Prayer in the Trinity

By Ron Cole-Turner

Most of us have trouble praying, and for a very good reason. We seem to know that theologically, prayer is impossible. Who are we to talk to God? How can our words mean anything to God? All the great theologians of prayer have recognized this. We cannot pray.
But God is already doing what we cannot do. And God is inviting us to participate. We cannot initiate prayer, but we can join in, listening and responding to what God is already doing.
The New Testament is very clear in saying that Jesus Christ prayed. More than that, he continues to pray for us even now, interceding on our behalf. On the basis of his prayers for us, our prayers for ourselves and for each other are lifted up and offered effectively on our behalf. Christ makes prayer possible.
Likewise the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, probing the depths of our hidden selves and raising our deep yearnings to awareness and expression.
In the prayers of Christ and through the intercessions of the Spirit, God is already communicating, engaging us in what we experience as prayer. For this reason, we can see prayer as something that is already going on. It is not something we initiate. It is something we are invited to join.
Prayer in the Trinity explores at length the way the New Testament speaks of God and prayer. It draws on theologians from Origen to Moltmann, offering up an invitation to pray grounded in a distinctly Christian view of prayer.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ron Cole-Turner
• Release date: Oct 20, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301384426

Ron Cole-Turner

Ron Cole-Turner is a professor of theology, an avid traveler, and actively working to bring the historic Christian faith into the modern world by engaging in dialogue with science and technology.He is probably best known as the author of the words of the baptism hymn, "Child of Blessing," which has been printed approximately 10 million times in hymnals around the world.On the science and theology front, he blogs regularly at enhancingtheology.org. And in November, his 6-session adult education guide on "Faith and Science" is available through the Faith Seeking Understanding series.Ron teaches at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. His courses range from the "Doctrine of the Trinity" to "Christianity and Evolution" to "Popular Christian Literature."He also serves as vice president of the International Society for Science and Religion, based in Cambridge, England.

Book preview

Prayer in the Trinity

Ron Cole-Turner

Copyright 2012 Ron Cole-Turner

Smashwords Edition

Cover Photo: Painted in the early 1400s by Andrei Rublev, this icon shows three visitors hosted by Abraham. Many have seen this as a representation of the Holy Trinity, with three in perfect unity who invite the worshiper to enter into relationship. Photo from Wikimedia Commons.

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1—Is Prayer Possible?

Chapter 2—Jesus Christ and Prayer in the New Testament

Chapter 3—Christ and Prayer in the Early Church

Chapter 4—The Christ Who Prays

Chapter 5—The Spirit of Prayer

Chapter 6—Prayer in the Trinity

Chapter 7—Prayer Is Impossible, and Yet…

References

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Chapter One

Is Prayer Possible?

Like most Christians, I grew up being taught that I should pray. But I never quite understood what my prayers were supposed to be doing. Was I lobbying God for something God was reluctant to give? Was I trying to change God’s mind, as Abraham seems to do in Genesis 18 when he asks God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah?

And then I would wonder. God always does what is good. Even before I pray, God is already going to do the right thing. So what am I doing? Asking God to do something less than good? If I could change God’s will, would that really be a good thing?

Friends would say to me—well, at least praying will be good for you. It may not change God, but keep it up long enough and it will make you a better person. That may be true, but is that really what prayer is all about? Not to be egotistical or anything, but I wanted my prayers to count for more than that. I wanted them to register with God and to change the outcome of events. But my traditional theology always stood in the way, preventing any meaningful theology of prayer.

One day as I was reading about this problem, I came across this comment: for many, the most critical question that can be put to any theology of prayer is whether prayer makes any difference that reaches beyond the subjectivity of the one who prayers… (LeFever, 68). At least I was not alone in asking these questions.

All the more reason to wonder why traditional Christian theology seemed to make prayer logically impossible. If other people see the problem, too, why doesn’t someone do something to find a solution? Or is it a problem that we cannot solve?

Now of course, I was not very good at praying in the first place. Like so many others, I was always looking for an excuse not to pray. And my traditional theology seemed to offer the best excuse of all. Why pray when prayer—at least petitionary prayer—is theologically impossible?

My traditional theology emphasized God’s changelessness and perfection. It was becoming more and more clear to me that with this emphasis, my theology had backed itself into a corner. Theologians and church leaders tried to reassure me that God hears my prayers. But if God is perfect, what can I add? If God is changeless, what can my prayers contribute? How can they make any difference whatsoever?

As I read about this problem, I learned that theological misgivings about prayer have been around a long time, longer even than Christianity. In Judaism before Jesus, there was a rich tradition of theological reflection upon prayer. In Athens, the ancient Greeks made fun of those who prayed. Petitionary prayer was ridiculed in the theater and attack by the philosophers. Why pray, they asked,