Prayer

[Tantum_ergo]

Confused,
Solely to God - well who else would it relate to

Prayer is an ASKING. You of all people as an Englishwoman should know the history of this word and its use in the works of one of the greatest writers of the English language, William Shakespeare.

In his plays, Shakespeare has his characters address each other (NOT GOD) with the words, “Prithee” (which is a contraction of PRAY THEE).

IOW, Servant A says to servant B, “I pray thee, tell me if thy master is home.”

I ASK YOU.

Not, “I am speaking to GOD ALONE”.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

Here is an example, Olivia speaking in the play “Twelfth Night”. . .

I prithee gentle friend,
Let thy fair wisdom, not thy passions, sway
In this uncivil and unjust extent
Against thy peace.

and the definition of ‘prithee’: PRITHEE
alteration of (I) pray thee

archaic
—used to express a wish or request.

So I pray thee was used as a term to express a wish or request but was NOT limited to “God alone”.

and the origin of Prayer:
Origin of PRAYER

Middle English, from Anglo-French priere, praiere, preiere, from Medieval Latin precaria, from Latin, feminine of precarius obtained by entreaty, from prec-, prex

This is the reason that Catholic (and Orthodox) Christians can speak of prayer ‘to’ the saints. Not as a substitute to praying to God, as if the saints were equal. (They are not).

But just as we can ask each other (I pray thee, gentle friend, assist me in my request) for something (and since the best something we can ask is for others to speak to God on our behalf), we can ask the saints (I pray thee, gentle friends, assist me in my request) for something.

Of course, nothing that we on earth do, from our first breath, is done without God ‘behind it’. . .therefore nothing that the saints ‘do’ in heaven is done without God being ‘behind it’.

Remember, God gave us two great commandments, not just one.

The whole point of the second commandment of "love your neighbor as yourself’ is that we aren’t a ‘me and Jesus’ group of two against the world. We are all God’s children together and we communicate with each and to God, not simply to ‘God alone’ while ignoring everybody else.