/christian/ - Christian Discussion and Fellowship

>>756277

I usually try to pray in a Trinitarian fashion. I like to envoke the name of all the three persons of the trinity kinda like pic related. Chances are the reason why you only pray to one person is because you still haven't yet appreciated the beauty and love of the trinity. Once I realised it I couldn't pray without mentioning all three. It should also be important to know what role each person plays because then you will be better able to invoke their names while you pray.

The 'Our Father' and 'Glory Be' do praise God the Father on His immaculate glory.

But if you feel that it doesn't do God the Father Justice, make up your own prayer that glorifies God the Father. Think about it this way. If you were a father, which would touch your heart more?:

A) Your son reciting a song he learned in school for you?

Or

B) Reciting a personal song he made specifically just for you?

Additionally, you can use the Psalms to glorify Him. Psalm 145 is my personal favorite.

>>756277

>Can prayer be too Christocentric?

No. The Trinity IS God. If you find yourself invoking God the Son in prayer more than the rest of the Trinity, then guidance and strength from God the Son is probably what you are craving more spiritually. That's okay. You're still praying to God, it's just you're focusing on a particular aspect/manifestation of God more than the others.

My advice though would be to ask why exactly you are focused much more on God the Son than the rest of the Trilogy. What is it about Christ and his story (as told through the Gospels) that resonates with you more deeply than the rest of the Trinity? Reflect deeply upon why you might feel that you need inspiration from God the Son more than the rest of the Trinity.

>Is it wrong to ignore the rest of the Trinity?

Yes. Well, more accurately, it's foolish. You're not looking at the full picture. In order to fully appreciate, understand and find value in your faith, you must consider it in its entirety. But there's nothing wrong with having a special affinity for a part of the Trinity at a certain point in your life. I think most Christians feel more strongly for Christ than the rest of the Trinity. I'm not saying that's necessarily right, but it does seem people are more inclined towards God the Son.

All our prayers are Trinitarian. They are to the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit (and, because the saints are in the Holy Spirit with us, we can ask them for intercession as well, but ultimately it remains oriented toward the Father, through the Son).

Jesus is God, OP. The persons of the Trinity are not independant or separate. If you pray to one person, the two others are necessarily implied. If you pray to Jesus, then you pray to the Jesus Who makes intercession for us (Hebews 7:25), Who is the sole mediator between men and God (1 Timothy 2:5), Who is our advocate (1 John 2:1). He is the Son of the Father and the Holy Spirit rests in Him. So your prayer is necessarily Trinitarian.

You cannot "ignore the rest of the Trinity", as you said, unless you are an Arian or a Macedonian (or a Sabellian who simply does not recognize the three persons are even distinct at all to begin with).

If you still feel worried that in your prayers you're forgetting the Son's trinitarian relationship to the Father and the Holy Spirit, you can always pray the introductory prayers that the Orthodox pray at the beginning of each service and in their prayer rules:

>Glory to you, our God, glory to you.

>Heavenly King, Comforter, the Spirit of truth,

>who are present everywhere filling all things,

>Treasury of good things and Giver of life, come and dwell in us.

>Cleanse us of every stain, and save our souls, gracious Lord.

>Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (3).

>Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

>All holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, forgive our sins. Master, pardon our transgressions. Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for your name's sake.

>Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

>Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

>Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.

>Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

>Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses,

>as we forgive those who trespass against us.

>And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

>For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.