Is Jesus Prayed to in The Bible?
Is Jesus Prayed to in The Bible?
Jesus on some occasions was prayed to. In Acts 7, we read: "They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” Having said this, he fell asleep," (Acts 7:59-60 NASB1995). Here, we see Stephan being stoned for his preaching. As he began to be stoned, Stephan called out to Jesus requesting mercy upon his persecutors. This heavily implies a prayer to Jesus. "ἐπικαλούμενον", the word used for "called on" in this passage, can also have a very interesting meaning. This definition is "beseech" when referring to divine beings. This is extremely close to what is known as praying, and even some translations translate it as such. See the CEB, DARBY, NET, NLT, and RSV.
Another example is in the book of Revelations: "He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen," (Revelations 22:20-21 NASB1995). Here, John wishes the grace of Jesus upon people, ending with "amen". This is a very likely example of a prayer towards Jesus.
Work Cited:
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.