Defining Prayer as Worship
Prayer is communication with God, primarily to petition for something, to glorify Him, or for thanksgiving. Prayer is unique to God, as it is an expression of faith. You pray to an entity you cannot see, one you can not concretely verify exists through naturalistic means. When a person prays to God, they must exercise their faith to believe that God exists, cares about them, and is willing and capable of interceding for them. In that regard, prayer itself is a form of worship. This is why in the entirety of the scriptures written with divine authority no person of good faith has ever prayed to another entity but the Triune God.
Excluding the Apocryphal Books
When I mentioned divine authority, I am intentionally excluding apocryphal books such as Macabees. These books make additions or amendment to common Christian practices, including prayer, that are typically not congruent with the established scriptures. In fact, both the original compiler of the Latin vulgate, Saint Jerome, and all of the Reformers responsible for bringing the bible to the common man considered them nonscriptural. I would like to further note that the specific doctrines of the apocryphal books are never quoted by Jesus or the Apostles, or even any of the OT prophets outside of the Apocrypha itself. Thus, we are going to stick to strictly to canonical scripture here.
Prayer in Practice: As Instructed by Jesus
Back on topic, Jesus provides us with our model of prayer in Matthew, using the Lord’s prayer. Keep in mind that it is the Lord’s prayer because He gave it to us, not because Jesus Himself needed to use it. Jesus had no need to ask God to forgive Him of His trespasses, nor did He need to ask God not to lead Him into temptation. The prayer is expressly a model for Christians, hence His distinction of the term, “like.” Let’s break down Matthew 6 to address the prayer in parts.
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
First note how Jesus immediately instructs His disciples to pray to God. Next, these verses insinuate that both God and Jesus place a higher value on prayer, at least in some capacity of worship, when it is done alone and in secret. This is scripturally reasonable, seeing how much of Matthew Jesus spent rebuking people who used religious dress, speech, and traditions to elevate themselves as righteous and as having religious authority over others, Matthew 23 is a prime example.
7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
More literalist translations of the Bible, like NKJV and Berean, translate Matthew 6:7 as this:
And praying, do not use vain repetitions like the pagans, for they think that in their many words they will be heard.
The whole functional purpose of prayer is as a medium of communication between man and God. You praise God, you thank God, you ask of, and confess to God. There is no purpose in reciting long, pre-written, repetitious prayers. God knows what you want and what you need.
9 Pray then like this:
Notice the choice of “like.” This would hardly be the last of Jesus’ concise and purposeful prayers in the gospel books, but even His longest, the High Priestly Prayer, is only a few minutes long and without repetition.
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Veneration is given to God first and God alone.
10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
God and God alone is exalted.
11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
God is asked to care for the needs of the one praying: sustenance and forgiveness.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Notice how concise, purposeful, and non-repetitive Jesus’ following model of prayer is. The prayers in the Bible are spoken from the perspective of a man having a conversation with God. Also note how in the entirety of the written scriptures proceeding, this prayer is never repeated.
I understand there are translations in Luke where Jesus tells His disciples to “pray in the way”, which is why I would also like to point out no written prayer is repeated within the Bible. We pray like Jesus instructed, but we don’t recite the same prayer ad infinitum. The New Testament is full of instances of people praying repeatedly, but not once is a prayer stated to be specifically repeated either in instruction nor practice.
Prayer for Forgiveness
Let’s focus more on prayer’s role in forgiveness, which Jesus speaks of immediately following the model prayer:
14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
God makes clear that salvation is entirely an act of His forgiveness and mercy. In that regard, He expects it of others. This is clearly explained in Jesus’ parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18). The King had already forgiven the servant completely out of compassion, in part due to the fact that the servant could not pay him back. The servant then went out to his fellow servant and battered him, demanding that he in turn pay him what he owed him. When the co-servant asked for patience and mercy, the forgiven servant gave none. When the king found out, he imprisoned the servant he had forgiven because he in turn would not show that same mercy to others.
Approaching the Throne of Grace: Praying to God Alone
I’ve chosen to expand on this segment because important facets of prayer, such as confession and petitioning, are routine locked away behind unnecessary administrative mediators in some more “Orthodox” denominations. A good of example of this is the process of confession in Roman Catholicism.
