Can you pray to a statue of Jesus?
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Asked September 07 2014
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Shannon Allen
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For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Betty Hamilton
I light a candle to an image of the sacred heart every day and pray my petitions to Jesus...why is that wrong? if Jesus sees my heart during my prayers does that mean that my heart is bad?
Vincent Mercado
I use the image of the Sacred Heart to teach my children about Jesus too. I tell them, "This is Jesus" and that makes it easier for us to pray together. We are speaking to a person.
Jennifer Rothnie
Five points:
#1 Christ alone, not any object, is the image of the invisible God. (Col 1:15)
#2 We approach God through Christ (Heb 6:19-20) We ourselves are the temple of the Lord, so we need no object or building to go to God's presence (I Cor 6:18-20, Hab 2:19-20, Rom 8:9-10).
#3 We pray in the spirit, and not through any object (Eph 6:18-19)
#4 Declaring something to be 'God' or that God can be worshiped through a given image does not make it so. Worshiping God through an image God sees as idolatry (I Kings 12:25-30).
"Then all the people tore off the gold rings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. He took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, "This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt." Now when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, "Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD."…(Ex 32:3-5)
#5 An object is not a person. Speaking to the object is the same as speaking to dead stone. No object can "hear". (Hab 2:18-19, Rev 9:20-21) We find God not by remembering Him through an object, but by searching for Him with our heart and soul (Deut 4:38-29). God is spirit, and must be worshiped in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24).
Man has always sought to 'visualize' God, which is why idolatry is so compelling for humans. But the only perfect image is from God (Christ), and imperfect man cannot make one.