There are quite a few examples that the Lord Jesus is the proper recipient of prayer in the Bible. See the links in Luke 10 and Luke 24 below.
Matthew 6:9 does not refute this teaching.
https://berean-apologetics.community.forum/threads/hallowed-be-thy-name.594/#post-14809
The Gospel of Matthew
Matthew 9:38
Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.
Matthew goes on to inform us that Jesus sends them out which indicates He is the Lord of the Harvest.
Matthew 10:5, 16
(5) These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans.
(16) Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.
Matthew 23:34
Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city.
The last passage mentioned includes a future sending of Christians after the death of Jesus. Being the Head of the Church He would continue to send them. Therefore, He is to be besought (prayed to) for this very purpose (cf. Acts 1:24-26; 13:1-2; 14:23; 15:40).
It is important to also note that within the same conversation with His disciples Jesus makes clear that the Lord of the harvest is to be feared because of the righteous judgement He will render unto the unsaved.
Matthew 9:38
Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.
Matthew 10:28
Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matthew later informs us this judgment by the Lord of the harvest is in reference to the Lord Jesus.
Matthew 25:31, 41
(31) But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.
(41) Then He will also say to those on His left, Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.
Matthew 9:38 ----------------> Matthew 10:28 --------> Matthew 25:31, 41
The Lord of the harvest ---------> Fear Him -----------> The Son of Man
Matthew 11:28-30
(28) Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
(29) Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
(30) For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
Rest in Jesus (YHWH).
Matthew 11:28
I will give you rest.
Psalm 37:7
Rest in the LORD.
Finding rest in the Lord (YHWH) for your souls involves worshiping the Lord since it is contrasted with walking after idols (i.e., worshiping idols).
Matthew 11:29
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Jeremiah 6:16
Thus says the LORD,
Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths,
Where the good way is, and walk in it;
And you will find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
Jeremiah 7:6
if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your own ruin.
To be under the yoke of the Lord involves worshiping the Lord.
Matthew 11:29
Take My yoke upon you.
Zephaniah 3:9-10
(9) For then I will give to the peoples purified lips,
That all of them may call on the name of the LORD,
To serve Him shoulder to shoulder (under one yoke - ὑπὸ ζυγὸν ἕνα)
(10) From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia
My worshipers, My dispersed ones,
Will bring My offerings.
The Septuagint for serving YHWH "shoulder to shoulder" in English means "under one yoke" (ὑπὸ ζυγὸν ἕνα). This accurately describes the worshipers of YHWH (v. 10). By taking upon "the yoke" of the Lord Jesus means a person has become a worshiper of Jesus.
Zephaniah 3:9
For then I will give to the peoples purified lips,
That all of them may call on the name of the Lord.
2 Timothy 2:22
call on the Lord from a pure heart.
For more on the association of praying to YHWH in Zephaniah 3:9 with praying to the Lord Jesus in 2 Timothy 2:22, see here:
https://berean-apologetics.community.forum/threads/prayer.114/#post-4761
Matthew 11:30
My burden is light.
Psalm 38:4
For my iniquities are gone over my head;
As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.
When a person realizes his/her iniquities have gone over their head and this heavy burden is too much for them, they can call upon (pray to) the Lord Jesus for salvation and their souls will be at rest.
The Gospel of Mark
Mark 14:62
And Jesus said, “I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."
Daniel 7:13-14
(13) I kept looking in the night visions, an behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming. And He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him.
(14) And to Him was given dominion, glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.
In Mark 14:62 the Lord Jesus identified Himself as the "Son of Man" from Daniel 7:13.
According to Daniel 7:14, the Lord Jesus is the proper recipient of pelach ("serve").
One of the ways Daniel rendered pelach unto God (6:16) was by his prayers (6:10).
Daniel 6:10, 16
(10) Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously.
(16) Then the king gave orders, and Daniel was brought in and cast into the lions’ den. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you.”
Since the Lord Jesus is the proper recipient of pelach (7:14) means He taught He is the proper recipient of prayer (cf. Daniel 6:10, 16).
The Gospel of Luke
The same account of Matthew 9:38 is found in the Gospel of Luke.
Luke 10:1-2
(1) Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come.
(2) And He was saying to them, The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.
Notice that Luke uses the same Greek word for "appointed" (anadeiknymi) - found only twice in all of the New Testament - in association with the "Lord" in reference to Jesus in the prayer to Him in the first chapter of his second book.
Acts 1:24-25
(24) And they prayed and said, You, Lord , who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen
(25) to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.
https://berean-apologetics.community.forum/threads/the-trinity-made-easy.87/page-5#post-3506
Furthermore, just as Luke affirms the sending of workers into the harvest by the Lord Jesus in Luke 10:1, so too is this theme used in Acts 1 in the choosing of the new apostle by the same Lord for this very same purpose (cf. 13:1-2; 14:23; 15:40).
Luke 24:50-52
(50) And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.
(51) While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven.
(52) And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy.
