Praying To Christ Is Biblical? John 16:23? Updated 9/17/24

    In this Article I will be going over Prayer, specifically prayer towards Christ. Many people argue over this topic, Jehovah witnesses and other Arianists will argue against it obviously, and to the dismay of many, there are many groups of Trinitarian Christians who do not even pray directly to Christ. I will first go over the few verses that are quoted by such groups that deny the inevitable fact that it is entirely Biblical to pray to Christ, then I will be going over the verses that show you that Christ was prayed to and they were not rebuked by God the Father. 

• John 16:23 Part I

    23  In that day you will ask me no question at all. Most truly I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything, he will give it to you in my name.

    In the context of the verse Christ said in verse 17 that they Disciples will no longer see Him, because He is going to the Father. Then we get this verse here in 23. Christ is speaking of the future when He is not physically there with the Disciples on Earth. Post Ascension on the Mount of Olives. So what does Christ mean by, "you will ask me no question at all"? This refers for the spiritual knowledge when they go out into all the world(Matthew 28:19). They will no longer be able to come back and refer to Christ for knowledge, and for one more thing which I will touch on later. When Christ speaks about asking the Father here in this context, go back to John 16:13-14 and John 14:26. 

• John 14:26 Part II

    26  But the helper, the holy spirit, which the Father will send in my name, that one will teach you all things and bring back to your minds all the things I told you.

• John 16:13-14 Part III

     13  However, when that one comes, the spirit of the truth, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak of his own initiative, but what he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things to come. 14  That one will glorify me, because he will receive from what is mine and will declare it to you.

    Before John 16:23  we have these two sets of verses here where Christ speaks of the Holy Spirit. in John 14, Christ tells the Disciples that the Holy Spirit which the FATHER will send to them in Christ's Name, will TEACH them all things that Christ told them before. Again, referring to when Christ is not around physically on earth because if Christ was still there, the Disciples could go to Him and ask Him, yet Christ is speaking of when He won't be there, the Spirit will come and teach them What Christ said and did. Then back in John 16:13-14, Christ again tells the Disciples that the Spirit of Truth will come and guide them into all Truth, the Spirit will declare things to come and Glorify Christ. Forward to after Christ's death and resurrection. In Acts 1:9 Christ ascended into Heaven. Then in Acts 2:1-36 the Disciples were gathered and the Holy Spirit came down from Heaven and immediately gave them truth and wisdom and Peter stands up and begins preaching about Christ. 

    Now back in respect with verse 23, I believe that what Christ said was not referring to prayer. What Christ said had a specific intention when Christ said these things to His Disciples in that moment, which concerned their Ministry after Christ was gone. This assertion is based on these two verses:

• John 16:26 Part IV

    26  In that day you will make request of the Father in my name; in saying this, I do not mean that I will make request for you. 

    Now that you have read the passage do you realize what I and others realize? It appears that Christ said this specifically because He knew people would interpret the previous passage to mean this. Christ said that when you ask the Father things in Christ's name, it does not mean that Christ will speak on behalf of you to the Father. 

    Now for the other reason for what it meant back in verse 23: "you will ask me no question at all."

• John 16:27-30 Part V

     27  For the Father himself has affection for you, because you have had affection for me and have believed that I came as God’s representative. 28  I came as the Father’s representative and have come into the world. Now I am leaving the world and am going to the Father.” 29  His disciples said: “See! Now you are speaking plainly and are not using comparisons. 30  Now we know that you know all things and you do not need to have anyone question you. By this we believe that you came from God.” 

    The other reason I foreshadowed to, is that what Christ also meant that when no one will question Him, it means no one will question about Who He is. Not only the Son of David the King of Israel, the Messiah, but the Son of God and God alongside the Father. The Disciples certainly realized this part in these verses, while the second meaning of verse 23 had not come yet. 

    Now that I have refuted the argument that uses John 16:23, I will now go on to show you verses were Christ is prayed to and not rebuked by God the Father. Remember there are many ways that prayer can be done, prayer has a wide set of definitions. Click this Article to read how I explain a Biblical Definition of Prayer. 

• Matthew 2:11 

    11  And when they went into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and falling down, they did obeisance to him. They also opened their treasures and presented him with gifts—gold and frankincense and myrrh.

