Question on Praying in the Name of the Trinity

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Hi! So I am currently Protestant, but heavily leaning toward joining the Church in the next 1-2 years.

One of my friends, a former Catholic, now evangelical, said that it didn’t make sense to pray in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as Christ is the one Mediator between the Father and us. He also cited Jesus’ instruction to pray in his Name, and Jesus’ example of praying to the Father, where it wouldn’t make sense to pray to the Fahter through the Father, and not simply through the Son.

I am not sure if this division is necessary. Something feels a little off, but because it involves the economy of the Trinity, I think it is important enough to warrant an answer.

Any thoughts on this, or any responses?
 
For instance, If the Lord God, were say a stone, then a prayer may be to “god the stone”, in the name of His Son Jesus. Since He’s Trinity, “Father, Son and Holy Spirit”, three Persons; One God", so prayers are said to the Lord who is Trinity n in the name of Jesus, do Catholics pray so.
 
When I pray “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen” I am not asking each of those three persons to be my mediator with the Father or my mediator with God. I am recognizing their existence as three persons in one God, and invoking the whole Trinity as it were.

I may frame my petitions to God as “I humbly ask this in Jesus’ name” or if I’m praying directly to Jesus, “I humbly ask this in Your name”, because Jesus told us to ask in His name.

Your friend is likely coming at this from a position of trying to do exactly what is in Scripture, nothing more, nothing less. The Catholic faith is not solely based on scripture, so we’re not going to limit ourselves to only the prayer forms set forth explicitly in scripture.
 
I don’t really see a problem. It was Jesus who taught us to pray “Our Father.”
 
Our Lord commanded us to baptize in the “name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”… how does your friend understand that?
 
For him, it would probably be a non issue since it is explicitly commanded in Scripture. However, if pressed further, he would probably respond that baptizing in such a way declares our worship and recognizes the One God who is 3 Persons. He is our God, and that is just who He is.
He doesn’t have issue with the Trinity and declaring that God is Trinity, but takes issue with praying in the Name of the Trinity, rather than praying “to the Father, in the Name of Jesus, through the Holy Spirit,” which is likely what he would say if he had to put it into a formula.

I see this formula as the different ways of essentially praying in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
 
Tis_Bearself said:
When I pray “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen” I am not asking each of those three persons to be my mediator with the Father or my mediator with God. I am recognizing their existence as three persons in one God, and invoking the whole Trinity as it were.
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That’s it. Invocation. Worship starts with it. Why not Prayer.
 
When prayer is made in the name of the trinity, it is referring to God’s essence, since it is “name” singular, but three persons. Since there is only one God, prayer to any of the three persons is praying to the same “name” or essence. However, the church publicly does normally use the method you mentioned, of praying to the Father, through the Son, and in the Holy Ghost, since this is the pattern most appropriate because of the “role” of the persons of the one God.
 
Protestants stand firm on the Bible verse where Jesus states that nobody is to go to the father but through me. Ask yourself if the sign of the cross demonstrates that for you, to me it does.

Also note that Father Mike teaches that every time you use the sign of the cross you bless yourself. Two blessings for you, before and closing the prayer.

Would you feel two curses or to have been denied two blessings?

This is a free course to help you in your conversion if that is what you seek:

http://www.kofc.org/en/cis/correspondencecourse.html
 
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