How do MJ's pray?

[mystic]

Some people say when they pray to Jesus they pray to God. My question is do you ever pray to the Father?

Also when you ask for anything do you pray like most Christians and end your prayer with "in Jesus name" and pray like "by Jesus stripes I am healed" and "for all my needs are met through the riches and glory in Jesus Christ"

[alon]

Mar 10, 2020 10:30:58 GMT -8 mystic said:

Some people say when they pray to Jesus they pray to God. They are one and the same, so yes. My question is do you ever pray to the Father? Yes:

Matthew 6:9a (ESV) Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,

Also when you ask for anything do you pray like most Christians and end your prayer with "in Jesus name" No, I usually say "In Yeshua's name, omein."  and pray like "by Jesus stripes I am healed" No, but I see nothing wrong with it in the right context. and "for all my needs are met through the riches and glory in Jesus Christ" Not usually that formal. That sounds like part of a Catholic litany. But if ne was raised with it and/or it helps, then go ahead. Certainly I try to express the sentiment somehow.

Dan C

[mystic]

Thanks. I had always believed that every miracle Christ had performed that he did it himself with his own power so if we ask him for help with whatever issue then he would be the one doing it and not the Father. I am being told by one Christian that Christ did not do anything on his own, that all he had done was done by the Father himself so Christ asked the father to grant the wish on behalf of the person?

Also she said that God cannot communicate directly to anyone that is why we need Jesus to speak to God on our behalf, is all of this accurate?

[alon]

Mar 10, 2020 13:32:35 GMT -8 mystic said:

Thanks. I had always believed that every miracle Christ had performed that he did it himself with his own power so if we ask him for help with whatever issue then he would be the one doing it and not the Father. I am being told by one Christian that Christ did not do anything on his own, that all he had done was done by the Father himself so Christ asked the father to grant the wish on behalf of the person?

Also she said that God cannot communicate directly to anyone that is why we need Jesus to speak to God on our behalf, is all of this accurate?

You have to realize there is a difference in Christian and (most) Messianic doctrines concerning God. They believe in a Trinity- 3 distinct persons making a Godhead. We believe God is One, bu that He is able to invest a part of Himself to manifest in any way He wishes. While He manifest as Yeshua and was here with us He could do nothing apart from the Father in heaven. That was part of His being completely human. 

We must realize to that God is under no obligation to answer our requests the way we want, if at all. 

That last part is totally inaccurate though. God can and does communicate directly in many ways: dreams, unction (thoughts), visions, manfestaions, or voices from the heavens. He may choose to communicate as Yeshua, but it is still God speaking. 

Dan C

[mystic]

If I am understanding this correctly, God made a human being [Jesus] to be an image of himself to be sacrificed for man, right?

So if Christ can only intercede for us and cannot grant our wishes himself then why do people ask in Jesus name when they pray, why not bypass the middleman and go directly to the father [who has the authority] for our needs?

[alon]

Mar 11, 2020 2:54:36 GMT -8 mystic said:

If I am understanding this correctly, God made a human being [Jesus] to be an image of himself to be sacrificed for man, right?

So if Christ can only intercede for us and cannot grant our wishes himself then why do people ask in Jesus name when they pray, why not bypass the middleman and go directly to the father [who has the authority] for our needs?

You are still thinking like a Trinitarian. And if that is what you believe, it is ok. But this is where much misunderstanding comes into Christian thought.

John 16:23-24 "In that day you will not question Me about anything Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. "Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.

To ask in the name of another is to ask in their authority. You bring your prayers to Almighty God in Yeshua’s authority and if that prayer is in alignment with His will He will grant it.

1 John 5:14 This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

We believe Yeshua was and is a manifestation of Elohim. Trinitarians believe it is 3 Persons of a Godhead acting in perfect unity. Either way, you are praying to God in the authority of the name He gave us, Yeshua/Jesus.

Dan C

[mystic]

I am having trouble with this so please bear with me. Here is one opinion from my research on whether or not christ has the ability or authority to answer our prayers without the Father to which this resource saying YES, Jesus did have his divine powers and used it to perform his miracles:

Jesus even resurrected Himself.

