Very Cool. Thanks for your response

Hi Carrie, I can see how you might be confused. In a post like this one usually emphasizes just one idea with a few tidbits thrown it. So you deserve a fuller explanation.
Yes, we always have the option to pray directly to the Father or Jesus or the Spirit. The norm, which Jesus taught us, is to pray to the Father, and that should be the majority of our normal communication.
The role of Jesus and the Spirit are different. The verse I mentioned in 1 John 2:1-2 tells us about Jesus’ role as our advocate, or representative before the Father. In the previous verses at the end of 1 John 1 we are instructed to confess our sin for forgiveness. Even though we are children of God we are still sinful people. Someday we will be free from the sin nature when we have our glorified bodies in heaven. Until then, even though we are saved we are still sinful people in our hearts and commit acts of sin. Each time when we pray to the Father, who is holy and just and pure, we are sinful creatures trying to talk to the sinless God of all creation. Because of our inherently sinful condition we aren’t pure or holy and so we shouldn’t have access to talk to the Father. Because we have believed in Jesus, it is like the Father sees us in Jesus and Jesus in us. It is the connection and identification with Jesus that gives us the right and opportunity to pray directly to the Father. It’s kind of like each time we pray that Jesus says to the Father, “It’s okay to talk to Ward, I’ve paid for his sins. He’s in the family.”
As far as the Spirit’s role, there are two aspects of it. One of which is that as we learn to listen to the leading of the Spirit, which I think is primarily a gentle urging that He regularly gives us in our hearts that some people are more sensitive to than others, that He will prompt us as we pray. He will prompt us to pray for people or situations by bringing them to mind. We need to learn to respond by praying for what the Spirit puts on our hearts. The other mysterious truth is the Spirit actually prays for us Romans 8:26. Look up that verse, it is really cool. As the Spirit of God lives within us and knows us better than we know ourselves He prays for us, knowing perfectly what we need. That is so amazing to think about.
Neither Jesus nor the Spirit act as our interpreters in the sense that we can’t speak directly to the Father. These are separate and distinct roles that are in addition to our regular communication with the Father in prayer.
Thank you for the question, Carrie!
Ward