Can prayers go directly to God?

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spedteacherita

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Hi! This was a conversation that was beginning on another thread so I decided to take it and form a new discussion.

jlhargus stated:
I agree all in grace are saints whether in heaven or earth. We see elders (saints) in heaven and angels presenting the prayers of saints on earth to God. So it is clear all prayers do not go directly to God.
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This doesn’t seem quite right to me but I’m wanting to learn - is this true? When we pray to God do not our prayers go directly to him or are they taken to Him by the saints and angels in heaven?

Thanks and God bless!!

Rita
 
Hebrews 4

14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
 
The Our Father. Jesus taught us how to pray to God our Father.
He also told us to pray to our Father in secret and he will hear you.
God be with you
 
Of course they do. Don’t you ever ask others to pray for you? We don’t do that because God isn’t listening, We simply want more prayers on our behalf.
That’s it. Nothing more than that.
 
For Baha’is… Prayers can go directly to God as well as through intercessory channels…

Whilst ye consort with him, the Concourse on high will be looking upon you, will be interceding for you, will be extolling your names and glorifying your action.
Code: 
(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 314)
The wealth of the other world is nearness to God. Consequently it is certain that those who are near the Divine Court are allowed to intercede, and this intercession is approved by God. But intercession in the other world is not like intercession in this world: it is another thing, another reality, which cannot be expressed in words.
Code: 
(Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 329)
Praying directly to God:

Turn thy face sincerely toward God; be severed from all save God; be ablaze with the fire of the love of God; be purified and sanctified, and beseech and supplicate unto God. Verily, he responds unto those who invoke him, is near unto those who pray unto him. And he is thy companion in every loneliness, and befriends every exile.

'Abdu’l-Bahá from a Tablet to American believer; translated by Dr 'Alí-Qulí Khán, Boston, February, 1908.
(SOW - Star of the West, Star of the West - 5)
 
spedteacherita said:
Hi! This was a conversation that was beginning on another thread so I decided to take it and form a new discussion.

jlhargus stated:

This doesn’t seem quite right to me but I’m wanting to learn - is this true? When we pray to God do not our prayers go directly to him or are they taken to Him by the saints and angels in heaven?

Thanks and God bless!!

Rita
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This person said not ALL prayers go directly to God. I guess meaning some prayers go to saints and sngels to be presented to God. It seems poorly worded.

All prayers go to God directly, even when I ask you to pray for me, God Knows that. Even when I ask the saints to pray for me, God knows that. Even when I simply think that I might pray for something, God knows that.

To say that God cannot receive our direct prayers is to deny his omniscience.
 
spedteacherita said:
Hi! This was a conversation that was beginning on another thread so I decided to take it and form a new discussion.

jlhargus stated:

This doesn’t seem quite right to me but I’m wanting to learn - is this true? When we pray to God do not our prayers go directly to him or are they taken to Him by the saints and angels in heaven?

Thanks and God bless!!

Rita
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If you go by Bible alone…there is no pasage that i know of that says prayers go directly…but Revelations do show angels and saints in heaven bring prayers to God.

I would say it is both.
 
spedteacherita said:
When we pray to God do not our prayers go directly to him or are they taken to Him by the saints and angels in heaven?
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When Jesus taught his followers to pray in Matthew 6:9, he did not tell them to pray via saints and angels. He told us to pray to “our Father in heaven” - so not even to Jesus. Only to God himeslf. (Who Jesus prayed to)

To pray via Saints and Angels alienates us from God and makes him a distant entity that we can’t communicate with. It is a similar tactic to declaring him an incomprehensible Trinity that we can not understand. - It only serves to distance us from our creator.

There is a rebel angel who would like to make us do just that.😦
 
I too was going to suggest Matthew 6:9 “this then is how you should pray Our Father in heaven”…
Isn’t it interesting how that which is so common we can so easily overlook.

Also, in John 16:23 Jesus tells us “whatever you ask of the Father in my name”… Which, as well, shows we can petition directly.

As has been mentioned though, there is mention of Saints praying as well as the parable of the rich man (who had died) in Abraham’s bosom asking for help for his brothers.