    The Jehovah witnesses and other Arianists will argue this is not prayer, it's just men bowing down to show respect for the Messiah. However this is the way they try to deceive people from realizing Christ was prayed to. They translate late the verse to read as: "obeisance" which is a correct way of translating, but how many people know the meaning of the word? The Greek Interlinear reads similarly:

Example 1. The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures jw.org 

    The Greek word translated as "obeisance" is (proskynéō), now like always, what does Strong's Concordance say about the word:

Example 2. biblehub.com

    The Greek word (proskynéō) is where we derive the word "prostrate." Proskuneo in the sense of the passage means worship. After the Wise Men bowed down, they gave offerings. Do you know what this relates to? Deuteronomy 26:10, the Jehovah witnesses in that passage use the term, "bow down". [I am not saying this also does not confirm their reverence for Christ because they knew there was a King that was born (Ps 72:11, 16; Isa 60:6)] 

• Matthew 14:33 

    33  Then those in the boat did obeisance to him, saying: “You really are God’s Son.”

    

    Again as I have just proved what obeisance means. Remember this verse here, 33, Saint Peter was able to step out on the waters then once Saint Peter and Christ stepped into the boat, the storm ended. 

• Matthew 28:7-10

     7  Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he was raised up from the dead, for look! he is going ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there. Look! I have told you.”

8  So, quickly leaving the memorial tomb, with fear and great joy, they ran to report to his disciples. 9  And look! Jesus met them and said: “Good day!” They approached and took hold of his feet and did obeisance to him. 10  Then Jesus said to them: “Have no fear! Go, report to my brothers so that they may go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

    Again we see the word, obeisance, and look once more how the Jehovah witnesses try to take away the meaning of these passages by making it seem as if the women were showing respect to Christ, when in reality they were worshipping Him. 

• John 14:13-14

    13  Also, whatever you ask in my name, I will do this, so that the Father may be glorified in connection with the Son. 14  If you ask anything in my name, I will do it.

    Here Christ is speaking about Prayer. Christ in verse 3 had just talked about His departing again. So here in verse 13-14 is referring to after Christ is gone. Christ says He will do whatever is asked in His name so that the Father will be glorified too. That is why I know these verses refer to prayer, because when did we read about Christ being glorified? When Christ said "whatever you ask in my name, I will do this," Whatever is asked of Christ and He does, people will glorify GOD the Father and the Son. Why is this destroying for Jehovah witnesses? Because if whatever is asked of Christ and He does, and people on earth see, they will not think about some "person" who isn't God is doing the miracle, they would immediately assume that GOD did the miracle. A completely random person would not know that it wasn't God doing the miracle, but a person. That is the problem. The Son must be God alongside the Father. 

• Acts 1:24 Part I

    24  Then they prayed and said: “You, O Jehovah,* who know the hearts of all, designate which one of these two men you have chosen-

    If you have read any of my previous Articles, you know what is going on here, if you haven't you are wondering why I put this verse in here because you do not see Christ anywhere. When I saw the verse in NWT Bible I laughed because I should have known they would twist the Scriptures. Note the Asterisk, *, where they try to explain away their twisting and perverting of Scripture. Let me show you the Greek and then a previous verse before this one to show you why they twisted and changed the meaning of the verse.

Example 3. The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures jw.org 

    The passage says, "Lord", which here in Greek is (kýrie) which is a form of Lord. Now To the Apostles/Disciples, who is their Lord? Christ is. 

• Acts 1:21 Part II

    21  It is therefore necessary that of the men who accompanied us during all the time in which the Lord Jesus carried on his activities among us,

    Ah, the LORD JESUS. The Jehovah witnesses one-hundred percent changed verse 24 because of verse 21 where Christ was called Lord. So they changed the verse to read as the Father, because Jehovah witness theology teaches that God the Father is God alone, and His name is Divine, Jehovah. So the witnesses want their followers to read this as the Apostles/Disciples are praying to the Father. The Apostles/Disciples also tell us an attribute of the Lord they are praying to. "knower of all hearts" No doubt, God the Father knows all hearts, but does Christ?

