The Lord's Prayer, and direct access to the Father,is anything else needed?

[craigmn3]

Jesus taught us the perfect prayer. When he said In this manner pray:

Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
[For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.]

It acknowleges and praises the Father, by it we submit our will to Him. In it we see forgiveness and we forgive, we ask that our needs be met and we ask for deliverance from evil and to His holy presence.

By this prayer, and in many other free form prayers we are given access to the throne room of the Father, to come to his not as supplicants, but as children.

If we have been given this wonderful access into the our Father’s presence, why would we ever pray to anyone else? Would I ask my sister to talk to my dad for me? Only if I was feeling guilty, but Jesus has washed away our guilt.

Jesus has given us entrance to that place of our Father.

Hebrews 4
14 Seeing then that 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 cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

So should we not act as children of God and enter bodly into that presence of our Father and ask what we will?

 

[RosaryGirl_777]

The Lord’s prayer (also known as the Our Father) is one of my favorite prayers. It covers every thing & reminds us that God is our Father. Its really beautiful.

If we have been given this wonderful access into the our Father’s presence, why would we ever pray to anyone else? Would I ask my sister to talk to my dad for me? Only if I was feeling guilty, but Jesus has washed away our guilt ./QUOTE]

I don’t see why it would be wrong to ask your sister to pray for you. shouldn’t we pray for those that are sick or those who ask? I pray every night that God will bless my family & me. They do the same in their prayers, praying for one another is a beautiful thing. .

Or are you posting about asking our brothers & sisters in heaven to pray for us.(a.k.a The saints) If so I don’t know of any one who asks a saint to pray for them & then doesn’t talk with our Father. (actually I don’t know of any one puts asking the saints to pray for them over praying to God.) That would be a kind of stupid thing to do. I mean God is the one who answers all of our prayers. The saints are just praying for us the same way as we do for our family & friends. We are all God’s children those of us on earth & those in heaven & its beautiful that we have family in both places praying for us.

I hope I didn’t offend any one by posting this its just my opinion.

 

[craigmn3]

I don’t see why it would be wrong to ask your sister to pray for you. shouldn’t we pray for those that are sick or those who ask? I pray every night that God will bless my family & me. They do the same in their prayers, praying for one another is a beautiful thing. .

.

I am just wondering, why if we have direct access to the Father, and we can pray directly to Him…we would need to have anyone else pray for us. Is there a trick I am unaware of? Is God unwilling to answer my prayer, if I don’t have some heavy hitter saint backing it up. I tend to believe that God is my Father, my Abba Father, and that he hears and answers my prayers…even if the answer is no or not now. And while I always crave prayers on my behalf, from fellow believers, I am not that applies to those in heaven

Romans 8"15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

 

[FCEGM]

I am just wondering, why if we have direct access to the Father, and we can pray directly to Him…we would need to have anyone else pray for us. Is there a trick I am unaware of? Is God unwilling to answer my prayer, if I don’t have some heavy hitter saint backing it up. I tend to believe that God is my Father, my Abba Father, and that he hears and answers my prayers…even if the answer is no or not now. And while I always crave prayers on my behalf, from fellow believers, I am not that applies to those in heaven

Romans 8"15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

In our union with Christ it is not an either/or situation, but a both-and one. We are together in Him in our access to the Father and since also in Him we enjoy communion with one another -including “our brothers and sisters who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith” - we are also able to turn to them for their assistance with our prayers. Being in Christ we are in union with all that is His - including His Mother who is also our own.

(Further, we have an even more perfect prayer to the Father, the self-offering of Christ in the Eucharist in which He joins us to His One Sacrifice.)

 

[Ignatius]

I am just wondering, why if we have direct access to the Father, and we can pray directly to Him…we would need to have anyone else pray for us. . .

Have You never asked anyone to pray for you?

 

[cheeto1]

Jesus taught us the perfect prayer.
, why would we ever pray to anyone else?

I understand you and I could almost agree with you. Almost, but
not quite.

If you were having a very serious operation in the hospital, would
you want your family to stay and see if you live or die?
Why should you, they can’t do anything, it’s all in the doctor’s
hands.

If you were playing in a very important sports game, would you
want any fans to come? Why should you? They can’t do
anything, it’s all in the player’s hands.

If your son or daughter graduated, why should anyone come?
It doesn’t change whether they graduate.

If Jesus was about to be attacked and brutally murdered, and
He knew it in advance, would He want to invite 3 close disciples
to pray with Him that night? Why should He? They can’t do
anything, and He is Jesus after all.

I’m like you, I don’t pray to the saints, the priest told me we
don’t have to, to be good Catholics. But when my son ran away
from home, I found myself talking to St. Monica, and I really did
feel better. I don’t believe it is wrong to talk to the saints. But
if you were to try talking to just anyone who passed away, how
could you be sure they were in heaven, and it’s wrong to try to
communicate with the dead.

 

[craigmn3]

But all of this portends that our prayer to the Father is not enough.
That we need the prayer of others and of saints.

Can God not answer my prayer without such a great cloud of witnesses

WILL God not answer my prayer without such a great cloud of witnesses

If I am here, and God is here, and God loves me, and wants to perform His will for me. What is the need for any of this auxillary prayer?

Where is the failing in this relationship between us and God, that requires extra player?

 

[Chaldean_Rite]

If we have been given this wonderful access into the our Father’s presence, why would we ever pray to anyone else? Would I ask my sister to talk to my dad for me? Only if I was feeling guilty, but Jesus has washed away our guilt.

