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Say, you're writing a love letter to God. Is this the right thing to write on
the envelope?

> 最愛の神さん

(I'm writing a short story featuring that theme.)

**EDIT:**

Maybe this 親愛なる神へ is better grammar?
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2017-07-02T07:23:35.397
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usage honorifics
Is 最愛の神さん the proper way to write "Dear God?"
In the many Japanese versions of the Bible (including Old and New Testaments)
and of Jewish and Christian prayers, hymns, etc, God is usually referred to
simply as 神. When addressing God directly, the usual usage is 神よ. わが父, "Our
Father", and おん主 (おんあるじ), "Lord", are also used. But it sounds as though your
story might be looking for a particular effect (perhaps comic?), so you'd have
to take that into account before deciding what form to use.
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2017-07-02T09:27:03.327
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No, it isn't. You must use 様 for God like 神様. However if you refer to Jesus
Christ, the phrase which Graham Healey said would be appropriate and 様 doesn't
seem to be used like 親愛なる神へ, but I am not sure.
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2017-07-02T09:57:21.777
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* 最愛の is not wrong, but 親愛なる sounds more respectful and natural.
  * さん is not really a respectful approach. It's only polite enough in ordinary conversations between your colleagues with equal status, for example. 神さん is not ungrammatical, but it almost sounds like "Yo God!" to me. Maybe it's not entirely impossible if you really, really want to be friendly.
  * Common options to address God are 神 (without any name suffix) and 神様. For the difference, please read my previous answer here: [神 compared to 神様](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/44725/5010) In short, 神様 sounds more friendly (but not over-friendly) like a kid wishing something to God, whereas 神 is more polite and formal, like a priest giving a lecture.
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This answer is specifically from a Christian perspective. If you're referring
to some other "God", then this answer may not really apply. YMMV.

As a Christian who worked at a Christian church in Japan for 2 years, I can
say these other answers are a little incomplete. The most familiar and
intimate expressions would be:

>   * [主]{しゅ} → Lord
>   * [神様]{かみ・さま} → God (but sounds a bit less intimate)
>   * [父]{ちち}なる(主・神様) → Lord/God our Father
>   * [愛]{あい}する(主・神様) → Our loving Lord/God
>   * [天]{てん}のお[父様]{とう・さま} → Our Father in Heaven / Our Heavenly Father
>

Many a prayer I've heard started out with 愛する天のお父様、感謝します (Our loving Father in
Heaven, we thank you).

As some of the other answers mentioned, you can add よ to the term when talking
_to_ God or when praying, but you wouldn't add it to the front of the
envelope.
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