How to know God for yourself

Most of us grew up hearing about God—maybe in a church pew on Sundays, or from hearing our parents pray The Grace before a meal, or from a Bible that's collecting dust on a shelf. 

But hearing about someone and actually knowing them are two very different things. And if we're honest, a lot of us have spent years in the first category without ever stepping into the second.

Well, guess what? Knowing God isn't reserved for pastors, theologians, or people who have been Christians for decades. Knowing God is an open invitation—one that God extends to every single person on this earth. He wants to be known. He wants to speak to us, guide us, and reveal his heart to us.

You are fearfully and wonderfully made

Do you know you're fearfully and wonderfully made? 

Before you took your first breath, before you entered this world, God knew you. He designed you with purpose and created you exactly as he intended.

David put it this way: "I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14). A few verses later, he adds, "Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed" (v. 16). Long before you were born, God already knew you and had his hand on your life.

Feeling misunderstood? Get used to it

When you choose to follow Christ in a world that doesn't follow him, there's something you need to understand: you will be judged. You will be misunderstood. You will be mistreated. You may even be betrayed.

But before you become discouraged by that, remember this—Jesus went through all of it first.

Jesus was judged unfairly. He was misunderstood, even by those closest to him. Throughout much of his earthly ministry, people failed to recognize who he truly was. His motives were questioned, his words were twisted, and his actions were criticized.

Praying from a place of intimacy

It took me a while to get away from performing for God in prayer and simply talking to him.

For a long time I felt like I had to pray a certain way. I thought I couldn't say certain things. I felt like I had to use big words and sound spiritual. But I noticed that whenever I approached prayer that way, my mind would quickly become clouded and start to wander.

My lips were talking, but my heart was somewhere else. I wasn't being genuine; I was putting on a show for God.