Confession in itself has a very strong component in prayer. However, there is no scriptural mandate that asserts that confession must be reconciled through a priest to receive absolution/forgiveness. In fact, Jesus often instructs prayer to Him and God in a manner that completely contradicts and excludes any form of additional mediator. At least, in that the scriptures encourage us to seek forgiveness through prayer to God in terms of our sin, and then to forgive others of their sins in a way to pass on His mercy.
Reason with me, for a bit. In Matthew 18, the unrepentant servant was already forgiven when he pleaded to God, the king. He was forgiven purely on God’s mercy.
26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
However, when the man rejected Jesus’ greatest commandment of loving others as He had loved them, only then was the servant condemned. Just how God forgave David of sins in Psalms (even though David would go on to sin again, because of course he did), Jesus also wants Christians to be able to approach God directly for the forgiveness of sins:
Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin. 16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
I would like to address this more in the following chapter on confession, with more numerous and pertinent examples. But for now, I would like to assert that even if priests actually held the power to absolve sin through their priestly office, that would in no way would deprive God of doing so, nor could it ever reduce Jesus’ purpose as High Priest.
How else are we instructed to pray to God?
Psalm 102:17: “He regards the prayer of the destitute and does not despise their prayer.”
1 John 5:14: This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
John 14:13-14: Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
John 16:23: In that day you will no longer ask Me anything. Truly, truly, I tell you, whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.
Philippians 4:6: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Psalms 32:5: Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord. And you forgave the guilt of my sin.
Look at these verses, in every single one, we are instructed to petition our prayers to God alone. Even prayers for forgiveness of sins. Not a priest, not a saint, not Mary, every prayer is made to God and God alone. I genuinely believe there is a specific reason why it is that way.
Why Prayer to Other Entities is Inherently Foolish and Disrespectful to God
You cannot ask something of an entity that is dead or not obviously existing on earth without exercising that same faith in that they have autonomy, volition, and power in some divine manner. There is no exception that to this reasoning, including intercessory prayers practiced by Roman Catholicism. The rejection of Jesus’ mediating office as High Priest is often belittled by saying that praying to the dead is no different than praying with a friend, or asking them to pray on your behalf. That is not a logical or valid excuse.
Asking a saint or Mary to pray on your behalf is entirely different than asking a friend to. The friend receives your request and both of you exercise your faith to God, so no faith is required to acknowledge your friend and no divinity is attributed to them. However, you cannot posit an intercession from a saint or Mary without praying to them first, as they are dead. This requires you to characterize them with authority and divinity, which is worship. And why would the scriptures, Jesus, or the apostles command you to such a thing?
I know some Roman Catholics get rather defensive of being accused of confusing worship and prayer to the saints or Mary, but I already see a blurring a line, a slippery slope, if you will, between praying and worshipping Mary in Roman Catholicism:
“The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an “epitome of the whole Gospel,” express this devotion to the Virgin Mary,” (CCC. 971).
“We, therefore, who, though unworthy, hold the place of Vicar of Christ upon earth, shall never cease to promote the glory of so great a Mother, as long as life endures.” (Pope Leo XIII, AUGUSTISSIMAE VIRGINIS MARIAE)
“For God, having given her power over his only-begotten and natural Son, also gave her power over his adopted children – not only in what concerns their body – which would be of little account – but also in what concerns their soul.” -Saint Louis Marie de Montfort, 1673-1716 AD
“All praise to you, holy Mother of God! . . . Through you the heavens exult, the Angels and Archangels rejoice, the demons flee, and man himself is once more admitted to Heaven. Through you, souls bound by the chains of idolatry have been brought to know the truth and led to Holy Baptism . . . By your help nations have come to repentance. Through you, the prophets have spoken and the Apostles have preached salvation to all nations. Mary, Virgin and Mother, who can worthily proclaim the praises of your power?” St. Cyril of Alexandria
“Not only do they offend thee, O Lady, who outrage thee, but thou art also offended by those who neglect to ask thy favors . . . He who neglects the service of the Blessed Virgin will die in his sins . . . He who does not invoke thee, O Lady, will never get to Heaven . . . Not only will those from whom Mary turns her countenance not be saved, but there will be no hope of their salvation . . . No one can be saved without the protection of Mary.” St. Bonaventure
Do you see how this progressed from simple veneration to actual blasphemy? Why are we giving all praise to Mary when God stated He will share His glory with no one? Why are canonized Catholic Saints professing Mary to have power over Jesus, even in the realm of spiritual matters? Most damning of all, which an Archbishop claiming that invocation of Mary is absolutely necessary for salvation? Did God not state that we were created to glorify Him?
