Yesterday, a close friend of mine put a question on Facebook that got my attention. His question was basically this: is it okay to pray to Christ as opposed to the Father? I'm sure he meant his question to be only semantic in nature. But in my personal scripture study, and in my personal experience, I've come to believe very strongly that his question of knowing when to pray to Christ and when to pray to the Father gets at the very heart of what it means to access the true power of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
To me, this question is not just a matter of semantics; this is a matter of spiritual life or death!
When to Pray to the Father
In the New Testament, we see the Savior give his pattern for praying to the Father:
"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Do you see a common thread in these verses, a common need addressed, with the same Person?
Help With Temptation
It is any wonder that Nephi called his Savior "my Jesus?" (2 Nephi 33:6)
The Savior instructed both the Nephites and the Jews - and by extension, us - to counsel with the Father every day. But Alma the Younger instructed his son Helaman - and by extension, us - to counsel with the Lord in all our doings:
I think you'll find both are attentive listeners!
Primary children's song: I Know That My Savior Loves Me
Come to church with us!
Meet with LDS missionaries
To me, this question is not just a matter of semantics; this is a matter of spiritual life or death!
When to Pray to the Father
In the New Testament, we see the Savior give his pattern for praying to the Father:
"After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." (Matthew 6:9-13)
Elsewhere in scripture, we are told to pray to the Father in the name of Christ, He being our advocate with the Father. (see 1 John 2:1, 3 Nephi 18:19) We pray in the name of Christ because God is our Father, into whose presence no unclean thing may enter. (see 3 Nephi 27:19) We are as yet unworthy to approach the Father without our Advocate. We are, however, able to approach Him, so long as we do it in the name of the Son, who is that very advocate. We are able to do this because, by covenant, we are one with Christ, even in the same sense that Christ is one with the Father. (John 17:9-11)
We are encouraged in the scriptures to ask the Father for "whatsoever things we stand in need". (Alma 7:23) Modern prophets have counseled us to pray every morning and every night, formally in our homes, both personally and with our families.
When to Pray to Jesus
But there are certain things for which we are not merely permitted but actually commanded to go to Jesus for. Consider the following passages of scripture (emphasis added):
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28-30)
"Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:14-16)
"And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered..." (Joel 2:32)
"Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:28-31)
"...the Lord spake unto me, saying: ...my grace is sufficient for the meek, that they shall take no advantage of your weakness; And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. Behold, I will show unto the Gentiles their weakness, and I will show unto them that faith, hope and charity bringeth unto me—the fountain of all righteousness." (Ether 12:26-28)
"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.... For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee." (Isaiah 41:10-13)
"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Do you see a common thread in these verses, a common need addressed, with the same Person?
To whom does the "throne of grace" belong? Does it not belong to Jesus Christ by whose blood it was purchased? Yes, we are to pray to the Father, asking for what we need and giving thanks, but when we need grace, we go boldy to the throne of Christ! When we need deliverance, we call on the name of the Lord! When we need increased spiritual strength, we wait upon the Lord! When we need weak things made strong, we humble ourselves and turn to the Lord! When we need wisdom, we need to trust in the Lord - He's smarter and wiser than we are, and He his our Counselor! (see Isaiah 9:6) When we need righteousness, or, in other words, help living righteously, it is the Lord our God who will uphold us! When we need a Friend to walk with us, the Lord will hold our right hand!
Even the hymns teach us this concept of turning to the Lord for grace and power and help and healing:
"I need thee every hour, most gracious Lord. No tender voice like thine can peace afford... temptations lose their pow'r when thou art nigh..." (Hymn # 98 - I Need Thee Every Hour)
"Abide with me, 'tis eventide. Thy walk today with me has made my heart within me burn, as I communed with thee... lone will be the night if I cannot commune with thee nor find in thee my light... the darkness of the world I fear would in my home abide... O Savior stay this night with me; Behold, 'tis eventide!" (Hymn #165 - Abide With Me, 'Tis Eventide, see also Luke 24:13-32)
"Abide with me fast falls the eventide; the darkness deepens. Lord, with me abide! When other helpers fail and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me! I need thy presence every passing hour. What but thy grace can foil the tempters power?" (Hymn #166 - Abide With Me)
"Where can I turn for peace? Where is my solace when other sources cease to make me whole? Where when my aching grows, where when I languish, where in my need to know, where can I run? Where is the quiet hand to calm my anguish? Who, who can understand? He only One! He answers privately, reaches my reaching. In my Gethsemane, Savior and Friend..." (Hymn #129 - Where Can I Turn For Peace?)
"The Lord is my light; the Lord is my strength. I know in his might I'll conquer at length. My weakness in mercy he covers with pow'r, and walking by faith, I am blest ev'ry hour..." (Hymn #89 - The Lord is My Light)
"He lives my hungry soul to feed. He lives to bless in time of need. He lives to grant me rich supply. He lives to comfort me when faint. He lives to hear my soul's complaint. He lives to silence all my fears. He lives to wipe away my tears..." (Hymn #136 - I Know That My Redeemer Lives)
"In ev'ry condition, in sickness, in health, in poverty's vale or abounding in wealth, at home or abroad, on land or on sea, as thy days may demand so thy succor shall be. Fear not I am with thee, oh be not dismayed, for I am thy God and will still give thee aid. The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose I will not, I cannot desert to his foes!" (Hymn 85 - How Firm a Foundation)
While among the Nephites, the Savior taught:
"...verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always lest ye enter into temptation; for Satan desireth to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my name..." (3 Nephi 18:18-19)
When it comes to temptation, we are to pray to both the Father and the Son, but under different circumstances.
We are commanded to pray to the Father daily to ask for help in overcoming our temptations. In this way, the Father is able to whisper things through His spirit to teach us things that will help us as we study our scriptures. He is able to have the Spirit guide and prompt and warn in ways that are specific to our daily prayers to Him.
But in the moment of our need, when temptation is pressing upon us, a prayer we prayed this morning or last night won't get it done. Temptation creates a need for salvation from impending sin. Whose job is that? In those trying moments, we are to go boldy to the throne of grace - to the throne of Christ! In the scriptures, turning to the Savior for help in the face of temptation is called building upon the rock of our redeemer. Helaman taught his sons of the importance of this:
"And he hath power given unto him from the Father to redeem them from their sins because of repentance; therefore he hath sent
his angels to declare the tidings of the conditions of repentance,
which bringeth unto the power of the Redeemer, unto the salvation of
their souls. And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation;
that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts
in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat
upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf
of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built,
which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they
cannot fall." (Helaman 5:11-12)
Praying to the Father is a thoughtful, matter-of-fact thing that needs to happen daily. But praying to the Savior and pleading for power and a sure foundation during a storm is a deeply personal come-to-Jesus moment. Prayers to the Father are time spent talking to Dad. But these prayers we experience with Jesus are the pleadings of a child in need of rescue; these are spiritual 911 calls. Here, where there is not time or circumstance for kneeling, there are desperate tears and brute honesty, grace crossing swords with temptation, the eternal powers of heaven driving back the forces of mortal weakness, high-stakes battles being fought in the strength of the Lord! When we are having these kinds of prayers with our Savior and Redeemer throughout the difficult moments of each day, with Him holding our right hand, upholding us by His righteousness, our prayers to the Father are filled with deep thanksgiving for sending us His Son and for the battles we win with His help. We can only have these kinds of prayers, these kinds of spiritual experiences when we are humble enough to recognize the small yet eternally significant spiritual emergencies that occur constantly in every day of our lives! When we win our battles prayerfully with the Lord's help, we are able to kneel before the Father, not only celebrating those victories, but joyfully and courageously setting more goals, to win even more battles tomorrow.
In those moments when we are being tempted, we tend to think we have two choices: give into the temptation or don't. But this is not true. Our true choice is: give into the temptation, or turn to the Savior. In order to have the Savior's help, we have to turn away from - or forsake - the opportunity to sin. We have to give up the short-lived benefits of having what we want in order to receive from the Lord what it is we need in order to be truly happy. If we fail to turn to our Savior in those moments when we should, we are trusting in temptation more than grace to take care of us. When we do this, He who loves us so very deeply and stands at the ready, fully able to help us moment-by-moment, feels a sense of betrayal. At the destruction among the Nephites, the Lord lamented out of heaven, saying:
"...how oft would I have gathered you as a hen
gathereth her chickens, and ye would not." (3 Nephi 10:5)
"O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you? Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me. Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God..." (3 Nephi 9:13-15)
Who
helped Peter when he began to sink as he walked upon the sea of
Galilee? When we feel ourselves beginning to sink in the face of
temptation, should we not seek His help also? Is not this an eternal spiritual emergency that warrants a 911 call to Someone whose job it is to save us?