• Luke 9:47 Part III

    47  Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a young child, stood him beside him,

    So Jesus can know the inner most thoughts of the heart. So then how do I know this is Christ who they are praying to in Acts 1:24? Who's Disciples are the Apostles? Christ. So in Acts 1:25 they are praying asking for the Lord to let them know who should fill the spot of Judas. So the Apostles remembered Christ's words in John 14:13-14, and are asking Him to inform them who the next Apostle should be so they can continue preaching the Good News.

• Acts 7:59-60 

    59  As they were stoning Stephen, he made this appeal: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60  Then, kneeling down, he cried out with a strong voice: “Jehovah,* do not charge this sin against them.” And after saying this, he fell asleep in death.

    With the Name Jehovah along with the asterisk inserted, you know I have to refute this. Now Saint Stephen here prayed to Christ, calling Him Lord. The Jehovah witnesses try to hide this fact by calling it an appeal, yet Saint Stephen is speaking directly to Christ asking Christ to receive His spirit. Then according to the NWT, it appears that Saint Stephen changes who he is speaking with to ask for the people who are stoning him to be forgiven. 

Example 4. The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures jw.org

    You can see that the Greek testifies that Saint Stephen has not switched his speech to a different person. The form of Lord(Kyrie) has not changed.  Secondly we know the Lord in verse 60 is Christ because who will charge those sins to the unrepentant or forgive sins? Christ. (Matthew 16:27;Matthew 24:30-31;Matthew 25:31-34;John 5:22;John 5:27)

• 1 Corinthians 1:2

    2  to the congregation of God that is in Corinth, to you who have been sanctified in union with Christ Jesus, called to be holy ones, together with all those everywhere who are calling on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:

    This verse is very clear to us that when Saint Paul is writing to the Corinthians, he knows that the congregation there is praying to Christ. 

• 2 Corinthians 12:8-9

    8  Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it would depart from me. 9  But he said to me: “My undeserved kindness is sufficient for you, for my power is being made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly, then, I will boast about my weaknesses, in order that the power of the Christ may remain over me like a tent.

    Saint Paul says that he prayed to the Lord(Christ) three times to take way his "thorn in the flesh"(verse7) and Christ answers his prayer directly and gives him encouragement and reassurance. 

• 1 Timothy 1:12

    12  I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who imparted power to me, because he considered me faithful by assigning me to a ministry,

    Saint Paul here is reminiscing on his past and he praises Christ, and what is a form of prayer? Praise. There is no doubt Saint Paul prayed to Christ thanking Him for saving him and opening his eyes in Truth. 

• Revelation 5:8-14

    8  When he took the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb, and each one had a harp and golden bowls that were full of incense. (The incense means the prayers of the holy ones.) 9  And they sing a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, for you were slaughtered and with your blood you bought people for God out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10  and you made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they are to rule as kings over the earth.” 11  And I saw, and I heard a voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders, and the number of them was myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12  and they were saying with a loud voice: “The Lamb who was slaughtered is worthy to receive the power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.” 13  And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and underneath the earth and on the sea, and all the things in them, saying: “To the One sitting on the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing and the honor and the glory and the might forever and ever.” 14  The four living creatures were saying: “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshipped.

    In verse 8 the four living creatures and all the elders fell down before the Lamb. The begin singing about and to the Lamb, praise(prayer) Then Saint John says that he heard the throne angels and thousands of angels who blessed(prayed) the Lamb. Then Saint John hears every creature again bless(pray) the Lamb, then verse 14 hits it home here. The four living creatures said Amen to close the prayers, then the elders fell down and WORSHIPPED. How much more clear can it be? We have one last prayer that is at the end of the Bible. 

• Revelation 22:20-21

    20  “The one who bears witness of these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming quickly.’”

“Amen! Come, Lord Jesus.” 21  May the undeserved kindness of the Lord Jesus be with the holy ones.

    At the end of verse 20 we hear a simple prayer, "Amen, Come Lord Jesus." Then verse 21 hits us with a benediction which is also a prayer, invoking a blessing upon the holy ones from Christ. It cannot be simpler, Christ was prayed to without correction and Christ can be prayed to. 

"The LORD bless you

and keep you;

the LORD make His face shine upon you

and be gracious to you;

the LORD turn His face toward you 

and give you peace." ☦