Is Jesus not the sole mediator and spiritual high priest between man and God? How can devotion to Mary be required for salvation when Jesus states that by no other name under Heaven must anyone be saved? Was Jesus the son of God, or Mary? Which one died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins? Which one sits at the right hand of the Father? Not only are these Catholic statements not congruent with scripture, but they are actively rejected by them.
So, if prayer is an expression of faith, which in turn denotes worship, where’s the harm in praying to someone else other than God?
Isaiah 42: 8 I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.
Paul summarizes these sentiments concisely. Even in the Early Church, there was no form of prayer or worship meant to be given to anyone but the Lord.
1 Corinthians 7:35: And this I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is seemly, and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.
And now the words of a Bishop, who was canonized a Catholic Saint:
Woe to those who despise devotion to Mary! . . . The soul cannot live without having recourse to Mary and recommending itself to her. He falls and is lost who does not have recourse to Mary. – St. Alphonsus Maria Liguori (Source: http://www.catholictradition.org/Mary/mary18c.htm)
Not once does Paul (or any apostle, or even Jesus) speak of devotion to Mary in the entirety of the apostolic letters. According to Archbishop Bonaventure, they must all be in hell. This will not be the last time in my faith statement where I or Paul will be condemned by the Catholic Church for disagreeing with their tradition. I hope you can sympathize with my position here. It is not out of scriptural ignorance that I reject Catholic dogma, but out of direct observance to them.
As of High Priest, Jesus is Already Our Mediator
Jesus is the sole mediator between man and God. Think about it, could one honestly believe that Mary and Saints can hear and petition for millions of prayers directed to them from hundreds of thousands of people from all over the word without possessing some form of omniscience themselves? They are being exalted to a level in Roman Catholic literature that is never even remotely alluded to in the entirety of Bible.
The closest biblical allusion to dead saints interceding for prayers is found in the mention of 24 Elders in Revelation and that doesn’t even hold up for a second. The 24 elders in Revelation were never specifically ascribed as carrying the prayers of the Elect on earth, their primary purpose of institution is simply to worship God, and their ranks are so limited in number that they clearly are not indicative of the massive divine office of intercessory saints posited by Catholicism. Apart from the 24 elders, there is no other scripture even remotely alluding to a divine and intercessory office of saints.
Let’s not forget the what the Council of Trent decreed about the Saints:
“If anyone says that it is a deception to celebrate masses in honor of the saints and in order to obtain their intercession with God, as the Church intends, let him be anathema.”
Nowhere in the Bible does Jesus or the Apostles ever state that saints should be used to obtain intercession for God. Literally nowhere. You what is frequently instructed in the Bible? Praying to Jesus for intercession:
James 5:14: Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
John 14:13: Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
Colossians 3:17: And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Intercessory prayer to Mary and saints is an entirely new medium between man, Jesus, and God the Father that is wholly abiblical. Not only that, but it attributes praise and even some modicum of divinity to someone other than God Himself, so I reject prayer to Mary and Saints in its entirety out of singular devotion to the Triune God. Better to be cursed by the Catholic Church than to reject the Word of God.
To be honest, we shouldn’t even need to go this far. God himself says this to Isaiah concerning speaking to the dead and enquiring on their behalf:
Isaiah 8:19: And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.
Furthermore, Paul literally states that Jesus is the only mediator between man and God:
1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
In regard to this scriptural narrative, I genuinely believe the only form of prayer and veneration pleasing and acceptable to God is the prayer directly to Him.