For the significance of worshiping the Lord Jesus in Luke 24:52, see here:
https://berean-apologetics.community.forum/threads/proskyne%C5%8D-being-rendered-to-the-lord-jesus.788/#post-23640
Psalm 99:5-6
(5) Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at His footstool. Holy is He.
(6) Moses and Aaron were among His priests, and Samuel was among those who called on His name; They called upon the LORD and He answered them.
The same Greek word for "worshiping" (proskyneō) the Lord Jesus in Luke 24:52 is used in Psalm 99:5 (98:5 in the Septuagint) for the worship of YHWH. Here, the worship rendered unto YHWH links with those who called upon the LORD. This means praying to YHWH. It is noteworthy that in the Book of Acts, Luke also uses this theme in reference to praying to the Lord Jesus (Acts 2:21; 9:14, 21, 22:16). This means the Lord Jesus is to be prayed to as being YHWH.
https://berean-apologetics.community.forum/threads/prayer.114/#post-4760
The Gospel of John
John 5:23
so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
One of the ways the Lord Jesus honored the Father (John 8:49) was by praying to Him (Matthew 11:25). Since the Father is honored by our prayers to Him, so too is the Son honored by our prayers to Him.
Expository Dictionary of Bible Words: Honoring God in the sense of worshiping and reverencing him in a right spirit is affirmed in John 5:23. This attitude is perfectly illustrated by Jesus' honoring his heavenly Father in John 8:49 (Honor - τιμάω, page 407, Stephen D. Renn).
Worshiping the Lord Jesus will never end.
John 5:23
All will honor the Son.
Revelation 5:13
to the Lamb, be...honor...forever and ever.
Charles Spurgeon: Depend upon it, my hearer, you never will go to heaven unless you are prepared to worship Jesus Christ as God.
They are all doing it there: you will have to come to it, and if you entertain the notion that he is a mere man, or that he is anything less than God, I am afraid you will have to begin at the beginning and learn what true religion means. You have a poor foundation to rest upon.
http://www.thedailyspurgeon.com/2012/01/true-god-from-true-god.html
John 14:13-14
(13) Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
(14) If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
Robert Reymond: Jesus declared that he will answer the prayers of his disciples (John 14:13), but equally significant for our purpose, he represents himself as One to whom prayers may properly be addressed. In verse 14, Jesus stated again that he himself will answer his disciples' prayers - surely an implicit claim to deity since one would have to be divine to hear, in all the languages of the world, the myriads of prayers being offered up to him at any one moment and then wisely to answer each prayer (A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith, pages 232-233).
Since the Lord Jesus taught He is the proper recipient of prayer demonstrates He is God.
https://berean-apologetics.community.forum/threads/the-trinity-made-easy.87/page-4#post-3446
Matthew 6:9 does not refute this teaching.
https://berean-apologetics.community.forum/threads/hallowed-be-thy-name.594/#post-14809
The Gospel of Matthew
Matthew 9:38
Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.
Matthew goes on to inform us that Jesus sends them out which indicates He is the Lord of the Harvest.
Matthew 10:5, 16
(5) These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans.
(16) Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.
Matthew 23:34
Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city.
The last passage mentioned includes a future sending of Christians after the death of Jesus. Being the Head of the Church He would continue to send them. Therefore, He is to be besought (prayed to) for this very purpose (cf. Acts 1:24-26; 13:1-2; 14:23; 15:40).
It is important to also note that within the same conversation with His disciples Jesus makes clear that the Lord of the harvest is to be feared because of the righteous judgement He will render unto the unsaved.
Matthew 9:38
Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.
Matthew 10:28
Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matthew later informs us this judgment by the Lord of the harvest is in reference to the Lord Jesus.
Matthew 25:31, 41
(31) But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.
(41) Then He will also say to those on His left, Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.
Matthew 9:38 ----------------> Matthew 10:28 --------> Matthew 25:31, 41
The Lord of the harvest ---------> Fear Him -----------> The Son of Man
Matthew 11:28-30
(28) Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
(29) Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
(30) For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
Rest in Jesus (YHWH).
Matthew 11:28
I will give you rest.
Psalm 37:7
Rest in the LORD.
Finding rest in the Lord (YHWH) for your souls involves worshiping the Lord since it is contrasted with walking after idols (i.e., worshiping idols).
Matthew 11:29
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Jeremiah 6:16
Thus says the LORD,
Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths,
Where the good way is, and walk in it;
And you will find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
Jeremiah 7:6
if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your own ruin.
To be under the yoke of the Lord involves worshiping the Lord.
Matthew 11:29
Take My yoke upon you.
Zephaniah 3:9-10
(9) For then I will give to the peoples purified lips,
That all of them may call on the name of the LORD,
To serve Him shoulder to shoulder (under one yoke - ὑπὸ ζυγὸν ἕνα)
(10) From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia
My worshipers, My dispersed ones,
Will bring My offerings.
The Septuagint for serving YHWH "shoulder to shoulder" in English means "under one yoke" (ὑπὸ ζυγὸν ἕνα). This accurately describes the worshipers of YHWH (v. 10). By taking upon "the yoke" of the Lord Jesus means a person has become a worshiper of Jesus.
