What does the New Testament say about praying to Jesus?

This is an awkward question because the answer is basically “nothing”.

The New Testament teaches prayer to God:

In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. (John 16:23)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:6 NIV)

There are of course two examples of people speaking to Jesus:  Stephen and Paul in the visions they had of Jesus. But no examples of prayer.

By the same token, although the New Testament only teaches prayer to God, and this is the norm documented in the New Testament congregations, the New Testament also does not explicitly forbid personal conversation with Jesus – and many people in private find talking to Jesus helpful.

John 14:14 “ask [me]” textual variants

There are variant readings for John 14:14.  The majority tradition manuscripts (A D L Q Ψ) do not have “me” after ask in 14:14. The earlier minority manuscripts (66 75 א B W Δ Θ 060 f13 33) do have “me”, although 75 has a hole in the manuscript at 14:14 so the probable presence of “me” is estimated by measurement.

 ¹¹ Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. ¹² “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask [me] anything in my name, I will do it.

The consensus of textual scholars is that this is an instance where the more difficult reading (i.e. with “me”) is to be preferred because it appears to contradict verses 14:13, 15:16 and 16:23, and is unique in all Gospels. Therefore it is more likely that a scribe omitted “me” by mistake in copying than added “me” by mistake in copying.

But then it does not contradict Jesus’s later sentence in John 16 if we understand that Jesus is making a comparison:

In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. (John 16:23)

One possible explanation, though this is only a suggestion and illustration that there are possible solutions, is that Jesus might be comparing the coming 40 days with the disciples on earth after the resurrection “ask me”, with the time after the ascension. We don’t know.

Prayer in the name of Jesus?

A related question is whether prayers should end with, “in Jesus’ name, Amen”. Yet this kind of formula, while a perfectly good habit, is not stated or required in the New Testament epistles. The “in my name” in John 16 could equally be paralleled by Christ’s response:

 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:5-7