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"Thee" or "You" in Prayer  
(Adapted from the late James Payne of England) 

In prayer, when using pronouns, do you address my Lord as "You" or as "Thee" and "Thou"? This appears to many a trivial matter, but please read on - and I welcome your comments, my beloved readers.

Some 200 years ago the English language was much more sublime than it is today. It then had a complete set of personal pronouns, each clearly distinguishable from the others. This may be listed as follows: - [Pronouns given in Nominative, Objective and Possessive cases.]

 FIRST PERSON SINGULAR: I, ME, MY (or Mine)
 FIRST PERSON PLURAL: WE, US, OUR (or Ours)

 SECOND PERSON SINGULAR:     THOU, THEE, THY (or Thine)
 SECOND PERSON PLURAL: YE, YOU, YOUR (or Yours)

 THIRD PERSON SINGULAR: HE or SHE, HIM or HER, HIS or HERS
 THIRD PERSON PLURAL: THEY, THEM, THEIR (or Theirs)

In the process of time, as English became more corrupted, all the second person singular pronouns were dropped and the words "you" and "your" had to do duty for both singular and plural, and "you" came to be used in both the nominative and the objective cases. This was a debasement of the language, but owing to popular usage it was soon looked upon as the norm and the abandoned words (THEE, THOU, THY, THINE), although more strictly correct, came to be regarded as archaic.

Our Authorized KING JAMES Version of the Bible, being translated over 300 years ago, makes use of the complete set of personal pronouns; as does the original from which it was translated. All modern versions of the Bible have used the modern form, and thus the prayer and praise language of modern Christians is less "Biblical." We must ask the question "Is it desirable to use the popularized form in speaking to God?" Use of the old pronouns recognizes that our Triune God is ONE GOD. We don't believe in poly-theism (many gods), so we must not address Him in the plural form. Deut. 6:4, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD." That is, JEHOVAH our ELOHIM is one JEHOVAH!

We do not say that everyone who addresses our Lord as "You" is deliberately irreverent or careless in speaking to our Lord, for many do not know or understand this distinction. But for our part, especially in public worship, we insist on use of the ancient form (Thee, Thou, Thy and Thine), as more correct and more honoring to speak to our Lord.

In a day when the shallowness of the "New Version Mania" has overspread all of "Christendom" - so much so, that anything goes – those of us who know the true God and Jesus Christ whom He hath sent OUGHT TO BE VERY CAREFUL IN OUR APPROACH TO THIS GREAT GOD IN PRAYER. Let us not compromise with the modern form, but address Him as the great Triune God who is really One God.

Matt. 12:37, "For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned".