Joel, your reading of John 14:14 is a little suspect on textual grounds. Some important MSS omit me; others omit v. 14 altogether. I would hesitate, therefore, to base a practice of praying to Jesus on this verse, especially when that reading appears to be contradicted by 16:23: ‘In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.’

If the reading stands, however, I would be inclined to make sense of it within the eschatological setting that I have already mentioned. It presupposes Jesus’ expectation that the disciples would follow the same path of suffering and vindication. On that basis they have a relationship of intimacy and brotherhood with Jesus in which we, as the later, post-eschatological church do not necessarily share. This whole passage has to do with the fact that Jesus is about to leave them as a result of suffering and death, but that they will come after him (13:36-14:4; cf. 15:18-20). His concern for their needs is part of the relationship that arises from sharing the same experience of eschatological suffering. He will intercede on their behalf specifically so that they will be able to endure persecution and rejection (cf. 16:1-2).

For us I think the basic formula would still be that we approach God, trust God, pray to God on the basis of what Christ has done, in his name.

Glen Miller’s arguments are not exactly compelling. Stephen’s vision of the Son of man at the right hand of the Father fits perfectly the eschatolological martyrdom situation but cannot be taken as normative for the church: it reflects that fact that Stephen is suffering the hatred and aggression that Jesus suffered. This is no less true for the eschatological cry maranatha: it reflects the early church’s sense of closeness to and reliance upon the one who suffered first and will eventually deliver from their enemies and vindicate them. It can hardly be said that Ananias was praying to Jesus - any more than it can be said that John, say, was praying to the angel which explained to him the mystery of woman in Revelation 17.

Lehman Strauss’ argument, quoted on that web page, that there is nothing in the Bible to prohibit us praying to Jesus or the Holy Spirit is ridiculous surely. I can’t think of anything in the Bible that expressly prohibits people from having themselves non-fatally crucified at Easter as they do in the Philippines, but that hardly amounts to a biblical endorsement of the practice.

It seems to me that prayer to Jesus and the Spirit presupposes a more developed and rationalized understanding of the trinity than we actually find in the New Testament.