Amen, and Amen and Amen.  Praise the Lord all mighty.

--
Christ is either Lord of all or he is not Lord at all.
Karen Carter '74



> Angel,
>
> I might ask if we see any biblical examples of our spiritual forefathers
> praying to anyone but God? Below is some info on saints, and prayer too.
> Since you asked regarding this all, I thought you might appreciate the
> info.
>
> Saints
> People who have been separated from the world and consecrated to the
> worship and service of God. Followers of the Lord are referred to by this
> phrase throughout the Bible, although its meaning is developed more fully
> in the New Testament. Consecration (setting apart) and purity are the
> basic meanings of the term. Believers are called "saints" (Rom 1:7) and
> "saints in Christ Jesus" (Phil 1:1) because they belong to the One who
> provided their sanctification.
>
>
> PRAYER
> PRAYER
> Communication with God. Because God is personal, all people can offer
> prayers. However, sinners who have not trusted Jesus Christ for their
> salvation remain alienated from God. So while unbelievers may pray, they
> do not have the basis for a rewarding fellowship with God. They have not
> met the conditions laid down in the Bible for effectiveness in prayer.
> Christians recognize their dependence upon their Creator. They have every
> reason to express gratitude for God's blessings. But they have far more
> reason to respond to God than this. They respond to the love of God for
> them. God's love is revealed through the marvelous incarnation and life of
> Christ, His atoning provision at the Cross, His resurrection, as well as
> His continuing presence through the Holy Spirit.
> Prayer cannot be replaced by devout good works in a needy world. Important
> as service to others is, at times we must turn away from it to God, who is
> distinct from all things and over all things. Neither should prayer be
> thought of as a mystical experience in which people lose their identity in
> the infinite reality. Effective prayer must be a scripturally informed
> response of persons saved by grace to the living God who can hear and
> answer on the basis of Christ's payment of the penalty which sinners
> deserved. As such, prayer involves several important aspects.
> Faith. The most meaningful prayer comes from a heart that places its trust
> in the God who has acted and spoken in the Jesus of history and the
> teachings of the Bible. God speaks to us through the Bible, and we in turn
> speak to Him in trustful, believing prayer. Assured by the Scripture that
> God is personal, living, active, all-knowing, all-wise, and all-powerful,
> we know that God can hear and help us. A confident prayer life is built on
> the cornerstone of Christ's work and words as shown by the prophets and
> apostles in the Spirit-inspired writings of the Bible.
> Worship. In worship we recognize what is of highest worth-not ourselves,
> others, or our work, but God. Only the highest divine being deserves our
> highest respect. Guided by Scripture, we set our values in accord with
> God's will and perfect standards. Before God, angels hide their faces and
> cry, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts" (Isa 6:3).
> Confession. Awareness of God's holiness leads to consciousness of our own
> sinfulness. Like the prophet Isaiah, we exclaim, "Woe is me, for I am
> undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a
> people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts"
> (Isa 6:5). By sinning we hurt ourselves and those closest to us; but first
> of all, and worst of all, sin is against God (Ps 51:4). We must confess
> our sins to God to get right with Him. We need not confess them to another
> being. But we should confess them directly to God, who promises to forgive
> us of all our unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
> Adoration. God is love, and He has demonstrated His love in the gift of
> His Son. The greatest desire of God is that we love Him with our whole
> being (Matt 22:37). Our love should be expressed, as His has been
> expressed, in both deeds and words. People sometimes find it difficult to
> say to others and to God, "I love you." But when love for God fills our
> lives, we will express our love in prayer to the one who is ultimately
> responsible for all that we are.
> Praise. The natural outgrowth of faith, worship, confession, and adoration
> is praise. We speak well of one whom we highly esteem and love. The one
> whom we respect and love above all others naturally receives our highest
> commendation. We praise Him for His "mighty acts...according to His
> excellent greatness!" (Ps 150:2), and for His "righteous judgments" (Ps
> 119:164). For God Himself, for His works, and for His words, His people
> give sincere praise.
> Thanksgiving. Are we unthankful because we think we have not received what
> we deserve? But if we got what we "deserved," we would be condemned
> because of our guilt. As sinners, we are not people of God by nature. We
> have no claim upon His mercy or grace. Nevertheless, He has forgiven our
> sins, granted us acceptance as His people, and given us His righteous
> standing and a new heart and life. Ingratitude marks the ungodly (Rom
> 1:21). Believers, in contrast, live thankfully. God has been at work on
> our behalf in countless ways. So in evervthing, even for the discipline
> that is unpleasant, we give thanks (Col 3:17; 1 Thess 5:18).
