Why You Haven’t Felt God Yet (And What to Do About It)
Stop Chasing the Feeling. Start with the Truth.
The reality of God's existence is not validated by our subjective feelings but revealed through His Word, fulfilled in history, and confirmed in the person and work of Jesus Christ. What we need is not a spiritual feeling, but spiritual regeneration.
"I sort of believe in God, but I don't know if He really exists. I've never felt His presence."
That's how the conversation started. Jacob, the young man I was speaking with, was honest. He's not an atheist. He's not denying God's existence. He's just unsure. Unsure because he hasn't had the feeling that he thinks should accompany belief in God.
He's not alone.
A lot of people today are waiting for some kind of supernatural feeling or dramatic moment of clarity before they believe. They want to feel God's presence. They want an experience, like what they imagine Abraham or Moses had. They want the miracle before the faith.
But here's the thing: God never told us to chase the feeling. He calls us to trust Him.
God's Promise Was Never About the Feeling
Jacob mentioned how hard it is to believe that God spoke to Abraham. It just doesn’t feel real. We don’t see God talking to people like that today. But if we chase experiences instead of truth, we end up building our worldview on sand. So let’s go back to that moment with Abraham and see what was really going on.
About 4,000 years ago, God called a man named Abram out of a pagan land and made a covenant with him. God promised him three things: land, offspring, and blessing (Genesis 12:1-3). He said, "Look at the stars. So shall your descendants be."
God later changed Abram’s name to Abraham, meaning "father of many nations," and through his son Isaac, and then through Isaac’s son Jacob (yep, same name as my skeptical friend), the family of Israel was born. This wasn’t just about bloodlines and tribal boundaries. It was about something much bigger. The blessing God promised was going to come to the whole world through Abraham's line (Genesis 22:18).
That promise gets narrower as you trace the story. It moves through one tribe—Judah. Then to one king—David. And ultimately, to one person: Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:16).
The One Who Fulfilled Every Promise
Jesus wasn’t some random spiritual guru. He’s the fulfillment of 2,000 years of prophecy. Born to a virgin, just as Isaiah foretold (Isaiah 7:14). Born in Bethlehem, just as Micah said (Micah 5:2). He lived a sinless life, healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, made the lame walk. He touched lepers and instead of becoming unclean, made them clean.
Then He was crucified—not for a crime, but because He claimed to be the Son of God (John 10:33). From the human perspective, they killed Him for blasphemy. But from God’s perspective, Jesus was the Lamb of God, taking away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
The greatest need we have isn’t for a spiritual high. It's not for clarity or even comfort. It's not education or money or even a moral code. It's to be made right with God. And only Jesus can do that.
The Bible says, "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). We all know we’ve done wrong. We’ve sinned. We've violated the standard that God put in our hearts. Our conscience tells us so. But Jesus took our death. He took our place.
And then He rose from the grave. Not metaphorically. Not spiritually. Literally. Bodily. He was seen by over 500 eyewitnesses (1 Corinthians 15:6). He ascended into heaven and now reigns as King.
Don’t Chase the Feeling. Chase Jesus.
Jacob said he prays every morning and night. But he also admitted he stopped reading the Bible because the stories felt fake. And I get that. I do. But here’s the deal: faith doesn’t come from feelings. It comes from hearing the Word of Christ (Romans 10:17).
When we turn from our sin and trust in Jesus—not just as a moral example, but as Savior and King—He changes us. He forgives us. He gives us new life. That's the real blessing God promised Abraham. That's the presence Jacob is looking for. But you don't get that presence by chasing after a feeling. You get it by coming to Jesus.
Jesus said, "Whoever comes to me I will never cast out" (John 6:37).
So don't wait to feel something. Repent of your sin. Believe that Jesus died and rose for you. Call on Him. Trust in Him. Give your life to Him. That’s what faith looks like.
And once you do that? Watch what He does in your life. Watch how He shows up. Not always in fireworks or goosebumps, but in real, radical transformation.
Watch the Full Conversation
Want to see how the whole conversation went down? Watch the full video here.
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