The nature of Jesus' immortality is a mystery that man cannot fully fathom. However, I would say that when Jesus came to this earth and took on human nature, he lived as a man. He went to sleep just as you and I do. When He died, He experienced the same death that you and I do, and for that time gave up His divine prerogatives. Jesus was fully man and fully God. His body and His divinity were not two separate natures. He died just as you and I will die. Our body dies and the breath and memory of who we are goes back to God, but there is no ethereal spirit out there waiting to receive a body again.

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" Phil 2:5-8.

We can theorize and speculate all we wish on how this could possibly be, but the fact remains that God did become man and by doing so accomplished atonement for our sins. Only Jesus who was both fully God and fully man could be an adequate Savior; for He must be human in order to be able to suffer and die, and He must be God to make that death effective as a payment for sin.

Jesus has power to give life, and even resurrected Himself. The texts that demonstrate this are these:

"No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again" (John 10:18).

"I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live" (John 11:25).

The reason that Christ can say that is that there is inherent power in His word. Jesus IS the Word. It is something like a person who tells himself mentally before he goes to sleep that he wants to wake up at a certain time and he does. The power of Christ's word is so potent that by just the fact that He said, "I will rise again", He would have risen by the inherent power of His Word.

How Jesus could be both man and God is an amazing mystery that we may never fully comprehend! We need to be personally conscious of the incarnation, to remind ourselves that the God who made that miracle possible is well able to perform any miracle that is needed for our salvation. Our acceptance of His plans and our adherence to His guidance can be a confession of our belief that "Jesus Christ is come in the flesh."

Whenever He did use His divine power to glorify the Father in heaven, He only used that power that is also available to you and me, His people. Jesus said, "The miracles I have done, greater things than this will you do because I will go on to the Father. As the Father sent me, so send I you." Christ raised the dead and His apostles raised dead. He also healed and taught people and He instructed His disciples to do the same.

Christ also never used His supernatural power for any selfish reasons. He could have used His power to save Himself. He could have refreshed Himself from sleepiness when He lay in the boat, but He chose to remain tired. He could have used His power while He was thirsting on the cross, but He had a greater mission than Himself.

Also, in the New Testament, we're told to pray to God (Matt. 6:9-13) and ask for things in the name of Jesus (John 14:14).

So here's the reason why this topic is of so much importance for me Dan. I have always asked Jesus to be my Autistic son's personal bodyguard, his protector and healer yet every time there is some major mental issue with my son I tend to instantly get angry at Jesus which is not right because he did say in life there will be trials but that is my natural first thought and reaction.

But point is if I know that Christ does not have the authority to protect and heal my son then why am I asking him? I should bring this to the Father, not so?

[alon]

Mar 11, 2020 9:18:11 GMT -8 mystic said:

I am having trouble with this so please bear with me. Here is one opinion from my research on whether or not christ has the ability or authority to answer our prayers without the Father to which this resource saying YES, Jesus did have his divine powers and used it to perform his miracles:

So here's the reason why this topic is of so much importance for me Dan. I have always asked Jesus to be my Autistic son's personal bodyguard, his protector and healer yet every time there is some major mental issue with my son I tend to instantly get angry at Jesus which is not right because he did say in life there will be trials but that is my natural first thought and reaction.

But point is if I know that Christ does not have the authority to protect and heal my son then why am I asking him? I should bring this to the Father, not so?

The artical came to the same conclusion I did: Yeshua does have the power and authority. Although they came to it from a Christian perspective.

You are looking for a loophole. Getting angry is a very human response. So it would seem is blaming HaShem. The answer is simple: say you are sorry every time, repent and ask HaShem for help IN YESHUA"S NAME and trust Him to forgive. Then do your part every time you want to do that (or if you actually do). Confess it before God and again ask forgiveness and help in overcoming. But trust in Him. Don't look for an out clause and/or a different way to pray.

You are not the first to do this, I know it works from experience!

Dan C

                                                                                                                                 

[jimmie]

Exodus 6:3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.