Zephaniah 3:9
For then I will give to the peoples purified lips,
That all of them may call on the name of the Lord.
2 Timothy 2:22
call on the Lord from a pure heart.
For more on the association of praying to YHWH in Zephaniah 3:9 with praying to the Lord Jesus in 2 Timothy 2:22, see here:
https://berean-apologetics.community.forum/threads/prayer.114/#post-4761
Matthew 11:30
My burden is light.
Psalm 38:4
For my iniquities are gone over my head;
As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.
When a person realizes his/her iniquities have gone over their head and this heavy burden is too much for them, they can call upon (pray to) the Lord Jesus for salvation and their souls will be at rest.
The Gospel of Mark
Mark 14:62
And Jesus said, “I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."
Daniel 7:13-14
(13) I kept looking in the night visions, an behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming. And He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him.
(14) And to Him was given dominion, glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.
In Mark 14:62 the Lord Jesus identified Himself as the "Son of Man" from Daniel 7:13.
According to Daniel 7:14, the Lord Jesus is the proper recipient of pelach ("serve").
One of the ways Daniel rendered pelach unto God (6:16) was by his prayers (6:10).
Daniel 6:10, 16
(10) Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously.
(16) Then the king gave orders, and Daniel was brought in and cast into the lions’ den. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you.”
Since the Lord Jesus is the proper recipient of pelach (7:14) means He taught He is the proper recipient of prayer (cf. Daniel 6:10, 16).
The Gospel of Luke
The same account of Matthew 9:38 is found in the Gospel of Luke.
Luke 10:1-2
(1) Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come.
(2) And He was saying to them, The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.
Notice that Luke uses the same Greek word for "appointed" (anadeiknymi) - found only twice in all of the New Testament - in association with the "Lord" in reference to Jesus in the prayer to Him in the first chapter of his second book.
Acts 1:24-25
(24) And they prayed and said, You, Lord , who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen
(25) to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.
https://berean-apologetics.community.forum/threads/the-trinity-made-easy.87/page-5#post-3506
Furthermore, just as Luke affirms the sending of workers into the harvest by the Lord Jesus in Luke 10:1, so too is this theme used in Acts 1 in the choosing of the new apostle by the same Lord for this very same purpose (cf. 13:1-2; 14:23; 15:40).
Luke 24:50-52
(50) And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.
(51) While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven.
(52) And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy.
For the significance of worshiping the Lord Jesus in Luke 24:52, see here:
https://berean-apologetics.community.forum/threads/proskyne%C5%8D-being-rendered-to-the-lord-jesus.788/#post-23640
Psalm 99:5-6
(5) Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at His footstool. Holy is He.
(6) Moses and Aaron were among His priests, and Samuel was among those who called on His name; They called upon the LORD and He answered them.
The same Greek word for "worshiping" (proskyneō) the Lord Jesus in Luke 24:52 is used in Psalm 99:5 (98:5 in the Septuagint) for the worship of YHWH. Here, the worship rendered unto YHWH links with those who called upon the LORD. This means praying to YHWH. It is noteworthy that in the Book of Acts, Luke also uses this theme in reference to praying to the Lord Jesus (Acts 2:21; 9:14, 21, 22:16). This means the Lord Jesus is to be prayed to as being YHWH.
https://berean-apologetics.community.forum/threads/prayer.114/#post-4760
The Gospel of John
John 5:23
so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
One of the ways the Lord Jesus honored the Father (John 8:49) was by praying to Him (Matthew 11:25). Since the Father is honored by our prayers to Him, so too is the Son honored by our prayers to Him.
Expository Dictionary of Bible Words: Honoring God in the sense of worshiping and reverencing him in a right spirit is affirmed in John 5:23. This attitude is perfectly illustrated by Jesus' honoring his heavenly Father in John 8:49 (Honor - τιμάω, page 407, Stephen D. Renn).
Worshiping the Lord Jesus will never end.
John 5:23
All will honor the Son.
Revelation 5:13
to the Lamb, be...honor...forever and ever.
Charles Spurgeon: Depend upon it, my hearer, you never will go to heaven unless you are prepared to worship Jesus Christ as God.
They are all doing it there: you will have to come to it, and if you entertain the notion that he is a mere man, or that he is anything less than God, I am afraid you will have to begin at the beginning and learn what true religion means. You have a poor foundation to rest upon.
http://www.thedailyspurgeon.com/2012/01/true-god-from-true-god.html
John 14:13-14
(13) Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
(14) If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
Robert Reymond: Jesus declared that he will answer the prayers of his disciples (John 14:13), but equally significant for our purpose, he represents himself as One to whom prayers may properly be addressed. In verse 14, Jesus stated again that he himself will answer his disciples' prayers - surely an implicit claim to deity since one would have to be divine to hear, in all the languages of the world, the myriads of prayers being offered up to him at any one moment and then wisely to answer each prayer (A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith, pages 232-233).
Since the Lord Jesus taught He is the proper recipient of prayer demonstrates He is God.
https://berean-apologetics.community.forum/threads/the-trinity-made-easy.87/page-4#post-3446
Last edited:
