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When you pray...how do you talk to Jesus?

Katzpur

Katzpur

Not your average Mormon
Dunemeister said:
Sure. On a trinitarian understanding, the persons of the trinity are indeed distinct as persons. So, the standard formula (as it is for LDS) is that we pray TO the Father, IN THE NAME OF the Son IN THE POWER OF the Holy Spirit. Thus the Holy Spirit empowers the pray-er to pray, the Son intercedes for the pray-er (puts in his two cents' worth on the pray-er's behalf, which is more than anyone can actually count), and the Father receives the prayer. At least, that's the "model" form.
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This is actually pretty close to our belief.

However, on a trinitarian understanding, as far as the deity of the persons is concerned, there is nothing to choose between the persons. Each has equal dignity. So there is nothing inappropriate about directing prayer to Jesus. (One could, by these lights, also pray to the Holy Spirit, although that is far less commonly done.) Besides, these three ARE one God (again, thinking trinitarianly). That is, although they are three as persons, they are one divine being. (On a traditional trinitarian account, there is one and only one true God, period.) So, one successfully prays to God no matter which person is specifically addressed in prayer.
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I'd say we also believe that each has equal deity.

As far as I understand it (and please feel free to correct me), LDS theology holds that Elohim is superior to Jesus, and for that reason Jesus is not an appropriate object of worship (of which prayer is a species). Although Elohim and Jesus are one in purpose, they are not one in essence (they are not the same being).
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Well, Jesus Christ himself said that the Father is greater than the Son and He did refer to the Father as "my God." So we see the Father as being greater than the Son in exactly the same way as Jesus saw His own relationship to the Father. Neither of them, however, has any qualities (love, mercy, knowledge, power, etc.) that are superior to the other's. It's a little bit like the commandment (one of the Ten Commandments, I forget which one) that says, "Thou shalt honor thy Father and thy Mother." There isn't one which states, "Thou shalt honor thy children." There is just something about the Father/Son relationship in which the Father is the "Most High."

Hope that clears up how prayer works from a trinitarian perspective. If I've got the LDS side of things wrong (likely), feel free to point up the errors. I assume they're manifold.
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Not no manifold as you might expect. ;)
 
E

etherjaromomni

Member
Dunemeister said:
Sure. On a trinitarian understanding, the persons of the trinity are indeed distinct as persons. <snip>
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Thanks, Dunemeister. I've never had the trinitarian concept explained so clearly and concisely. My understanding was that the trinitarian concept was the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost all as one being, without body, parts or passions. That's as explained to me by a christian friend some years ago. A Catholic co-worker explained it similarly once, and I figured with two corroborating accounts, it was probably fairly accurate. But it's possible that I am confusing this with a different concept altogether. At any rate, based on mnay conversations I've had with other Christians over the years, the concept I just described is the most common belief system I run across -- so I assumed that Space Janitor was of the same. I shouldn't have made any assumptions at all, though. The more I think I know, the more I learn that I don't. :eek:
 
Smoke

Smoke

Done here.
spacejanitor said:
If Jesus wants to have a relationship with us, why does it appear sometimes that we are simply trying to rush through our prayers as though we are in a hurry? I know that when I talk to a friend, I am completely relaxed. I am at ease and our conversation is quite relaxing and satisfying.
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Arkholt said:
I agree that prayer should definitely be more conversational.
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Do you believe Jesus answers you? I mean, in words?
 
jtartar

jtartar

Well-Known Member
spacejanitor said:
I have given some thought recently on how I pray to Jesus. I noticed that when we pray to Jesus that we have a great tendency to rush through the prayer as though it is something that we need to get out of the way. And I used to do that also. But the bible states that Jesus wants a relationship with us. So how do we treat our friends?

If Jesus wants to have a relationship with us, why does it appear sometimes that we are simply trying to rush through our prayers as though we are in a hurry? I know that when I talk to a friend, I am completely relaxed. I am at ease and our conversation is quite relaxing and satisfying.

When I pray I treat it more as a conversation with him. I give thanks and praise for what he has done, and make requests for things I would like to have. Also, I try to put it into terms as though he were my best friend. The prayer or in my case the conversation that I have with Jesus, I want it to have some meaning. Not just something that I feel that I need to do and get out of the way.

Any thoughts?
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spacejanitor,
There is no law against talking to Jesus,but ONLY JEHOVAH God, The Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth, should we pray to. This is what Jesus taught, Matt 4:10. The Holy Bible tells us that God is the hearer of prayer, Ps 65:2. Jesus said that we must ask for things from the Father, in Jesus's name, John 16:23,24. Jesus said that the Father is greater than he is, John 14:28. Jesus prayed only to his Father, Luke 6:12, MAtt 26:39,42, Heb 5:7-10, Heb 2:9, Phil 2:7-11.
 
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