Many people wonder how to experience God. Some people want to hear an audible voice. Some people want to see signs and wonders. And still others want the Holy Spirit to suddenly fall upon them. But Jesus said, “This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation” (Luke 11:29-30).
Why did Jesus say this, and what’s wrong with seeking for a sign or wonder? Isn’t it just wanting to experience God? In this article, we will explore what to do if you want to experience God and how to experience God the way that pleases Him.
How to experience God: Don’t seek a sign
Jesus said it is evil to seek for a sign, because people expect God to perform as if He were some kind of genie.
“The Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Jesus, they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven” (Matthew 16:1). In reply, Jesus answered, “‘Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times? An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah.’ And He left them and went away” (Matthew 16:3-4).
So instead of obeying God, some people want to see a sign first, thinking, “Why should I obey? Show me a sign first. Then I’ll consider whether or not to obey.” That is why Jesus said that those who think like this are not thinking correctly. They want to experience God and then go back to their own ways, while God wants us to walk with Him.
When we walk with God, naturally we will experience Him.
How to experience God: the sign of Jonah
The sign of Jonah is this: “Just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40). This occurred when Jesus was buried for three days after He was crucified.
One way to experience God is to walk in the way that He walked. He died for our sins. So we die to sin. He was buried for three days. We are buried with Christ in baptism.
When we are baptized (during which we are emersed in water and rise from it), we testify to the world that we die to sin, are buried with Christ, and are also raised up with Him (Colossians 2:12-14).
So since we have died to sin, we should learn to obey God and avoid walking in sin. In this way, we can draw near to God and He will also draw near to us.
How to experience God: Cleanse your hands and purify your hearts
The Bible says: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8).
How to experience God? We need to obey God and stop sinning. Stop doing the things that we know displease God and do the things that please Him.
Also, don’t run with emotions and don’t let emotions control you. This is what it means to purify our hearts. How we feel is not an indication of what is true. For example, if we feel lazy or unhappy one day, it doesn’t mean that we should follow those feelings or act according to them.
“The heart is more deceitful than all else
And is desperately sick;
Who can understand it?
I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind…” (Jeremiah 17:9-10)
Emotions can be deceiving, but the word of the Lord stands forever. Trust in the Lord and His word. Ask God to help you purify your heart and think in a way that honors Him.
Don’t dismiss “small” miracles
Don’t dismiss “small” miracles like the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Many people want to hear an audible voice from God, but since the Holy Spirit lives in believers, He can talk to us directly thought-to-thought. Because God often uses a quiet voice, we need to tune our hearts to listen to His quiet voice and obey Him.
Why does God use a quiet voice? He usually doesn’t like to shout at us. What kind of relationship is a shouting one? Also, God tests us to see if we are listening. Remember, He wants us to obey Him first, and not just obey Him only after we see a big miracle.
There are other ways God speaks to us. Learn to listen to Him.
Obedience step-by-step
Sometimes we may think God’s commands are difficult to follow. But the Lord wants us to walk humbly with Him. How do we walk with Him? It is one step at a time.
Often God gives us a goal and He tells us the first step in achieving that goal. So we need to take that first step. And God may not show us any of the other steps until we have taken that first step. Once we take the first step, He will show us the next step. When we take the next step, He will show us the following step, and so on until we reach His goal.
In this way, we follow Him and walk with Him step-by-step. By obeying Him step-by-step, we can look back and see, not only how we experienced Him, but how He has lovingly and miraculously guided us all along the way.
“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him” (John 14:21).
God of Miracles
Jesus is a God of miracles. In fact, He performed many miracles on earth and still performs them today. Jesus said, “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you” (Mark 11:24).
There was a centurion whose servant was very ill. “And Jesus said to the centurion, ‘Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.’ And the servant was healed that very moment.” (Matthew 8:13)
So how do we experience God in a way that pleases Him? By trusting Him and obeying Him. As we do so, He will show Himself faithful every time. We will experience God’s faithfulness, and learn to trust Him more and more. Over time, we will develop great faith in Him to move mountains, and see God perform many wonders in our lives.
Summary
In conclusion, it is good to trust God and see Him work wonders. But if we want to see miracles for the sake of seeing them, or want to experience God for that experience only, then we are missing out on what He wants for us. He wants us to walk humbly with Him and be obedient to Him. If we call ourselves children of God, then we need to act in obedience first.
Q & A
I don’t yet believe in God because I’m not sure He’s real, but I want to experience God. What do I do?
God likes an open and honest heart no matter where you are coming from. And He promises in the Bible, “‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you.'” (Jeremiah 29:11-14).
How do you search for God with all your heart? You can start by keeping an open mind.
Look into Why I believe and answers to frequently asked questions about Christianity.
Is God speaking to you through these things? Don’t dismiss His quiet voice. God tests you to see if you would listen to the things He has already shown you.
What has God already shown you?
- His Divine Nature – “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). If you have doubts, see Evidence for Creation.
- His Holy Word – “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead” (Luke 16:31). God wants us to believe not through some supernatural event, but His word is enough to persuade us. Do His words in the Bible tug at your heart? Don’t dismiss this. “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 3:15).
- Other reasons to believe – As mentioned above, explore this site for many reasons to believe, including scientific accuracy of the Bible, archaeology, answers to difficult questions, etc.
How do you respond to these revelations?
“He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)
If you truly want to personally experience God, repent of your sins and trust in Jesus for salvation. As you follow God and obey Him, you will see His faithfulness and experience Him in your life.
Read John 14 in the Bible.
Learn how to listen to God and increase your faith.