Communication: The Key to a Good Relationship
We've all heard of marriage counselors saying communication is the key to a good relationship. Nowhere is this more true than in our relationship with the Lord.
The prophet Nephi gave us a glimpse of his personal relationship with the Lord:
"Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard. Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities. I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me. And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted. My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep. He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh. He hath confounded mine enemies, unto the causing of them to quake before me. Behold, he hath heard my cry by day, and he hath given me knowledge by visions in the night-time. And by day have I waxed bold in mighty prayer before him; yea, my voice have I sent up on high; and angels came down and ministered unto me." (2 Nephi 7:16-24)
It is any wonder that Nephi called his Savior "my Jesus?" (2 Nephi 33:6)
The Savior instructed both the Nephites and the Jews - and by extension, us - to counsel with the Father every day. But Alma the Younger instructed his son Helaman - and by extension, us - to counsel with the Lord in all our doings:
"...cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever. Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good;
yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may
watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day." (Alma 37:36-37)
Note his reference to praying both to the Father and to the Savior. Cry unto God the Father for all our support, but let our doings and our goings to and fro be unto the the Lord. Note how he instructs us to develop a personal relationship with our Savior: let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever; pray the Lord to watch over us in our sleep, but wake with thankfulness unto the Father.
Joseph Smith's First Vision shows us essentially this same pattern at work: The Father spoke to young Joseph first, saying "This is my Beloved Son; hear him!". Then, it was the Savior who gave Joseph Smith the answer he had prayed for. The Father directed that the gospel be restored, but it was the Savior who got into the nitty-gritty details of working with mortals to actually make it happen. (see Joseph Smith History and the entirety of the Doctrine and Covenants)
Jesus of Nazareth: Resurrected, Perfect... Human Being
To some it may be distasteful to think that our perfect God could be susceptible to such things as everyday human emotions or especially temptation. But it is important to remember there's a big difference between being "susceptible" and being "subject". As quoted above, Paul taught the Hebrews that Jesus had been "tempted like as we are, yet without sin." The Lord could not merely empathize, but sympathize with us, because he had "suffered with us" in mortality, just as Paul taught the Romans. The Lord can be "touched with the feeling of our infirmities" because He felt them in order to overcome them!
Jesus was tempted while he fasted for forty days in the wilderness, and gave no heed. The devil was given opportunity to tempt Him with riches and the glory of the world, but He again gave no heed. He was tempted, but lived perfectly anyway. (see Matthew 4) This in no way diminishes the perfection, the holiness or the greatness of the Son of God! Rather the temptation and adversity which He endured in the flesh give far greater meaning to the fact that He lived a perfect life in spite of them!
The scriptures also plainly show us a Jesus who feels human things. Note the Savior's great compassion toward Lazarus and Mary and Martha:
"...when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!" (John 11:33-36, emphasis added)
He heals two blind men:
"Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him." (Matthew 20:34)
He feeds four thousand men and their wives and children:
"Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way." (Matthew 15:32, emphasis added)
He heals a multitude of the faithful:
"...when Jesus had thus spoken, he cast his eyes round about again on the multitude, and beheld they were in tears, and did look steadfastly upon him as if they would ask him to tarry a little longer with them. And he said unto them: Behold, my bowels are filled with compassion towards you. Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy." (3 Nephi 17:5-7, emphasis added)
The Lord countered fear with courage unto fulfilling the will of the Father in Gethsemane:
"Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done." (Luke 22:42, emphasis added)
Alma the Younger bore this testimony some eighty years before the coming of the Lord in the flesh:
"And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God. And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities." (Alma 7:10-12)
I can think of many, many more examples, but for now I consider this to be enough reason to believe that Jesus felt every whit of what it means to be human!
Joseph Smith's First Vision shows us essentially this same pattern at work: The Father spoke to young Joseph first, saying "This is my Beloved Son; hear him!". Then, it was the Savior who gave Joseph Smith the answer he had prayed for. The Father directed that the gospel be restored, but it was the Savior who got into the nitty-gritty details of working with mortals to actually make it happen. (see Joseph Smith History and the entirety of the Doctrine and Covenants)
Jesus of Nazareth: Resurrected, Perfect... Human Being
To some it may be distasteful to think that our perfect God could be susceptible to such things as everyday human emotions or especially temptation. But it is important to remember there's a big difference between being "susceptible" and being "subject". As quoted above, Paul taught the Hebrews that Jesus had been "tempted like as we are, yet without sin." The Lord could not merely empathize, but sympathize with us, because he had "suffered with us" in mortality, just as Paul taught the Romans. The Lord can be "touched with the feeling of our infirmities" because He felt them in order to overcome them!
