From Prohibition to Incarnation: The Journey to a Profound Divine Connection

In ancient theological treatises, it is explained that the original restriction on addressing the Divine had an important purpose – to protect people from a superficial and unthinking invocation of the Heavenly. This precautionary measure was intended to safeguard believers from the danger of perceiving sacred words as something banal and devoid of depth, since even true messages could be misused for evil if approached without wisdom and reflection.

A new understanding emerged at the moment when God chose the path of incarnation to come closer to people by making Himself more understandable and accessible. This event not only changed the form of communication with the Higher but also marked the transition from dogmatic repetition of sacred words to a deep and personal contact with the Creator. As one thinker noted, in this process, the human essence, drawn from the sacred source, was given the opportunity to immerse itself in the divine essence. Such unity became a symbol that truth always requires the participation of both the heart and the mind, allowing every believer to meet God face to face through living faith.

Thus, the transition from the initial prohibition on frivolous prayer to open and deep communication with the Divine essence illustrates not only a historical transformation but also the vital necessity of seeking meaningful spiritual contact. It serves as a reminder that true faith is born in sincere communication, where every word and every gesture is imbued with life energy and profound meaning.

How can one interpret why, according to Christian doctrine, God initially prohibited prayer and then incarnated in the image of man?

According to one theological commentary, the initial prohibitive attitude towards prayer can be understood as a way to protect people from an incorrect, superficial approach to God – one in which individuals might be misled by accepting words without proper meaning or awareness, much like the way demons, even when speaking the truth, used sacred texts for evil. Precisely because human communication with the Heavenly required that people not seek easy paths or approach the Divine with merely detached, dogmatic words, it became time for a new stage: God incarnating in the image of man, to make Himself closer, more understandable, and more accessible to believers.

As noted by Andreas Osiander, a special role in this process was played by the 'acceptance' of human nature by the divine nature of the Word, taken from the Virgin Mary. This event allows us to interpret the incarnation not simply as an external phenomenon, but as a profound union, whereby human nature embraces the possibility to immerse itself in the divine essence. In this context, the prohibition on previous forms of prayer was replaced by the opening to a deep and immediate contact with God, who, through His incarnation, enabled people to attain true closeness with Him through faith.

Supporting citation(s):
"The divine nature of the Word 'received' the human nature from the Virgin Mary. On this very special issue, Osiander had a particular opinion..." (source: link )

Thus, the initial restriction on prayer can be interpreted as a precaution against ill-considered approaches to the Divine, while God's incarnation in man became a step toward providing people with the opportunity to establish a living, meaningful, and profound communication with Him through faith.