image in prayer, would there be a difference between praying to another in church, or would I have to pray to them at home in a closet?

Romans 8:26, tells us we do not know how to pray, therefore,

“The Holy Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” If we pray to another, is the Holy Spirit going to interpret our message, go to the person you prayed to, and deliver our prayer to them? Of course not, he represents Jesus Christ alone.

On the Mount of transfiguration, when both Moses and Elias appeared with the Lord, saying nothing to the apostles. The apostles wanted to build three altars, “A voice out of the cloud saying, this is my beloved Son: hear him. When the voice was past, Jesus was found alone.” This was God’s answer to them, NO.

It’s Jesus Christ we are to pray to, for He is our Savior, our High Priest, our Mediator. Can another go before the throne of the Father in heaven? No, only Jesus Christ, our High Priest can stand before the Father’s throne.

In Revelation 6:9, we read, “I (John) saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held.”

Here the souls under the altar are speaking to Jesus, asking for vengeance upon the ungodly. They were told to rest for a little season.

Throughout the O.T. it was forbidden to seek after the dead.

No man knows who is truly saved or not saved. No one has ever seen the names written in the book of life, for the books have not been opened.

Who we think may be in heaven, may not be, if this were the case, we would be praying to the unsaved. Who is it that can read a man’s heart; Only God.

Let’s take a look at the story of the rich man and Lazarus. After death, the soul and spirit of a man goes on to be with the Lord. But like the poor man in Luke 16, the dead in Christ now rest in paradise until the rapture of the church.

No power has been given to those who have gone to be with the Lord, they have not come to their inheritance. The only guarantee we have is, the saved shall not suffer the second death. Our rewards are future.

1. Lazarus never responded to the rich man’s comments.

2. Abraham’s bosom was a phrase used among the Jews to signify the Paradise of God. This is a place of rest for the saved, until they are given a new and glorified body.

3. Abraham spoke only to the rich man only, and no other.

Luke 23:43, “Jesus said unto him (the thief on cross) Verily I say unto thee, to day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

1 Corinthians 12:2-4, “A man is said to have been caught up to the third heaven, caught up into paradise, and he heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.” Paradise is a real place. It is put for the dead in Christ, a place of rest.

We all need to be very careful not to plant unwanted tares in the minds of believes, especially those who are new in the faith. Your prayers are heard by the Holy Spirit, and brought to Christ alone.

Phillip Laspino www.seekfirstwisdom.com