The title of my message is whom are you praying to? Today I found this photograph of some Saints; I haven’t a clue who they are! The photograph came from a site where I can use and find images. Yesterday, we looked at how people will become offended in the last days.
I hope, as a Christian, you are praying to the Almighty God; he is the only one who will answer; he is alive! He died on the cross to set us free and is here today. We can call on his name at any time. I’m afraid that if you’re praying to anyone else, nothing is going to happen, or nothing good is going to happen.
The Saints
I don’t much about the Catholics or the Orthodox Church; however, I do know that they pray to the saints. I’m not saying that the saints that we can see in the photograph or painting were not good; they probably did many good things. They probably lost their lives as many of the saints did.
The Gospel Greats
There really are some great stories that I like from the great evangelists and revivalists; I have some wonderful books about some great men of God! I have books on Smith Wigglesworth, Reinhard Bonnke, God’s Generals and more; they make for absolutely fantastic reading! I have been in Reinhard Bonnke’s School of evangelism amongst many other gospel greats who are still alive today. However, many of the gospel greats have run the race and have gone to be with the Lord! They have done an absolutely amazing job while they were on this earth, but their job has finished! It’s now our turn to run the race and share the amazing story of Jesus and that wonderful truth that sets us free! We cannot pray to the saints or the gospel greats; they have gone to heaven! There’s only one person to who we can pray to and we pray to Jesus! He is sitting at the right hand of the Father, and he is the name above all names! He came to set the captives free!
Scripture
Let’s take a look at some Scripture; I’m going to go to 1 Timothy 2:5.
For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.
That Scripture sounds very clear to me, so there is just one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Bible makes that very clear indeed.
So let’s go to the next Scripture, which is John 14:13, which reads.
“13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you [c]ask anything in My name, I will do it.”
Once again, we need to come to Jesus and ask him for our needs. It doesn’t mention anything about asking dead saints to help us.
Now let’s take a look at the book of Revelation 19:10, it reads.
“10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
When John was in Patmos, the Greek island, writing the book of Revelation, I’m sure that he must have been so full of the Holy Spirit to write what he wrote. I don’t know what state of mind he must’ve been in after all these revelations and visions. It’s interesting that he was told to only worship God! This is so true, there is only one person that man needs to worship! Don’t get me wrong, I love reading all about the gospel greats, I have read the God Generals books by Roberts Liardon! But they have gone, they have run the race well!
To Conclude
Finally, and this is my last Scripture we come to Matthew 6, I was going to read from verse 8, but I will start from verse 5, it reads.
“5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the [b]hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you [c]openly. 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
[d]For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Notice that the Lord’s prayer says, Our father, not our saints, but “Our Father”! That’s who we need to be praying to!?