How We Can Really Know and Experience God Every Day
Have you ever wondered what it really means to “be in God’s presence” or to actually experience God, not just know about God? Let’s break it down into simple terms, using ideas straight from the Bible but explained for our everyday life.
God Wants a Real Connection with Us
From the very beginning, people were made to have a close, personal connection with God. Think about the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden: God didn’t stroll through the garden to hang out with animals—He came to talk and spend time with people. This tells us that, above everything else, God’s biggest desire is to have a real relationship with us.
What Went Wrong?
But as the Bible teaches, humans have turned away from God. We started doing things our own way, breaking trust with the One who made us. This isn’t just about bad behavior—it’s about losing that close friendship with God. Instead of walking with Him, we became strangers.
Yet, even though we drifted away, God’s original desire never changed. Throughout the Bible, there’s a clear message: God wants us back. This is called “redemption”—a way to restore the friendship and bring us close to God again.
How Did God Make a Way?
In the past, people tried to fix the broken relationship with sacrifices—offering animals to God as a sign of saying sorry. But those were just temporary measures. The big shift came when Jesus (called the Christ) did something no one else could: He offered Himself as the ultimate sacrifice. Because Jesus was perfect, His gift to God worked once and for all to clear away everything that stood between us and God.
So, rather than needing to constantly earn our way back, Jesus made it possible for us to freely come into God’s presence. This is called “eternal redemption”—it’s about being brought back for good.
What Does It Mean to Enjoy God’s Presence?
Enjoying God’s presence is more than just knowing facts about God or going through religious motions. It’s like the difference between reading about a famous person and actually sitting down for coffee with them. God wants us to be aware that He’s with us, to feel His nearness, and to respond to Him—with love, trust, and even conversation.
It’s not just about believing in God from a distance. It’s about actually noticing Him in your life—sometimes through peace, joy, or an inner sense of being loved; sometimes through your thoughts as you talk to Him honestly, or just quietly sitting and knowing He’s there.
What Gets in the Way?
Sometimes we settle for less—we enjoy the “ambience” of church or music or tradition, but miss out on the real presence of God. It’s possible to go through the motions, feel good for a while, but never have a real encounter with God Himself.
God doesn’t want us to just go through the motions. He wants us to be conscious of Him, just like you’re conscious of a friend in the room. God is everywhere, but there’s a difference between Him being present everywhere and us actually experiencing Him in a living, personal way.
How Do We Experience This?
· Come honestly. God values honesty over pretending. Like Abel in the Bible, admit your need for God. Don’t try to act perfect—just be real.
· Trust what Jesus did. We don’t have to perform rituals to get to God. Jesus already made the way.
· Talk to God. Share your thoughts, worries, joys, and questions. Expect that He hears you and, in His own way, responds.
· Be open. Sometimes God feels close, other times not so much. That’s okay. Faith means trusting He’s there, even if you don’t always “feel” it. But over time, as you keep coming, you’ll become more aware of His presence.
· Remember, God cares about relationship, not just rules. He wants you to know Him, not just know about Him.
Why Does This Matter?
Our whole purpose is to know God and enjoy Him. Everything else in life—success, happiness, even religion—is empty without that real relationship. When we experience God’s conscious presence, we’re living out the very reason we were made.
So don’t settle for just knowing about God. Step into His presence, talk to Him, and enjoy the relationship He offers. That’s what faith is all about—and it’s the greatest adventure you could ever know.
Minister A Francine Green
August 2025
afrancinegreen.com 