There is a splendid moment in the movie Jurassic Park, when world-class paleontologist Allen Grant, who has devoted his life to the study of dinosaurs, suddenly comes face-to-face with real, live prehistoric creatures. He falls to the ground, dumbstruck. The reason is obvious. It is one thing to piece together an informed but nonetheless imperfect image of dinosaurs by picking through fossils and bones. But to encounter an actual dinosaur—well, there can be no comparison.

For many people, spirituality amounts to picking through the artifacts of faith that survive from long ago and far away. In that bygone era, humans saw God, heard his voice, and experienced his awesome, at times terrible, power. But that was then. Today, those kinds of gripping encounters with God—with a God who wasn’t an illusion, but Someone who was real, Someone you could see, and touch, and feel—well, there could be no comparison.

The essence of eternal life, and the heart of Experiencing God, is for you to personally know God the Father and Jesus Christ, His Son. Knowing God does not come through a program, a study, or a method. It is the result of a vibrant, growing, one-on-one relationship with God. Within this intimate connection, God will reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways so you can know Him in deeper and profound dimensions. As you relate to Him.

All religious truth should be experienced. Religious truth, in contrast to other forms of truth, is preeminently a truth to be experienced. William James noted, at the very heart of religious experience is the aim to have a satisfying, transcendent relationship. Religious truth, Kierkegaard said, is personal, rather than merely propositional. It is an experience that provides a living relationship with the living God. In this sense, religious truth is far more than what we know; it is what we live. It is not simply truth for believers to grasp; it grasps them.

In the most general sense, all truth must be experienced. At its root, experience means awareness—consciousness of the Ultimate. This extends from awareness of God to awareness of a mathematical truth. If it is not experienced, then one does not “know” it. So experience in this sense is not only important to religious faith; it is essential.

Existentialism emphasizes living over knowing, willing over thinking, the concrete over the abstract, and the dynamic over the static, love over law, the personal over the propositional, the individual over society, the subjective over the objective, the non-rational over the rational, and freedom over necessity.

Two concepts of Christian spirituality—one narrow, the other holistic—now circulate. The narrow version is concerned with experiencing the presence, voice, and consolations of God in a direct, right-here-right-now way. It pursues what have been aptly called “esoteric moments” and “points of wonder” (Humphrey, 5).

Authentic Christianity has always celebrated the possibility of experiencing God in this direct and interactive manner. At the same time, it has insisted that there is more to being a Christian than this. Holistic spirituality is about living all of life before God. It retains an important place for experiences, but it involves more. It also includes things like repentance, moral renewal, soul crafting, community building, witness, service, and faithfulness to one’s calling.

What Is the Key to Truly Experiencing God?

Although extremely popular in Christian circles, the concept of “experiencing God” is not explicitly found in Scripture. There are numerous commands in Scripture regarding how we are to relate to God, but experiencing Him is not one of them. We are to love God with all our hearts (Deuteronomy 6:5), obey God (Deuteronomy 27:10; 1 John 5:2), trust God (John 14:1), fear God (Ecclesiastes 12:13; 1 Peter 2:17), and many others. But nowhere does the Bible tell us to “experience God.”

What, then is meant by experiencing God and how do we go about it? If we begin with the dictionary definitions of “experience,” put them together, and apply it to our relationship to God, we come up with something like “participating in the nature of God, being moved by Him, and learning of Him by familiarity.”

Before we can participate in God in any way, we have to fully come to terms with two inner conflicts. First, each of us is a hopeless sinner in a pit from which we cannot escape by our own efforts (Romans 3:12). Second, nothing we do on our own is acceptable to Almighty God—not giving our money to the poor, not volunteer work at the hospital, not church attendance, nothing (Isaiah 64:6).

The second part of our definition of experiencing God is being moved by Him. The movement of God in the soul of man is one function of the Holy Spirit.
The third part of experiencing God is the lifelong process of learning of Him, becoming so intimately acquainted with Him that we joyfully yield our lives to Him because we have come to know Him and trust Him completely.

The key to experiencing God, then, is not expecting an “experience” or an emotional lift. Rather, it is a lifelong process of belonging to Him through Christ, being moved by the Holy Spirit by whom we are sanctified, and growing in the knowledge of Him.

Twenty-first century people often speak of “experiencing God,” being confronted by an incredible experience of emotion, enlightenment or even amazing beauty. This is often called the experiential argument for God’s existence. Such universal experiences of inner peace, or incredible beauty have persuaded some people that they have been in the presence of God. “Near-death experiences” convince others that they have seen evidence of heaven. They believe that they have felt God directly.

