I never grew up questioning the existence of God. Truthfully, for as long as I can remember, God has always been an integral part of my life. I never wondered if God was real, or if God was keenly aware of what was going on in my life. Like many individuals in the black community, God and church were synonymous to my upbringing. In fact, a 2021 Pew Research Report notes that 97 percent of black people believe in God, and when asked, most attribute God as described in the Bible. However, while this may be true for the majority of African Americans, there is still a percentage of those who struggle with believing who God is. On one hand many have a very strong and powerful relationship with God, and then there are others who feel extremely disconnected from God.
Justin Ray traced some very interesting trends in The Guardian last year. He noted the rise of secularism among African American communities. Many believed that religion was a way to cope with life during slavery and is generally why black Americans place a higher value on religiosity than white Americans. However, slavery is now an extinct institution—therefore the need for connection with God is irrelevant.
There is a text in scripture that changed my perspective on the realness of God years ago that I want to offer as support. However, before I unpack that text, I would also suggest that many have left God or no longer believe in God based on disappointment.
Ever felt the pain of spiritual disappointment?
Years ago, when I contracted Lyme disease and was on the brink of death, it caused and has caused me to question God’s existence.
Pain will push you to ask certain questions that peace never will. In my different battles with this challenging disease, and not receiving full healing, I have at times, wondered if God was there. Is God really hearing my prayers? If God is hearing my prayers, then why isn’t he answering my prayers? I am learning though that when these types of questions assault the soul its usually born from some kind of disappointment or pain.
According to Romans 12:3, when we were born, all of us were given a measure of faith. What does that mean? That means that when we were born, we were born with some estimation of an understanding that there is Someone greater than us.
When my wife was pregnant with both of our children, I would often lean down to her belly and begin talking to my unborn children. I could feel them kick and could listen to them moving around inside of her but at the time they couldn’t verbally respond to me.
However, when they were born and I looked into their eyes and they looked back at me; it’s almost as if their expressions were telling me—you sound familiar. There was a familiarity, it seemed, to my voice that they had heard before.
Here’s a voice of real intrigue
When we were born with a measure of faith, there was a sense in us of some deity. God had been speaking life over us already, so that when we were born, we would be already familiar with his voice.
Let me take this a step further! Psalm 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” This is intriguing because it suggests that for an individual to fully understand who the Lord is and what he does and understand God—they must experience God for themselves. Following the Lord must be lived to be understood.
Is God real? God’s realness can best be communicated through an individual’s personal testimony! You cannot deny someone’s experience. You cannot discount what someone has lived through. When God reveals himself through a miracle, a circumstance, or even through another person—it becomes personal. There are several ways that God has communicated how real He is.
1. Dreams and Visions (Genesis 37)
2. Nature (Psalm 19)
3. Creation (Romans 1:20)
4. Prophets (Amos 3:7)
5. Jesus Christ (John 1:14)
6. Personal Experience (Jeremiah 29:13-14)
7. His Word (2 Timothy 16-17)
To some, He’s a given
One of the most practical ways that God reveals His realness to us today is through his written word. Every single day we have the opportunity to understand who God is through His written word. In truth, the Bible was not written to explain God—it was actually written with the understanding of the realness of God.
The bible assumes the existence of God and is therefore written with the understanding that God is definitely real. And because God is real, it is our privilege, as His creation, to taste and see and find out about this amazing God. What I have discovered for many people is that many people don’t deny the existence of God, but they at times (as I do) take issues with how God sometimes operates.
Let me encourage someone today not to deny the existence of God simply because you don’t enjoy the season of life you are in. Seasons always change, and its never the same season for an entire year. God isn’t just real, but God has a plan for your life!
Give it a shot
Is God real? That’s a question that you can answer! If you are still doubting the existence of God, I want you to (maybe for the first time) pray to God.
Praying to God is simply talking to God as you would talk to a friend. When you talk to God, ask God to reveal Himself to you so that you can have a personal testimony about how real God is. Ask God for undeniable evidence that God is real. I am confident that God will respond to your sincere prayer and reveal Himself to you in a way that you can understand.
Once God does this, you have tangible evidence that God is real, and you can share God’s realness with everyone you know!
