There are two things I have been mulling over lately regarding prayer. These are not related to each other except by the fact that they both deal with prayer.

First, to whom should we pray? We have been praying with Isaiah most nights before he goes to bed, and in teaching such a small child how to pray I admit that there is a definite “cuteness” in hearing him say “Dear Jesus” as he copies what we say. I have recently changed the wording to “Our Father” or similar. Certainly Jesus is a member of the godhead, but we do not have any examples in the New Testament that direct us to pray to Christ. Yes, we are to pray in the name of Christ: “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (John 14:13). But even the model prayer Christ provides for us begins with “Our Father.” Is there any reason or example that dictates why we so often pray to Christ instead of the Father? This is not to minimize Christ or his power, but rather to ask ourselves if we are truly following the examples we have been given.

The second thought I have been tossing around is related to what we should pray for, specifically when dealing with the preaching or teaching of the Word. I often hear requests such as this: “Lord, please speak through the man of God this evening” or “Please use this preacher to speak to us this morning.” The request is that God speak to us through the teacher or preacher. This may be nit-picky, but I think it reflects a profound misunderstanding of how God speaks to his children today.

I do not want this to become a cessationism versus continuationism debate, but it is important to note that God spoke often in the early church through dreams, visions, and signs, and that he does not do so today. (That is not to say he cannot, but rather that he does not do so commonly). Today, he speaks to us solely through his Word.

This is important, because I believe a misunderstanding here can launch Christians into some very dangerous waters. We are blessed beyond measure today by having such easy access to countless translations of God’s written word. And we know that this book is utterly and completely sufficient for teaching a Christian how to be “competent, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:17). This Bible is the foundation for Christianity. Without it we would know little of Christ and nothing of the redeeming work he accomplished on the cross. We would know nothing of God’s grace in selecting us for salvation. We would know nothing of the God who spoke the worlds into existence. This Bible contains all objective earthly knowledge about God; there are no other sources for this knowledge! (While nature certainly points to God, it does not tell us directly that he loves us, nor does it provide insight into the detailed workings of his plan, as the canon does.)

If we ask God to “speak to us through a man,” are we asking for the best thing? Are we even asking for something God will do?

Perhaps this is hyper-sensitivity, but carried to a logical conclusion, if we ask God to speak to us through a man, it seems we run the risk of hearing the man, not God. And as soon as I begin depending on a man to tell me what God says, I have started down a dangerous path. We need teachers, but we need those teachers to teach the Bible, because it is through the Bible that God has chosen to speak.