My Personal Experience Of God Essay Example
My cup of gladness is most full when I am helping people become more aware of God’s presence in their lives to fulfil their calling. This might happen in the context of leading a traditional worship service, preaching a sermon, mentoring, teaching or facilitating a prayer group. But just as often, encountering God happens in the ordinary, everyday, mundane tasks and activities of life. Becoming aware of God’s presence in our lives is a lifelong exercise in learning to see.
From an early age, when I accepted Christ as Savior, I had a strong sense that my life would be about Jesus. I believe that was God’s first call (small c) on my life—to follow him. As I grew in my faith, there was a growing awareness within that God was Calling (capital C) me into much more. Throughout different seasons in life, I can recall several godly people who affirmed this in me.
At a young age I have felt irresistibly drawn to God. As a child, I was compelled to read my Bible and pray every day—and I did with little or no understanding why or how it should be done. My journey to this revelation was long and filled with great struggles. I recall having dreams from five years, they would speak to the cause of current issues within the family, events to come (all manifested) and a great part of my dreams were related to now known: spiritual warfare. Surprisingly, I was somehow able to understand their meanings and help other interpret their dreams. At times, I would speak things and they would come to past. Strong instincts to persons motives: discernment. As a result of these unexplainable abilities, I struggled with rejection and strong attacks both physically and spiritually from those operating under the Jezebel spirit from many including persons with the body of Christ. I remember wondering how God intended to use such a variety of seemingly strange and unrelated experiences to direct my path. When things got hard, I mean really hard, I felt disillusioned and disqualified. Little did I realize he was doing much more than leading me to a role or destination. God was (and still is) radically transforming and preparing me to be able to recognize and fulfill what he has called me to.
I recalled attending many services where I would be identified from the congregation and prophesied to in relation to my calling which stood as confirmation to dreams and visions received prior to these meetings. A pivotal point in my life was when I began to recognize that God’s purpose for me was so much more about my identity in Christ rather than what I was happening. Embracing this reality has brought incredible freedom. Don’t get me wrong, this continues to be a process—but one filled with much more joy and less frustration. Now that I am older, and hopefully a bit wiser, I can connect the dots and am often stunned by God’s wisdom, patience and redemptive power.
By the age of twenty-one years, I was convinced that I was called to ministry. It was a Thursday evening, sitting in the backyard conversing with God while admiring the birds flying around and the ants hustling with food to their nest. I recalled hearing the audible voice of God calling me. I looked around, no one was there, I heard it again, I began to denounce the spirit, which was my conclusion of such sound. Then, I heard the voice say, “I am your God, whom you are speaking with, fear not” Fear, immediately disappeared and I felt an overwhelming sense of peace and joy at the same time. He added, “I have chosen you; you are anointed for great work in my kingdom.” I immediately wrote the words down and pondered on them, researching the possible meaning through the scriptures. It did not happen overnight. I began studying the lives of Joseph, David and Moses to name a few as to how they served.
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Finding God in Unexpected Places
Yes, God’s truth and grace can be found in a modest church or a soaring cathedral, but He’s also in places we never thought to look.
This summer I have been reading Finding God in Unexpected Places by Philip Yancey after coming across it in a Goodwill store—the last place I expected to buy such a book. As a pastor, I have many conversations with people about their encounters with God and their faith journeys. And many think that God lives primarily within the walls of a church. But God’s footprints are everywhere and in places we never thought to look.
Yancey writes:
“Jesus himself looked for God not among the pious at the synagogue, but in a widow who had two pennies left to her name and in a tax collector who knew no formal prayers; he found his spiritual lessons in sparrows sold at a market, and in the wheat fields and wedding banquets, and yes, even in the observation of a mixed-race foreigner who had five failed marriages. Jesus was a mastermind at finding God in unexpected places.”
This prompted me to think about my personal experience of finding God in unexpected places and people. Once as a zealous young street preacher, I was stopped by a homeless man asking for money. I decided to preach a long sermon before giving him the only coins I had. While I thought my message was what he needed, it was me who needed to see God in him. When I finally stopped talking and gave him the coins, his eyes locked with mine. He said, “Keep your money.” In other words, that was a lot of preaching for so little.
His look, words, broken body and spirit from living on the streets pierced my soul. At that moment, I saw God in the homeless and realized my method was not the way of the Gospel, best preached with love and actions—and words if needed.
Another experience that has stayed with me took place four days after the 9/11 attacks in New York City in 2001. Along with other pastors, I went to Ground Zero where the World Trade Center had once stood to offer spiritual support to first responders.
