Here was my reply to this exact same question on the Preachers Files:
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Originally Posted by David Hersey Colossians 3:17
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
KJV
Let's break this verse down into its components:
" And whatsoever ye do in word or deed" What is left out of whatsoever we do? Nothing.
" do all in the name of the Lord Jesus" Do all, not part, but all in His name. Prayer is part of all.
" giving thanks to God and the Father" Self explanitory
" by him" By Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is our only mediator (1 Timothy 2:5)
No one cometh to the Father by Him (John 14:6)
I would say the only proper way to close a prayer to God the Father is in the name of His Son, our mediator, Jesus Christ.
That's what I think  |
We have the example of Jesus teaching His disciples how to pray and in this example Jesus prayed to the Father.
Jesus is our high priest. Hebrews 6:20. It was through His atoning work that we are reconciled to God. We have access directly to God the Father thru Jesus Christ who is God the Son. It is to the Father that we have been reconciled, it is to Him that Jesus Prayed and I personally believe that it is to God the Father we should direct our prayers THROUGH Jesus Christ.
Personally, when I pray, I address my prayers to My God and Father and Heaven. Jesus is just as much God as God is, sharing all the divine attributes, and being one of the persons of the Godhead. I figure by so doing, I have covered all the bases and am assured of my prayers being heard.
I would also like to add in that through the course of my day, I mentally pray to God on numerous occasions and these prayers are often times just silently offered and they don't always have the attention to protocol of the prayers I offer in the quiet of my home out of the sight of everybody. So I cannot insist that every single prayer offered must be preambled and closed with these exact words becasuse I don't do it myself. But when I get down on bent knee and it's just me and God and I am bringing to Him all my thanks and petitions,,, this is when I observe closely the Biblical pattern out of reverence for His Holiness and with full realization of just who I am talking to and what my position is in the grand scheme of things.
I am His servant and I am bowing at the feet of His throne. I am unworthy of anything He has given me, and but for the sacrifice of His Son for me, I would never even have the opportunity to be heard, let alone be listened to and answered. There is no amount of gratitude I can show, there is no amount of service I could ever offer, there is nothing whatsoever I could possibly do to earn this incredible priviledge and I try very diligently to make sure God knows I am aware of this and that I am very very grateful for it.