How do you pray ?

[countmeworthy]

If there ever was a time I was/am thankful for a link to former LCrs, this is it!

I am troubled in my spirit about something...and I would appreciate everyone's input, everyone's fellowship. Thanks in advance.

You already know the question by my my title. And I'll explain why I'm asking as you read.
Before I explain, I'm going to cut/paste scriptures which will shed light to my concern and insert some observations as well.

When Jesus was teaching and training His disciples, BEFORE His Crucifixion and Resurrection, He was asked how to pray. His Answer was "Our Father..." and when He prayed, He prayed to the Father.
He was also very specific in John 14:6 that No person could go to the FATHER but through Him for He was the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Jesus said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me.

(Hold on to THIS scripture, please)
Yet, during His ministry, No one actually 'Prayed' to Jesus to get to the Father. I believe the reason is because He had not yet died, resurrected and ascended. How in the world would it have looked to his followers if He told them to pray to Him ?? They probably would have stoned Him right then and there!! But once He ascended, and the Holy Spirit was sent to us, John 14:6 made totally good sense.

We also know from the next few verses, they (especially Philip) had no enlightenment that they did not know Jesus and Father God were ONE. They did not know Jesus was in the Father and the Father was in Him.

We are also very, very familiar with Isaiah 9:6

]For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father [of Eternity], Prince of Peace.

Now...before my LC days, I had a Catholic upbringing. I remember praying either Dear God or Dear Jesus. Thankfully, I never prayed to Mary or the saints. What a BLESSING in disguise, eh?

When I got saved, I asked the LORD JESUS to come inside of me, to wash me in His Blood as I repented of all my sins, to be my Lord.At that very second, WHOOSH, I felt 'something' come inside of me. I knew it was Jesus since I had just ASKED HIM to come inside of me but it was also the Mighty Rushing Wind of the Holy Spirit. I believe I got baptized in the Holy Spirit right then and there. (again another topic for another time. ) Of course, the Lord Jesus came inside of me too as did the Father.
Yet most believers pray directly to the Father. Even when they pray for eternal Salvation, often times I hear prayers like : Father, I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins...Forgive me for my sins etc..etc... In the Name of Jesus. Now God is a most GRACIOUS GOD...so I am not judging...just making an observation...for this is not how I prayed to be saved nor did most of us ever pray this way if we got saved in the LC..or once we were 'grounded' in the LC.

Furthermore, when I share the gospel (which is not formulated in any way!), I always point them to pray to Jesus and to make Him LORD of their lives. I am very, very careful instructing them to pray from the deepest part of their being...not from their mind. I explain to them when professional voice instructors are teaching their students to sing or to speak, they teach them to speak/sing from their diaghram...not from their throats.

Throughout my tenure in the LC, I as most of us, if not all of us, focused on Praying 'LORD JESUS', in addition to calling on the Lord.
Aside from all the LC baggage, when I left, I continued address my prayers to the Lord Jesus and I continued to call on His Name. But I have learned NOT to call on the Lord using the same 'tone'..I do call on Him with Boldness in true assurance of Faith, absolutely conscience of Who I'm addressing and calling on !

In the LC, I never prayed to our Heavenly Father God, nor did I pray to God, the Holy Spirit...always to the Lord Jesus. Did any of you ? ( Today, I sometimes address my prayers to the Father, Most of the time to the Son and more than I ever did, to the Holy Spirit. (another post/testimony for another time..)

Now...whenever I attend prayer meetings of any kind, everyone usually prays to God the Father in the Name of Jesus.

Because of my LC baggage, I wanted to open my heart, my spirit, to pray to Our Father and to pray 'in the Name of Jesus.' So I did, although I will say it seemed foreign to me. But as I become more confident in my positition in Christ Jesus, I am addressing my prayers more & more again to the Lord Jesus and explaining to SOME of my Christian friends that although I pray and speak to God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, I pray directly to the Lord Jesus based on John 14:6. I tell them (because it is TRUE) depending on my spirit, I address God the Father sometimes and God the Holy Spirit at other times and sometimes all THREE at once..Even though I totally understand there is ONE GOD--ELOHIM.

I also totally understand there are times when we pray to the Father IN the Name of JESUS or during spiritual warfare and we address the enemy, I will speak to him and his minions In the Name of JESUS by the Power of the Holy Spirit.
My Christian friends I am sharing my thoughts/scriptures/experience are totally impressed and soaking it up.

But I also know I don't feel at liberty to share these truths with ALL believers. So I just remain mum and wait upon the leading and guidance of the Spirit in my spirit for the right time.

Btw, I do hear many, many more people these days call on the Name of the Lord Jesus and address Him in prayer but still most people I hear pray to the Father in the Name of Jesus.

So....my question to you, since leaving the LC and moving about in Christian circles, learning from them and teaching them too, what has been your experience regarding prayer ?
If it wasn't for my LC background, I would not even ask this question.

Again...thanks for your fellowship in advance.