REALITY 1: GOD IS ALWAYS AT WORK AROUND YOU

God did not create the world and then abandon it to function on its own. He has been actively involved in human affairs throughout history. In fact, He is orchestrating history. Because of sin, humanity has been separated from a close relationship with God. God is working in His world to bring about the redemption of those who are alienated from Him and facing imminent judgment and destruction. The Father is working through Christ to reconcile the world to Himself. In God’s sovereignty, He has chosen to accomplish His work through His people. As He carries out His mission, He seeks to move people into the mainstream of His activity.

Joseph 39 And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hand of the Ishmaelites, that had brought him down thither. 2And Jehovah was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3

God was already at work around Moses’ life when He encountered Moses at the burning bush.

Years earlier, God told Abraham his descendants would be in bondage, but that He would deliver them and give them the Promised Land. (Exod. 2:23–25).

REALITY 2: GOD PURSUES A CONTINUING LOVE RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU THAT IS REAL AND PERSONAL

God created humanity for a love relationship with Him. More than anything else, God wants us to love Him with our total being (see Mark 12:30).

John 3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. 17For God sent not the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through him.

He is the One who pursues the love relationship with us. We do not naturally seek God on our own initiative.

Romans 3:10 There is none righteous, no, not one; 11There is none that understandeth,There is none that seeketh after God;

This intimate love relationship with God is both personal and practical.

REALITY 3: GOD INVITES YOU TO BECOME INVOLVED WITH HIM IN HIS WORK

God is the sovereign ruler of the universe. He has been working throughout history to accomplish His purposes. He does not ask us to dream our dreams for Him.

When God reveals to you where He is working, that becomes His invitation to join Him in His activity. When God reveals His work to you, that is the time to respond to Him.

Ac 16:9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.

REALITY 4: GOD SPEAKS BY THE HOLY SPIRIT THROUGH THE BIBLE, PRAYER, CIRCUMSTANCES, AND THE CHURCH TO REVEAL HIMSELF, HIS PURPOSES, AND HIS WAYS

The testimony of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation is that God speaks to His people. Today, God speaks to His people through the Holy Spirit, the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church (other believers) to guide us.

God is a talking God. The first action that is described under this general rubric “God created the heavens and the earth” is “God said, ‘Let there be light’ Genesis (1:3). Once Adam and Eve are made, then he actually addresses them and gives them some responsibilities: “This is what you are to do. This is what marriage will look like.” He speaks to them. So the God of the Bible in the very first chapter is not some abstract “unmoved mover,” some spirit impossible to define, some ground of all beings, some mystical experience. He has personality and dares to disclose himself in words that human beings understand. Through the whole Bible, that picture of God constantly recurs. However great or transcendent he is, he is a talking God.

REALITY 5: GOD’s INVITATION FOR YOU TO WORK WITH HIM ALWAYS LEADS YOU TO A CRISIS OF BELIEF THAT REQUIRES FAITH AND ACTION

God wants a watching world to come to know who He truly is. He does not call you to get involved in His activity merely so people can see what you can do. When God is involved in anything, there are always eternal, divine dimensions, implications, and possibilities.

When God asks you to do something you cannot do, you will face a crisis of belief. You’ll have to decide what you really believe about God. Can He and will He do what He has said He wants to do through you?

To follow God, you’ll have to walk by faith because without faith, it is impossible to please Him (Heb. 11:6). Biblical faith always requires action (James 2:14). God does not want you merely to believe what He says. He wants you to obey what He commands (see Luke 6:4).

“Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Exod. 3:11)

Moses offered God numerous objections. He questioned whether God could accomplish such an enormous task through him (see Exod. 3:11),

In each case, Moses doubted God’s power more than he was questioning his own ability.

REALITY 6: YOU MUST MAKE MAJOR ADJUSTMENTS IN YOUR LIFE TO JOIN GOD IN WHAT HE IS DOING

To get from where you are to where God is requires significant adjustments in your life.

You have to give up, to go up.

These adjustments may relate to your thinking, circumstances, relationships, commitments, actions, and beliefs. You can’t stay where you are and go with God at the same time.

REALITY 7: YOU COME TO KNOW GOD BY EXPERIENCE AS YOU OBEY HIM AND HE ACCOMPLISHES HIS WORK THROUGH YOU

Once you have determined to follow God by faith and you have made the adjustments, you must obey Him.

Moses came to know God by experience as he obeyed God, and God accomplished His work through him.

The LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to break camp. As for you, lift up your staff, stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. I am going to harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them, and I will receive glory by means of Pharaoh, all his army, and his chariots and horsemen.…” Exodus. 14:

God is at work reconciling a world to Himself. Because He loves you, He wants to involve you in His activity.

The essence of eternal life—and the heart of this book—is for you to personally know God the Father and Jesus Christ, His Son. Knowing God does not come through a program, a study, or a method. It is the result of a vibrant, growing, one-on-one relationship with God.