Thanks for the question.
 
There are indeed many passages in the Bible, including the Old Testament that are specific or alluding to the wide ranging efficacy of prayer.

God delights in communication with humanity, and it is by prayer [and good works - which are really ‘prayer in action’], that we play our part in this discourse.
 
Mount_Carmel said:
There are indeed many passages in the Bible, including the Old Testament that are specific or alluding to the wide ranging efficacy of prayer.

God delights in communication with humanity, and it is by prayer and good works - which are really 'prayer in action’], that we play our part in this discourse.
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I would that our response to God’s calling is more of a step of faith than a prayer. A faith in action if you will.

God does delight in our communication with Him. It is so wonderful and fulfilling when the lines of communication are open both ways!
 
aidanbradypop said:
I would that our response to God’s calling is more of a step of faith than a prayer. A faith in action if you will.

God does delight in our communication with Him. ![It is so wonderful and fulfilling when the lines of communication are open both ways!
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Responding to God’s calling does indeed involve faith, but prayer and good works are intimately part of our communicating/reaching out to Him.

Our sin of course interferes with that communication, and ‘mortal sin’ runs the grave risk of cutting it off altogether.
[/quote]
 
Mount_Carmel said:
Responding to God’s calling does indeed involve faith, but prayer and good works are intimately part of our communicating/reaching out to Him.

Our sin of course interferes with that communication, and ‘mortal sin’ runs the grave risk of cutting it off altogether.
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I gotcha. 🙂
 
Thanks, all!!

I thought I was missing something but you have helped me understand!! Very cool that we had a lot of different faith traditions chiming in and agreeing that our prayers do go directly to God.

Something in common?

Blessings!

Rita
 
Logically said:
When Jesus taught his followers to pray in Matthew 6:9, he did not tell them to pray via saints and angels. He told us to pray to “our Father in heaven” - so not even to Jesus. Only to God himeslf. (Who Jesus prayed to)

To pray via Saints and Angels alienates us from God and makes him a distant entity that we can’t communicate with. It is a similar tactic to declaring him an incomprehensible Trinity that we can not understand. - It only serves to distance us from our creator.

There is a rebel angel who would like to make us do just that.😦
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Actually it’s the contrary. Intercessory prayer is good and pleasing to God. Do you not ask a relative or a loved one to pray for you? If so, why? Why not go to God? Because it’s good and pleasing to him! 2 Timothy 2: 1-5

1 I urge then, first of all that petitions, prayers, **intercessions **and thanksgiving should be offered for everyone,

2 for kings and others in authority, so that we may be able to live peaceful and quiet lives with all devotion and propriety.

3 To do this is right, and acceptable to God our Saviour:
 
Logically said:
When Jesus taught his followers to pray in Matthew 6:9, he did not tell them to pray via saints and angels. He told us to pray to “our Father in heaven”
  • so not even to Jesus. Only to God himeslf. (Who Jesus prayed to)
But it does not necessarily follow that prayers go directly to God, as shown in revelations that angels and saints offer prayers to God in the form of incense.
To pray via Saints and Angels alienates us from God and makes him a distant entity that we can’t communicate with.
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Logically said:
To pray via Saints and Angels alienates us from God and makes him a distant entity that we can’t communicate with.
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No it doesn’t. Just the other day I spoke directly with my dad on the phone and then told my brother to give him a hug and say hi for me when he saw him. My brother interceded for me and it was pleasing to my dad. It is no different with God. I pray directly to God all the time, much more than I ask for intercessory prayer from the saints, but when I do it does not alienate me from God in the least. It just makes me part of a great big family who helps each other, with God as our Father.
 
SteveVH said:
No it doesn’t. Just the other day I spoke directly with my dad on the phone and then told my brother to give him a hug and say hi for me when he saw him. My brother interceded for me and it was pleasing to my dad. It is no different with God. I pray directly to God all the time, much more than I ask for intercessory prayer from the saints, but when I do it does not alienate me from God in the least. It just makes me part of a great big family who helps each other, with God as our Father.
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👍👍👍👍
 
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