Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer! (Psalm 4:1 ESV)

By: Scott Schuler

Early in my walk with Jesus, I had no idea Who I was supposed to direct my prayers to: God the Father, Jesus the Son or the Holy Spirit? It was a tongue twister just trying to figure out how to be reverent and eloquent, especially when praying out loud and addressing the prayers of others.

But the Apostle Matthew warns us against this, doesn’t he?

“⁷ And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. ⁸ Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:7-8 ESV)

So, who are we supposed to talk to when we pray? I’ve learned it doesn’t matter to God!

After years of wrestling with this question, I’ve come to a personal conclusion. When I am in earnest prayer about a community or global matter, I talk to God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth. When my question, or quest, is more personal, I talk to Jesus the Son, who walked this earth as a man the same way I do. Jesus feels relational to me. And when I’m asking for guidance in God’s will, I pray to the Holy Spirit because the Bible says He lives inside me. The Spirit makes my requests known to the Father because He feels my struggles, too.

The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three-in-one. They all hear our prayers and questions.

Don’t worry about formality. Instead approach prayer with a child-like heart concerning what’s bothering you. Share the desires of your heart with God. Or tell Him something you just love about Him. He wants to hear it all.

Your assignment: give this approach a try. Then share it with others who are struggling with the same issue.

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