In the midst of the smoke and smells, the twisted metal and mountain of debris were signs of God’s presence. Along with the fear, anger and sadness of that day, I remember first responder teams working together in hopes of finding someone alive or even a body. Religious leaders from different faiths united there in one spirit and faith as we prayed together. God was in that soaring wreckage with the living and the dead.
Yes, God can be found in the great cathedrals of Europe with its magnificent art and architecture, or in a modest church building. But His footprints are also elsewhere, waiting to be discovered. Where have you unexpectedly found God?
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Home — Essay Samples — Religion — Religious Beliefs — Reflecting on My Personal Experience with God
Reflecting on My Personal Experience with God
- Categories: Faith Personal Beliefs Religious Beliefs
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Words: 524 |
Published: Aug 4, 2023
Words: 524 | Page: 1 | 3 min read
Table of contents
Questioning my faith in god, strengthening my relationship with god, learning experience with faith.
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How Have You Experienced The Presence of God During This Year?
Faith asked high school and college students how they have felt the presence of god during these long months of the pandemic..
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, I was still able to experience my relationship with God. I was able to take advantage of the time spent at home to reflect and develop my prayer life. I made an effort to just open up to God and be honest about everything I was experiencing, whether it was sadness, hope, joy or anything else.
– Owen Gross is a senior at Powers Catholic High School
“One good thing I’ve learned about my faith during the year of COVID-19 is that you should try to pray as many times as you can. Also it’s good to find a routine. Some nights you forget to pray because you are too tired but if you make it a routine and have those conversations with God it be-comes fun. I felt touched by God’s grace during the pandemic when my grandparents got home safe from Mexico and stayed healthy.”
– Joshua Garman is a senior at Powers Catholic High School
“I have felt the presence of God over the past few months by being able to slow down and take a few steps back to admire all that he has blessed me with. From the time gained to grow with family members, to the care and bright faces we see in our communities because we all understand the difficult times that are upon us.
– Noah Koenigsknecht is from the Catholic Community of St. Jude in DeWitt and is a junior at Northwood University.
“One way God has been present to me during the year of COVID-19 has been through offering more opportunities than ever before to get involved and draw closer to him. Through online retreats, Bible studies, small groups, youth group and helping my parish to host on online VBS, I was able to deepen my relationship with Christ. Near the end of quarantine when we were finally able to go back to Mass and have adoration, I had a much greater appreciation for the Eucharist!”
– Talia Tetmeyer is a senior at Powers Catholic High School.
“My faith has always been my rock, my stronghold in the storm. Throughout this particular storm, Jesus has reminded me time and time again that I am not in this storm alone. He sees me, knows my struggles and understands my pain. He is in control of it all. This pandemic has allowed me to place all of my trust in the Lord because he has control of every situation, and can overcome any evil. He never abandons us, forsakes us or ignores us. He loves us, and is with us always.”
– MaryGrace Ortega is a junior at Powers Catholic High School.
I have realized that more than ever I need to be a voice for compassion and kindness in the world. I realized that I need to do as much as I can to end hate because of the terrible effects that it has had on the people around me. I also realized that I need to be as kind as I can to others around me because there is no telling the hardships they are going through. I have seen the pandemic as a time for contemplation, and I have seen God pointing me in the direction to help others in their struggles. I have also seen that God sent challenges my way as examples for me to remember in order to have more understanding for others.”
– Conor Urban is from St. Elizabeth Parish in Tecumseh and is a senior at Oakland University
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, I have recognized God’s presence in my life through empathy. Everyone is in a similar boat in relation to this ’new normal’ we are living in, however, people are experiencing it in different ways. I have met many individuals who have lost family members because of this pandemic, others who have had COVID-19 themselves or even some, who may not believe this exists. God has given me the patience and the empathy to connect and converse with individuals to help them cope with what they may be going through during this difficult time.”
– Emily Thelen is from St. Joseph Parish in St. Johns and is a senior at Central Michigan University
This year has definitely been a roller coaster for me with the early ending of my senior year in high school, loss of my first job and finally getting COVID-19 as a freshman in college while writing this column. When looking at all of these events at a surface level, it would be easy to become mad and even blame God for this entire year. But the early ending of my senior year and the loss of my job allowed me more time to say goodbye to my friends and family before I left for college. Even having COVID-19 allowed me more time to focus on my studies and enjoy some me-time with a new book. I was able to count on God to not only help me through them, but to also see the positives and grace they all bring.”
– Rebecca Fraley is from St. Agnes Parish in Fowlerville and is a freshman at Western Michigan University.
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Home / Essay Samples / Philosophy / Existence of God / My Relationship with God: A Personal Reflection
My Relationship with God: A Personal Reflection
- Category: Philosophy , Religion
- Topic: Existence of God , God
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