Talking to God in Three Persons

Holy, holy, holy!  Lord God Almighty!
 Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.
 Holy, holy, holy!  Merciful and mighty,
 God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

Did you know we can ask God questions? He speaks to our spirits—we hear Him in our minds and feel Him in our hearts. He’s designed us to be able to hear Him clearly. Why? Because He WANTS to communicate with us. It’s been that ways since creation. He went on walks, talking with Adam and Eve in the garden. That was His perfect design. The devil tried to take all that away, but because of Jesus our communion with God is restored! And we’re even a part of His family! “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God –“ (John 1:12).

So, would you have a thriving relationship with a father without ever having any conversation with him? Of course not! But we don’t get to just relate to the Father. We have Jesus, who is our Lord, Savior, and brother. “Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters” (Hebrews 2:11). And we have the Holy Spirit, the one who guides us “into all truth” (John 16:13). He is called the Counselor.

The great mystery and majesty of the living God—three distinct personalities and relational functions within one Godhead. Mindblowing! But we don’t have to isolate our communication to one of the three—we can talk to the complete personhood of God. Just as you wouldn’t greet one important member of your family who came to visit and ignore or overlook the others, you needn’t speak just to the Father—for example—and fail to acknowledge the Son, or the Holy Spirit. Though the Father and Son move in our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit, they are always keenly present and involved.

So, as I said before, ask Him questions—all three persons—they each represent a different facet of God’s full character AND of His relationship with you. You can ask, “Jesus, what do you think about this?” He may have a slightly different response than the Father or Holy Spirit, but their responses will always coincide along the spectrum of truth. Sometimes the answer requires a “knowing,” not a “doing.” Instead of “Holy Spirit, what do you want me to do?” we may first need to have a revelation of God’s truth and therefore should ask, “Holy Spirit, what do you want me to know?”

Because God uses our minds and hearts as communication tools, when we are talking to and actively listening to Him, we may question whether we are hearing our own thoughts or what God is saying. It is important to remember that when we belong to Christ, we have His nature—His thoughts, and the Holy Spirit has a peaceful, unmistakable way of confirming what is true. God doesn’t mind if we ask for confirmation either—until we learn to recognize His voice. But it’s simpler than it may seem when we are His. His Word says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). We have a divine capacity for communication with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

“For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word [Jesus], and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one” (I John 5:7, KJV). The three are in agreement in everything, making it so there is undeniably “one Lord, one faith, one baptism;…” (Ephesians 4:5). They all bear witness with one another—and with us. Whatever is said to one is said to all three (because they are one), but just like three friends with whom you might share something important—and they all agree—the three persons of the Godhead will each have a different expression or way of articulating variations of the same idea.

But do we know if God hears us or not? “"Come and hear, all who fear God, And I will tell of what He has done for my soul.  I cried to Him with my mouth, And He was extolled with my tongue.  If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear; But certainly God has heard; He has given heed to the voice of my prayer.  Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His lovingkindness from me" (Psalm 66:16-20). That’s a definite yes! To put it another way, “Come near to God and he will come near to you” (James 4:8).

Don’t hesitate to communicate with your God in His three-fold greatness. He is ready to meet with you. And He looks forward to it! Truly, He beckons us, “…show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely” (Song of Solomon 2:14b). Let Him hear your voice today. He will let you hear His also. “For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it” (Job 33:14). Take the time to perceive it. God is always speaking. He always has something to say to us, His children. He speaks through His Word, through others, through situations and circumstances (as He directs our steps)—but don’t forget that He yearns for us to visit with Him directly.

Thank you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for loving me that much!