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Traditional Christianity claims to focus its worship on Jesus Christ. But didn't Jesus ChristHimself direct our attention, including even our prayers, to God the Father?
by Mario Seiglie
ou have probably heard the sayings on the radio or television, or seen them on bumper stickers: "Christ is the answer" or, "Accept Christ and you will be saved."
As Christians, we should not assume anything regarding our worship. Rather, we should be sure our worship practices are in accordance with Scripture. Many surprises await the student of the Bible who carefully and prayerfully looks into God's Word.
Let us look first at the sayings attributed to Jesus Christ about Himself. Did He say He should be our center of focus? The answer may surprise you.
Christ our Mediator
When Jesus Christ's disciples asked Him to teach them to pray, that would have been the perfect opportunity for Him to emphasize Himself. But, instead, He said: "When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name" (Luke 11:2, author's emphasis throughout).
Our Savior made it clear that God the Father is to be our focus when we pray and that we are to concentrate on His glory, power, might and love for us.
It is true that Jesus said we are to pray "in Jesus' name" (John 14:13,14; 15:16; 16:24,26). This is because He mediates between God the Father and mankind. "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus" (1Timothy 2:5). A mediator, in either a religious or secular sense, is an integral part of a communication process, but the focus is on the one in charge.
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