> Dedicated Action. Christ's example does not require us to withdraw from
> society, but to render service to the needy in a spirit of prayer. He wept
> over Jerusalem in compassionate prayer, and then He went into the city to
> give His life a ransom for many. Authentic prayer will be the source of
> courage and productivity, as it was for the prophets and apostles.
> Request. Prayer is not only response to God's grace as brought to us in
> the life and work of Jesus and the teaching of Scripture; it is also
> request for our needs and the needs of others.
> For good reasons God's holy and wise purpose does not permit Him to grant
> every petition just as it is asked. Several hindrances to answered prayer
> are mentioned in the Bible: iniquity in the heart (Ps 66:18), refusal to
> hear God's law (Prov 28:9), an estranged heart (Isa 29:13), sinful
> separation from God (Isa 59:2), waywardness (Jer 14:10-12), offering
> unworthy sacrifices (Mal 1:7-9), praying to be seen of men (Matt 6:5-6),
> pride in fasting and tithing (Luke 18:11-14), lack of faith (Heb 11:6),
> and doubting or double-mindedness (James 4:3).
> More positively, God has promised to answer our requests when we start
> helping the hungry and afflicted (Isa 58:9-10), when we believe that we
> will receive what we ask (Mark 11:22-24), when we forgive others (Mark
> 11:25-26), when we ask in Christ's name (John 14:13-14), and when we abide
> in Christ and His words (John 15:7), pray in the Spirit (Eph 6:8), obey
> the Lord's commandments (1 John 3:22), and ask according to His will (1
> John 5:14-15). Until we have properly responded to God and His Word, He
> cannot entrust us with His powerful resources.
> Prayer is request to a personal Lord who answers as He knows best. We
> should not think that we will always have success in obtaining the things
> for which we ask. In His wisdom, God hears and answers in the way that is
> best.
> Effectiveness. Prayer has power over everything. God can intelligently act
> in any part of the universe or human history. Although some people think
> prayer is a waste of time, the Bible declares that "the effective, fervent
> prayer of a righteous man avails much" (James 5:16).
> Prayer meets inner needs. One who prays will receive freedom from fear (Ps
> 118:5-6), strength of soul (Ps 138:3), guidance and satisfaction (Isa
> 58:9-11), wisdom and understanding (Dan 9:20-27), deliverance from harm
> (Joel 2:32), reward (Matt 6:6), good gifts (Luke 11:13), fullness of joy
> (John 16:23-24), peace (Phil 4:6-8), and freedom from anxiety (1 Peter
> 5:7).
> Is prayer effective only in the inner lives of those who pray? No, prayer
> can make a difference in the lives of others. Biblical writers believed
> prayer for others could result in greater wisdom and power (Eph 1:18-19);
> inward strength, knowledge of Christ's love, filling with God's fullness
> (Eph 3:16-19); discernment, approval of what is excellent, filling with
> the fruits of righteousness (Phil 1:9-11); knowledge of God's will,
> spiritual understanding, a life pleasing to God, fruitfulness, endurance,
> patience, joy (Col 1:9-12); a quiet, peaceable life (1 Tim 2:1-2); love
> for one another and all people, holiness before God (1 Thess 3:10-13);
> comfort and establishment in every good word and work (2 Thess 2:16-17);
> love for God, steadfastness in Christ (2 Thess 3:5); the sharing of one's
> faith, promotion of the knowledge of all that is good (Philem 6); and
> equipment for every good work that is pleasing to God (Heb 13:20-21).
> Some people who think prayer can affect others question the ability of God
> to change His usual patterns in the physical world. But some prayers in
> the Bible changed nature and physical bodies.
> Jabez prayed for enlarged borders and protection from harm (1 Chron 4:10).
> Other people in the Bible prayed for deliverance from trouble (Ps
> 34:15-22), deliverance from both poverty and riches (Prov 30:7-9),
> deliverance from the belly of a great fish (Jonah 2:7-10), daily bread
> (Matt 6:11), preservation and sanctification of spirit, soul, and body (1
> Thess 5:23), the healing of the sick (James 5:14-15), and the ending of
> the rain and its beginning again (James 5:17-18). PRAYER
> When the disciples prayed, the building around them shook (Acts 4:31) and
> an earthquake opened the doors of their prison (Acts 16:25-26). Our
> prayers do make a difference in how God acts in the world!
>
> Brad