How do you address God when you pray? Do you talk to each person in the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? I’ve been pondering this after a friend shared how she recoiled when she was invited to pray to the Holy Spirit at the beginning of a church service. The leader invited those gathered to invite the Spirit to fill them with His presence. My friend says she prays to Jesus and the Father, but wondered why it felt awkward to pray to the Spirit.
If asked that question, I’d probably give a pretty theological answer: I pray to the Father in the name of Jesus and by the power of the Spirit. But thinking about it further, I realize that at different moments I relate to each person of our God who is one and yet three: I worship God the Father, who is Creator of all; I ask for the help of Jesus, my Brother and Friend; I call on the Spirit, the Comforter and Sustainer. By remembering what Scripture reveals of how each relates to us, I embrace the relational nature of the triune God and how He welcomes us into His circle of love.
A Welcoming Circle of Love
The Trinity is a mind-bending idea that I love grappling with. But beyond a fascinating concept, when I turn to God in prayer, the three-in-oneness of God brings me richness, depth, and joy. My faith in God deepens as I recognize the workings of each member of the Trinity.
Praying to God as Trinity helps me consider the ways each of the three persons expresses themselves. I like to join the British theologian John Stott (1921–2011) in his Trinitarian prayer (quoted in Basic Christian: The Inside Story of John Stott). Part of it reflects God’s attributes:
Heavenly Father, I worship you as the creator and sustainer of the universe.
Lord Jesus, I worship you, Savior and Lord of the world.
Holy Spirit, I worship you, sanctifier of the people of God.
After praising God as one-in-three, Stott prays to each of the persons:
Heavenly Father, I pray that I may live this day in your presence and please you more and more.
Lord Jesus, I pray that this day I may take up my cross and follow you.
Holy Spirit, I pray that this day you will fill me with yourself and cause your fruit to ripen in my life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Stott names different characteristics of each of the three persons and, in turn, our relationship to them:
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the Father as the Creator whom we seek to honor and please as we live in His presence;
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the Lord Jesus who saves us from our sins and under whose lordship we live;
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the Holy Spirit, who washes us clean from our sins, fills us, and through whom we produce fruit.
I respond to the God of love, who within His own community of three and yet one spoke the world into being to share His love with us.
Woven into the Text
As I ponder praying to God who is one being and yet three persons, I consider what difference this makes—especially since the word Trinity doesn’t appear in the Bible. The term might not be there, but the theme runs throughout.
Right at the beginning of creation we see hints of God in three persons when God says, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground” (Genesis 1:26). Note how the grammar contributes to the deeper meaning—God says let us create in our image.
Elsewhere the Bible underlines that the Father, Son, and the Spirit were together at creation. As the psalm reflects, “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth” (Psalm 33:6). What about the other two? The Spirit of God hovered over the waters (Genesis 1:2), and Jesus the Word was with God and was God in the beginning (John 1:1–2).
Moving to Revelation, again we see indicators of this glorious gift of God as three-in-one: “‘I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.’ The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come!’” (Revelation 22:16–17). God the Father stands in the background as Jesus and the Spirit, along with the church in the form of the bride, hold outstretched hands and welcome us to the abundant life.
At the Bible’s beginning, its end, and in the middle (see Matthew 28:19 for a clear instance of the Trinity) we see this wonderful truth, which enriches our faith and helps us understand the God with whom we commune when we pray.
A Mystery of Love
God’s Word pulses with the wonder of Him revealing Himself in three persons. As we spend time seeking to understand this truth, which has mystery built into it, we’ll grow in love for Him. We’ll find our faith strengthened and deepened as we understand more how He makes Himself known to us. We won’t want to keep this gift to ourselves, but will want to share His love with others.
As God the Father, Son, and Spirit dance to the tune of their own perfect love, they open their arms and welcome us into this circle of being and belonging. Do you sense their invitation to join in the dance? I hope to see you there!
—Written by Amy Boucher Pye. Used by permission from the author. Click here to connect with Amy.
Amy joined Elisa & Eryn on our God Hears Her podcast. You can listen to Feeling Out of Place by clicking here.
4 Responses
Beautifully written and said 💖
I agree 😉😘
I don’t listen to podcasts (I’m older lol) but I sincerely enjoy the Godhersher that I read. Thank you for all you do to spread His word and help those that struggle like me!
Wow that was lovely. Thank you very much.
Though I’ve always acknowledged and believed in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, it’s been only recently that I intentionally praise and pray to all three persons of God. Each distinct role they possess encourages an individualized relationship that nurtures an even fuller joy and contentment in my life. Amy, you offer practical guidance in praying to the Trinity and building a deep, rich relationship with our Triune God!