The New Testament directly teaches us to pray to the Father and contains an example of such a prayer; it also includes addresses to Jesus: Stephen calls on the Lord Jesus, and Revelation ends with the appeal, “Come, Lord Jesus.” The Holy Spirit is portrayed as helping believers in prayer and interceding for them. These texts contain no direct example of a prayer addressed to the Holy Spirit, and this answer presents that neither as a prohibition nor as a command.
What the Bible Says About This
- Jesus teaches: pray to your Father in secret, and the prayer begins with the address “Our Father in heaven” (Matt. 6:6–13). Paul kneels before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 3:14–21).
- Jesus says that whatever they ask the Father in His name, He will give them (John 16:23). In John 14:14, Jesus promises to do Himself whatever they ask in His name.
- Acts 7:59–60: Stephen calls out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit”; then, kneeling down, he cries, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” This is an account of one event in which Stephen addresses Jesus.
- Rev. 22:20: The One who testifies says, “I am coming soon,” followed by the appeal, “Come, Lord Jesus.” Some of the words in this verse are placed in brackets in FBE.
- 2 Cor. 12:8–9: Paul pleaded with the Lord three times to remove the thorn; the Lord replied, “My grace is sufficient,” and Paul spoke of Christ’s power. The Lord is not explicitly identified here as Jesus, so this passage is complementary but does not prove the point on its own.
- The Spirit in prayer: The Spirit helps us in our weakness when we do not know how to pray, and He Himself intercedes (Rom. 8:26–27); Jude urges believers to pray in the Holy Spirit (Jude 20).
- Conclusion: The New Testament directly teaches us to pray to the Father and contains addresses to Jesus; the Holy Spirit is portrayed as helping believers in prayer and interceding for them.
- Conclusion: there is no direct example of prayer addressed to the Holy Spirit in the selected texts; the absence of such an example cannot be used to infer either a prohibition against addressing Him or a direct command to do so.
The brief answer was prepared by the editorial team; the Scripture texts are from the “Father’s Blessing” Bible.
Key Scripture Passages
9 Scripture passages · “Father’s Blessing” Bible
Matthew 6:6–13
6 But when you pray, go into your room and, having shut the door, pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly. 7 And when praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard because of their many words; 8 do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. 9 Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven! May Your name be honored as holy; 10 may Your kingdom come; may Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven; 11 give us this day our daily bread; 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors; 13 and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. [[For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]]
Ephesians 3:14–21
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that He may grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 that you may comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who, through His power at work in us, is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, 21 to Him be glory in the Church through Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
John 16:23
And on that day you will ask Me nothing. Truly, truly, I tell you: whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.
Acts 7:59–60
59 And they stoned Stephen as he called out, saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And having said this, he fell asleep.
Romans 8:26–27
26 Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses; for we do not know what we should pray for or how we should pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And He who searches the hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
John 14:14
If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
Revelation 22:20
He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus [Christ]!
2 Corinthians 12:8–9
8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But the Lord said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.
Jude 1:20
But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,