Because Jesus also gave us the Communion of Saints, the Church, and the examples of Job:

Check out the book of Job 42: 7-11.

Just as the Eliphaz and his two friends had to ask for the INTERCESSION of Job to obtain pardon for their sins, it was ONLY through Jobs cooperation in his FREE WILL that moved God to save those men. Likewise, it was ONLY through the cooperation of the Blessed Virgin Mary with God that we were offered the gift of Salvation by Jesus. Extending this concept to the family, since those in Heaevn are experencing the fullness of life, they are able to pray for us if we ask for them.

Do you also deny the power of prayer for a loved one? That is heresey, and what you preach is not what the apostles and their succesors taught.

 

[craigmn3]

No Chaldean I am referencing what our Lord and Savior Jesus taught. To pray to our Father.

And it took Job to intercede for them, because he was a child of God. It definatly takes the children of God to intercede for the lost.

 

[Chaldean_Rite]

No Chaldean I am referencing what Jesus taught. To pray to our Father.

Jesus taught more than that my friend.

 

[Todd_Easton]

If we have been given this wonderful access into the our Father’s presence, why would we ever pray to anyone else? Would I ask my sister to talk to my dad for me?

The Catholic Church encourages both types of prayer: direct prayer to our heavenly Father and indirect prayer to him through our brother and sister Christians on earth and in heaven. Why ask our brother or sister Christians to pray to our Father for us? For the same reason why St. Paul asks other Christians to pray for him (Romans 15:30; Colossians 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:25; 2 Thessalonians 3:1; Hebrews 13:18) Asking the prayers of other Christians strengthens the mutual love that the members of the Church (the mystical Body of Christ in heaven, in purgatory, and on earth) have or are supposed to have for one another.

Jesus Christ indicates that such communal prayers are especially efficacious. (Matthew 18:18)

 

[craigmn3]

Ted that is a complete post. And I accept that, though I am not at all certain it extends to those who have gone ahead.

Chaldean, peace…do you what you think is proper.

 

[cheeto1]

But all of this portends that our prayer to the Father is not enough.
That we need the prayer of others and of saints.

No it doesn’t. It just says it is nice and more comforting to have
more people sometimes. God wasn’t even enough for Himself.
He wanted Adam and Eve. He wanted us all but did He need us?

 

[RosaryGirl_777]

I am just wondering, why if we have direct access to the Father, and we can pray directly to Him…we would need to have anyone else pray for us. Is there a trick I am unaware of? Is God unwilling to answer my prayer, if I don’t have some heavy hitter saint backing it up. I tend to believe that God is my Father, my Abba Father, and that he hears and answers my prayers…even if the answer is no or not now. And while I always crave prayers on my behalf, from fellow believers, I am not that applies to those in heaven

Romans 8"15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

You don’t have to ask the saints to pray to for you, its just something nice to have.(And something beautiful in my opinion) It is your choice wither or not you want to ask them to pray for you. You don’t have to if you don’t want to. God hears your prayers. He hears every ones prayers. (He will answer any prayer that is in line with his will, wither it is prayed my those in heaven so, by us here on earth.) Its really not a big deal & not something it get hung up over.

 

[Ruthie]

But all of this portends that our prayer to the Father is not enough.

I gather that you think we downplay the Father by asking Mary and the Saints to intercede for us. Those who think this usually believe that we are “dissing” Jesus, too.

Caveat: I am quite grumpy today. If anything I say seems uncharitable, that is the reason. I’ve been struggling with it all day. Nothing personal, just the toothache.

We have the same love and respect for our Lord and Creator that you do. What we have that you don’t is a wider view of prayer. It’s a bigger subject than I feel like tackling right now - but I can show you one aspect of it.

Different Saints in Heaven have contended with different things in their lives. St. Peter, for example, struggled with self-control. Now that he is in Heaven, he knows all about achieving self-control. So when I need help with self-control, I go to him, and he can ask the Lord for the specific thing I need right now to aid me.

It’s not that I think God doesn’t know what to do with me. Of course He does. It’s that I want to make a specific prayer, but I don’t know the specific thing I need. I trust St. Peter to know and ask for me.

That is just one small slice out of the big pie of Catholic prayer.

God bless you,

Ruthie

 

[John7]

But all of this portends that our prayer **to the Father **is not enough.
That we need the prayer of others and of saints.

Besides the Father I pray also to Jesus, and I’m pretty sure he prays for me (I ask him to pray for me) as well all his flock, see John 17.

 

[po18guy]

craigmn3,

We cannot isolate and simplify bible teachings, verses or concepts - or any other teaching of Christ. By following your advice, wouldn’t we all devolve into individual Christians and the church as a body would cease to exist? Example: “I have my bible and I can pray for anything I want. I don’t need anyone else, only Jesus”

Are the critically ill in the hospital supposed to pray for themselves? That makes no sense, since they are oftentimes unconscious. We must lift them up in prayer.

Not to sidetrack, but if we follow Jesus, we must follow not only how to pray, but how to eat: As recorded in John 6, we are to “gnaw” (from the original Greek) on His Flesh and to drink His Blood - “real food” and “real drink”. He never said ‘stands for’, ‘similar to’ or ‘symbolizes’.

Faithful Catholics follow the entire bible, not just selected quotes that we agree with. Notice I said “faithful”.

Christ’s peace.