Jesus was tempted while he fasted for forty days in the wilderness, and gave no heed. The devil was given opportunity to tempt Him with riches and the glory of the world, but He again gave no heed. He was tempted, but lived perfectly anyway. (see Matthew 4) This in no way diminishes the perfection, the holiness or the greatness of the Son of God! Rather the temptation and adversity which He endured in the flesh give far greater meaning to the fact that He lived a perfect life in spite of them!
The scriptures also plainly show us a Jesus who feels human things. Note the Savior's great compassion toward Lazarus and Mary and Martha:
"...when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!" (John 11:33-36, emphasis added)
He heals two blind men:
"Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him." (Matthew 20:34)
He feeds four thousand men and their wives and children:
"Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way." (Matthew 15:32, emphasis added)
He heals a multitude of the faithful:
"...when Jesus had thus spoken, he cast his eyes round about again on the multitude, and beheld they were in tears, and did look steadfastly upon him as if they would ask him to tarry a little longer with them. And he said unto them: Behold, my bowels are filled with compassion towards you. Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy." (3 Nephi 17:5-7, emphasis added)
The Lord countered fear with courage unto fulfilling the will of the Father in Gethsemane:
"Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done." (Luke 22:42, emphasis added)
Alma the Younger bore this testimony some eighty years before the coming of the Lord in the flesh:
"And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God. And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities." (Alma 7:10-12)
I can think of many, many more examples, but for now I consider this to be enough reason to believe that Jesus felt every whit of what it means to be human!
Jesus of Nazareth: The Available, Approachable, Personal God
Jesus
Christ, that Holy Being, came out of the presence of the perfect Father
and condescended to live among us - not just as one of us, but as the
poorest and lowliest of us! He wasn't born in a hospital, nor lodged His cradle in a
palace or in a great city. He was born in a filthy manger, in the dirt,
in a "lower room", in the tiny village of Bethlehem! He who was of royal
descent was deprived His throne, both in heaven and on earth, to be born
a Nazarene, to appear unto men to be a second-rate Jewish peasant!
Jesus Christ is not some off-limits god for only prophets and apostles to talk to! He
came so common shepherds (modern-day equivalent: truck drivers or iron
workers) could see angels and know that in their arms they held their
infant Savior! He came so weak, unbelieving mortals could feel the nail
prints in His hands and in His feet! He came so a woman, feeling
unworthy to stop Him in His way, could but touch the hem of His garment and
be healed! He came so little children could touch Him and sit on His
knee. Said He of them, "suffer the little children to come unto me and
forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven!" He called us His
friends, saying it was for us He laid down his life! He came so filthy
sinful man could be washed clean and find redemption back into the incredible great joy that is
the presence of God! He came to get His hands dirty helping clean up our
messes!
Yes,
we have to be perfectly clean in order to return to the presence of God
the Father, to know of His love forever. But to get there, we have to
bear the shame of approaching Christ in our filth and in our weakness, and we have to ask Him for His help
in cleaning it up. We have to get personal with Him. We have to let Him get down into our muddy mess and
help us work our way out of it!
So when do we pray to the Father, and when do we pray to the Son, exactly? From my previous scripture study (see my article about the Holy Trinity in the Bible, listed below) I draw this rule of thumb: if you're getting on your knees to give thanks or to ask for something that will have to happen on the Lord's timetable, talk to the Father; if you're up to your knees in temptation or trouble, sinking fast, and you need help now, talk to your Savior and Redeemer!
So when do we pray to the Father, and when do we pray to the Son, exactly? From my previous scripture study (see my article about the Holy Trinity in the Bible, listed below) I draw this rule of thumb: if you're getting on your knees to give thanks or to ask for something that will have to happen on the Lord's timetable, talk to the Father; if you're up to your knees in temptation or trouble, sinking fast, and you need help now, talk to your Savior and Redeemer!
I think you'll find both are attentive listeners!
Also of Interest
What Jesus Christ Means to Me
The Holy Trinity: Three Distinct Beings in the Bible and in latter-day scripture
What's in the Book of Mormon? The Pride of the World vs. Living WaterThe Holy Trinity: Three Distinct Beings in the Bible and in latter-day scripture
Primary children's song: I Know That My Savior Loves Me
Come to church with us!
Meet with LDS missionaries
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