Sabbatical #17: Trinity Prayer (Path of Celtic Prayer #2)

While we tend to go to different members of the Godhead depending on the content of prayer (praise the Father for creation, ask Jesus for help on daily stuff, and ignore the Spirit), the Celts regularly prayed to the Trinity, particularly in the morning and in the evening (“If I die before I wake; I pray the Lord my soul to take” is Celtic because they thought evil spirits could steal souls in the middle of the night). Here’s an example of a “typical morning prayer,” according to Miller:

I awake in the name of the Father who made me.
I arise in the name of the Son who died to save me.
I rise to greet the dawn in the name of the Spirit who fills me with life.

The evening prayer was similar:

I lay me down in the love of my Father.
I surrender my body to rest in the love of my Savior.
I trust my life in sleep to the Spirit who fills me with life.

Miller suggests writing your own morning and evening prayers with more personal and expanded “endings” to the prayer prompts (48-49). Here’s what he gives, if you’re interested.

Morning
Holy God,
I am rising today in the name of the Father who…

I am rising today in the name of the Son who…

I am rising today in the name of the Spirit who…

Evening
God of all that is and was and shall be, for this day and its fullness I give you thanks;
Thank you father for the Earth and its endless beauty. Thank you especially for…

Thank you, Son, for your example of obedience to your Father which taught me faithfulness this day as I endeavored to…

Thank you, Spirit, for your infilling of my life, I especially thank you for your presence today as you walked with me through…

Father, give me sleep tonight, so that my praise in the morning may…

Son, wake me in obedience tomorrow so that I may…

Spirit, offer me your presence tomorrow so that I may…

Amen

I haven't had a chance to work on it, but it seems like a fruitful exercise to even do once, let alone make it part of one's devotional practice.