Here we have two distinct names for God not two Gods. Later God chose to reveal himself as Jesus/Yeshua/Salvation that is not the creation of a new God or Image of God. Rather another name for The God.

onthewordoffaith.weebly.com/uploads/1/2/3/6/12365471/one-god-wheel-of-prophecy_orig.png

[mystic]

Mar 11, 2020 13:21:18 GMT -8 alon said:

The artical came to the same conclusion I did: Yeshua does have the power and authority. Although they came to it from a Christian perspective.

You are looking for a loophole. Getting angry is a very human response. So it would seem is blaming HaShem. The answer is simple: say you are sorry every time, repent and ask HaShem for help IN YESHUA"S NAME and trust Him to forgive. Then do your part every time you want to do that (or if you actually do). Confess it before God and again ask forgiveness and help in overcoming. But trust in Him. Don't look for an out clause and/or a different way to pray.

You are not the first to do this, I know it works from experience!

Dan C

                                                                                                                                 

Yes, that is what I always do after I calm down but I have been trying my best to not get angry and blame God every time something bad happens "for which I had specifically asked protection from", this is what I need to get rid of.

On another note from this morning's article from Yael Eckstein of the IFCJ Daily Devotions:

According to Jewish tradition, when God commanded Moses to carve out new tablets to replace the ones that were broken, Moses had trouble finding sapphire from which to make them. Moses looked everywhere, but couldn’t find the stones. Then God appeared to him and told him that the sapphire was underground, right beneath his own tent. Moses had looked everywhere but where he was. What he had searched high and low for was right there with him all along.

Like Moses, many of us make the mistake of looking for fulfillment everywhere but where we are. We think we will find happiness in a new car, a different house, or an exotic vacation. We think, if only my spouse were different, my child was easier, or my job was better — then everything would be great. But the truth is that everything we need for fulfillment in our lives is already within us.

Every time I travel for work and leave my family, my country, and my daily routine, I am reminded that there truly is “no place like home.” My greatest treasures are in my own backyard, and God has given me everything I need — challenges and all — to be truly happy and complete.

I simply do not believe that is the case for everyone. If a person is living in a drug infested neighborhood, how could they possibly be happy and content? In my case with all of the many issues I face on a daily basis here having to deal with everyone's crap in this very hectic household, how could these "challenges" ever make me complete and happy?

[alon]

Mar 12, 2020 4:26:44 GMT -8 mystic said:

Mar 11, 2020 13:21:18 GMT -8 alon said:

The artical came to the same conclusion I did: Yeshua does have the power and authority. Although they came to it from a Christian perspective.

You are looking for a loophole. Getting angry is a very human response. So it would seem is blaming HaShem. The answer is simple: say you are sorry every time, repent and ask HaShem for help IN YESHUA"S NAME and trust Him to forgive. Then do your part every time you want to do that (or if you actually do). Confess it before God and again ask forgiveness and help in overcoming. But trust in Him. Don't look for an out clause and/or a different way to pray.

You are not the first to do this, I know it works from experience!

Dan C

                                                                                                                                 

Yes, that is what I always do after I calm down but I have been trying my best to not get angry and blame God every time something bad happens "for which I had specifically asked protection from", this is what I need to get rid of. And you will probably fail many times before getting a handle on it. Not sure the urge ever goes away. I just always think of the oft repeated phrase used in Rev 2-3: "To him that overcomes ... ." If it were easy, then there would be none of the blessings that follow in the elipses tere.

On another note from this morning's article from Yael Eckstein of the IFCJ Daily Devotions:

According to Jewish tradition, when God commanded Moses to carve out new tablets to replace the ones that were broken, Moses had trouble finding sapphire from which to make them. Moses looked everywhere, but couldn’t find the stones. Then God appeared to him and told him that the sapphire was underground, right beneath his own tent. Moses had looked everywhere but where he was. What he had searched high and low for was right there with him all along.

Like Moses, many of us make the mistake of looking for fulfillment everywhere but where we are. We think we will find happiness in a new car, a different house, or an exotic vacation. We think, if only my spouse were different, my child was easier, or my job was better — then everything would be great. But the truth is that everything we need for fulfillment in our lives is already within us.

