There has been an increasing tendency in some quarters of Christendom to pray to the Holy Spirit. It is even taught by some that both prayer and praise should be addressed to the Spirit of God. Surely this should be proved or disproved in the light of the Word of God; there is no other authority. We do not wish to question the sincerity of the men who say this but only to test their teaching and practice by the Scriptures.
First of all we would guard against anything derogatory to the Holy Spirit, for He is truly God: a distinct Person in the Godhead, and as such would surely be worthy of praise and worship. However, there is no place in Scripture where we are exhorted to pray to or praise Him, nor is there any example of it being done. After the death, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit was sent down to indwell each believer individually, and to form all believers together in one body, uniting them to Christ the Head in heaven. He is now here to glorify Christ and unfold His things to us.
As for prayer, the Holy Ghost is spoken of as the power of our access to the Father (Eph. 2:1818For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. (Ephesians 2:18)), and the helper in our groanings and prayers so that God interprets our groanings according to the mind of the Spirit dwelling in us. In Eph. 6:1818Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; (Ephesians 6:18) the word to us is, "praying... in the Spirit," and in Jude 2020But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, (Jude 20), "praying in the Holy Ghost." Think of praying in the Holy Spirit! Every word of such prayers would be perfectly acceptable to God as being fully in accord with His mind. How little there is of this in our prayers. We may even begin in the Spirit and end praying in the flesh. We are not, however, limited only to praying and presenting supplications in the Spirit—we should pray always—but it is happy when we do so pray. Then in Phil. 3:33For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. (Philippians 3:3), the better translation is, "we... worship by the Spirit of God." Thus both prayer and worship are to be "by" or "in" the Spirit, but not "to." There is a similar thought expressed when the Apostles wrote the Epistles to assemblies and individuals under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, in that they saluted them from the Father and the Son -the Spirit being the One who dwelt and acted in the Church and sent the salutations. He acted in the sending, but as from the Father and the Son.
Therefore, from the evidence of Scripture it must be concluded that it is unintelligent to address the Spirit of God in prayer or worship. The poet correctly wrote:
"Praises for the Holy Ghost,
Sent from heaven at Pentecost."