It is difficult to explain this matter adequately in doctrine, but in our experience it is really so. In the first stage of my Christian life, whenever I prayed, according to the general concept, I prayed to the Lord in heaven. But after some time, it seemed that the Lord who is in heaven had come into me and dwelled in me. I did not know at that time whether He was in heaven listening to me or indwelling me and praying within me. Of course, it could be said that it was the Holy Spirit in me who was helping me to pray (Rom. 8:26). But actually this Holy Spirit who is in me helping me to pray is also the Lord who is in heaven. Therefore, the One who prays within me is the One who listens to me in heaven. The two are identical.

Romans 8, on the one hand, says that the Lord is in heaven today (v. 34). But on the other hand, it also says that He is in us (v. 10). This is not only true today concerning the Lord who has already become the Spirit; even while He was in the flesh, it was also true. At that time He told Nicodemus that He was the One who "descended out of heaven" and "who is in heaven" (John 3:13). So when He prayed in John 17, He was on earth, and at the same time He was in heaven; He was the One who prayed on earth, and at the same time He was also the One who listened to the prayer in heaven.

The electricity in the lights in the meeting hall is on one hand in the meeting hall; on the other hand it is also in the generator; it is in both places. These are not two different electricities, but one. At the end in the power plant electricity is generated, while at the end in the meeting hall it illuminates. Thank the Lord, He also has two ends: at the end in heaven He is the Father, and at the end on the earth He is the Son; at the end in heaven He is the One who listens to the prayer, and at the end on earth He is the One who prays. He is both the One who prays on earth and the One who listens in heaven.

Furthermore, Hebrews 1:8-9 says, "Of the Son he saith...O God...thy God...." First it says, "Of the Son he saith...O God." This means the Son is God. But later it says "thy God." This is rather difficult to explain! Since the Son is called "O God," why does it also say "thy God"? According to our mental understanding, this simply means "God's God." Based upon this concept, it is no wonder that not long ago I received a book saying that this passage speaks of two Gods. Actually, it is not speaking here of two Gods, but of one God from different aspects. From the aspect of the Son being God, He is God; therefore, it says "O God." And from the aspect of the Son being man, God is His God; therefore, it says "thy God." We must see the various aspects of our Lord. On one hand, He is God, and on the other hand, He is also man. As God, He is God; as man, God is His God. On one hand, He is the One who prays, and on the other hand, He is also the One who listens to the prayer. He is both.

The Triune God—the Father, Son, and Spirit—has the aspect of being three-in-one and also the aspect of being one-in-three. As the three-in-one, He is "I," as the one-in-three, He is "us." From the aspect of the three-in-one, "the Word was God"; from the aspect of the one-in-three, "the Word was with God" (John 1:1). From the aspect of the three-in-one, "the Lord is the Spirit"; from the aspect of the one-in-three, it is "the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Cor. 3:17). From the aspect of the three-in-one, the Son and the Father are one (John 10:30; 14:7-11); from the aspect of the one-in-three, the Son is with the Father (1:1-2), the Son shares the glory with the Father (17:5), the Son is the beloved of the Father (v. 24), the Son has become one with the Father (vv. 11, 21-22), and the Son takes the same action with the Father (14:23).