Every time I travel for work and leave my family, my country, and my daily routine, I am reminded that there truly is “no place like home.” My greatest treasures are in my own backyard, and God has given me everything I need — challenges and all — to be truly happy and complete.

Yael Eckstein is talking about a midrash there. Often this style of exegesis uses interpretations not really supported by scripture to make their point. They read a lot into scripture that really isn't there to make a point not really, or at best only loosly found in the original text. Remember in Ex 24 when the 70 Elderrs were to eat on Sinai, but Moshe went up farther? Elohey Yisroel walked on a floor of sapphire. This was the level to which Moshe ascended that time. So the midrash points us back to a time before the troubles of the calf and the broken tablets. Its point (which I don't see in the original scripture, but which I can see as valid) is that sometimes we need to stop looking everywhere else for the solution to our problems. Focus on what we do have, or even what we once had.

I simply do not believe that is the case for everyone. Probably not. Still, this doesn't mean it's not the case for you. If a person is living in a drug infested neighborhood, how could they possibly be happy and content? I'd move heaven and earth to get out. But that's me. I have a friend who was an addict and homeless as well. Now he is over 3 yrs sober and does an outreach to the homeless and addicts. He's out there almost every day with them. In my case with all of the many issues I face on a daily basis here having to deal with everyone's crap in this very hectic household, how could these "challenges" ever make me complete and happy? Neither you nor I can know what it is the Lord is training you for there; or when He will be done. If you feel so strongly about it then perhaps He is done. And going back to the midrash, if you love your son and things have become untenable there at home, is there any way you can move out with your son? Get a place of your own where he'll have a more stable environment. Then maybe you can exert more influence on him. Also take a hard look at other influences which may be pushing this trans idea or enabling it. Try to make some changes there if you can.

I know, it will be difficult to do a lot of that, maybe even impossible. I cannot know all the circumstances you face there. I do know it will not be easy, I just don't know how hard. But if you really want to make it work better for the two of you then pray and then start really looking for a way. If not, then start looking for ways to make it better where you are. The point of the midrash was to stop looking outside yourself, look at where you are and what you do have, and learn to be content with that. Whatever means you have, whether to move on or just stay put and make things better, then do that and learn to be content with it. 

Thre is another possibility: you may be getting overwhelmed. In that case it is easy to become so frustrated you cannot act. Frustration leads to anger, and anger usually looks for somewhere to place blame. And ha'satan is always there to tell us "blame God." New York probably has some kind of mental health services for low income people. They can teach you techniques to cope, and often can give you lists of other services that can help. 

I hope the insights and suggestions help. Not much more I can say, since I'm not a counselor or a Rabbi. Just someone who's been through a bit myself.

Dan C

[mystic]

Mar 11, 2020 7:56:50 GMT -8 alon said:

You bring your prayers to Almighty God in Yeshua’s authority and if that prayer is in alignment with His will He will grant it.

1 John 5:14 This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

Dan C

Aside from the many scriptures of premisses this is THE main scripture I have always put my faith in:

John 15:7
“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”

if you are telling me now that God will grant only "according to his will" then to me that's what that scripture should have stated or that word 'shall' should have been 'might' is what I am thinking.

[alon]

Mar 13, 2020 4:31:48 GMT -8 mystic said:

Mar 11, 2020 7:56:50 GMT -8 alon said:

You bring your prayers to Almighty God in Yeshua’s authority and if that prayer is in alignment with His will He will grant it.

1 John 5:14 This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

Dan C

Aside from the many scriptures of premisses this is THE main scripture I have always put my faith in:

John 15:7
“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”

if you are telling me now that God will grant only "according to his will" then to me that's what that scripture should have stated or that word 'shall' should have been 'might' is what I am thinking.

I think the key to what your scripture means is found in the phrase "“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you." If you abide in Yeshua, the more you read and study scripture the more your will aligns with His. So it is consistent with the scripture I quoted.

Dan C