Country artist Larry Fleet debuted the music video for his breakout hit single, “Where I Find God,” on Big Loud Records this spring. Shot at Lake Martin with wife Phoebe and son Waylon joining in, Fleet ensured everyone got involved!
Many can testify to finding God in surprising places–be it a sermon that spoke directly to them, an encounter with a homeless person, or witnessing the birth of their child.
1. Take a look around you.
Our world is incredible and filled with God’s great beauty, so make time to appreciate His marvelous creation and take some time out to admire it all. He may be speaking through it if we’re listening: the voices of friends or natural sounds (try switching off the radio while driving), or our conscience may speak volumes to us; you might be amazed at what you discover!
Many can attest to having experienced profound spiritual experiences where they feel God’s deep love and forgiveness in ways that defy description. This might occur at church during a sermon tailored to them personally, at their loved one’s bedside when praying for healing, or in moments of unbridled joy when witnessing something miraculous like nature or even seeing their child being born.
But finding God doesn’t just involve experiences; it requires a relationship with Him that transcends intellectual understanding or emotional emotion. To develop such an intimate bond between yourself and the Divine requires two key components – intellectual assent and emotional engagement.
Beginning by searching out and joining a Christian community/church is an excellent place to start. When searching, find groups that meet your standards of intellectual honesty, lack of hypocrisy, genuine concern for others, and non-coercive welcome of strangers. Once you find such a group, commit to spending time with it daily – don’t just attend church services – instead, spend time at home with family or friends, at school, when doing chores, out in nature enjoying its simple pleasures, or just life’s pleasures, etc.
2. Go to a Christian community/church.
Church (or “ekklesia,” from Greek: “called out assembly” or “gathering”) is where believers gather to worship God, understand His word better, and encourage one another in faith. Unfortunately, however, Christians often mistakenly believe that simply attending church will fulfill this purpose for them – however, this is not sufficient as Jesus teaches us to worship in spirit and truth, which requires relying on him rather than our emotions or feelings when honoring. Unfortunately, many churches have moved away from fulfilling this biblical mandate by emphasizing emotional responses over teaching believers how to simultaneously worship with both mind and heart!
Unfortunately, this has led some believers to withdraw from church communities and stop seeking fellowship among their fellow Christians. Others have become dissatisfied with their church experience and searched for other churches.
Finding a community of believers who share your faith while showing love and seeking service will enable you to feel supported when struggling and rejoice with you when triumphant moments arise. While opinions on secondary matters (like baptism or worship styles may differ) between believers, you should hold firm to primary ones like salvation by Christ alone, the trinity, divine inspiration of scripture, and understanding God as perfect.
At its heart, being in church isn’t about attending services alone – it’s about becoming one. By taking your faith into the wider world to show and share it, serving those in need, pooling your possessions together, and forgiving one another – all profound scriptural principles – becoming your faith’s living embodiment is truly essential.
3. Listen to Christian music.
Music can have the ability to alter our emotions and shape our thoughts, and listening to Christian music can help us focus on positive aspects of life while strengthening our faith. Furthermore, listening to Christian music can encourage and lift your spirits when feeling down – it’s an excellent way to relieve stress after an exhausting day!
Be it during an emotionally difficult or just in need of some boost, gospel music can serve as a fantastic form of reminder and inspiration that God’s creations matter significantly to Him and can encourage you to serve others and spread his word – as well as helping to create feelings of self-worth in you!
Christian radio stations not only play upbeat and inspirational music but can also provide educational teachings based on the Bible and stories that help people better comprehend God’s love for us and why He chose us for life’s journey.
Many people mistakenly assume Christian music can only be found at church services when, in reality, there are numerous styles available, ranging from rock to metal to country to Christian pop – there’s sure to be something perfect for you! And the significant part is you can listen anytime, anywhere, without going to church!
Some songs may make references to biblical themes without explicitly mentioning Jesus; Dream Theater’s music, “In the Presence of Enemies,” quotes Psalm 23, while Paramore’s song, “Careful,” refers to John 8:32 – both bands would consider themselves Christian bands; even secular bands like Creed contained spiritual truths that weren’t explicitly Christian in their lyrics.
4. Read the Bible.
Reading the Bible is the ideal way to understand God better and develop a closer relationship with Him. While reading, listen for guidance from the Holy Spirit as He leads your journey. Often, when people begin searching for God, they realize He already seems at work in their lives – finding patterns they believed were coincidences but may indicate events took place for a specific reason.
While reading the Bible, paying close attention to its context and relationship to other Scripture is essential. Reading entire books rather than verses or chapters can also be very illuminating.
If you’re getting into Christian reading, the Gospels may be the place to start. These works introduce Jesus Christ as God made flesh; Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John chronicle His life story between birth, death, and resurrection.
After reading, take some time to reflect upon what you’ve just read. Consider, pray, and journal about it; perhaps write out one verse that stands out in your journal or notepad.
Remembering the Bible as a love letter is also crucial, so pay attention for clues from the Holy Spirit as to what message to take away: repentance — does a passage call attention to things you need to turn away from or believe something different about God — faith — does your new understanding lead you towards obedience of His commands — spirit-led application transforms sinfulness into sanctification and conforms us more closely towards Jesus Christ’s image.
5. Pray.
Like in any loving human relationship, God desires communication with us and wants us to open up to Him. He listens and responds to prayers by sending answers in many forms; thoughts, spiritual feelings, or scripture may even provide comfort or assurance when needed. God is ever-present and loves us deeply – creating an eternal friendship and relationship between two beings on this Earth!
Prayer isn’t simply about asking God for things; it can also be used as an avenue for thanks and praise or to communicate daily struggles and needs to Him. The Bible contains numerous accounts of people seeking assistance through prayer and praising Him when their prayers were answered.
At times, it can be challenging to find words to adequately express our emotions or the complexity of our feelings when praying, which is where the beauty of the Bible comes in: its pages contain prayers written by everyday people to convey their messages directly to God. Furthermore, Scripture instructs that worship should continue (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Praying isn’t simply talking to an unseen force or speaking to an imaginary god; rather it involves connecting directly with God Himself through His Holy Spirit – your ultimate guide who serves as your comforter, counselor, advisor, strengthener, and encourager.
Remember that God is an ever-loving and merciful Father eager to hear about what’s happening in your life and His kingdom. He wants to hear about what you should be doing, where you should live, and your purpose in both worlds.