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Three Different Relationships that a Jew has with God

By Avi Lazerson

God as a Father

One aspect of our relationship to God is that we Jews are considered the children of God.

Let us understand clearly that the concept of God is really beyond our ability to fathom. We call him the King of the Universe and indeed it is He who rules the heavens and earth. But like an earthly king, he has his subjects, his servants, his ministers and his children.

As the son of a king, the son enjoys special privileges that others can not have. He has almost total access to the king and enjoys the special priority that the king will show him when it is necessary. It is the son's welfare that has high priority on the father's mind. Like a son who cries bitterly to his father over some distress will evoke in the father feeling that the father must help his distressed son. So too, we Jews also have the ability to access this special relationship through prayer to make our needs heard.

We can rely on our Father to help us; perhaps not in the manner in which we want, but God hears our cries (if they are real) and finds ways to help. We as Jews can exercise this option when we are in need and it will work as long as we do not descend into turning our prayers into meaningless rote.