I hear people say, “I just can’t find God.” If you have ever felt that way, don’t give up. Never stop seeking Him because He longs to manifest Himself to you personally.
God wants us to know Him for ourselves. That’s exactly what John was talking about in 1 John 1:1-3:
[We are writing] about the Word of Life [in] Him Who existed from the beginning, Whom we have heard, Whom we have seen with our [own] eyes, Whom we have gazed upon [for ourselves] and have touched with our [own] hands.
And the Life [an aspect of His being] was revealed (made manifest, demonstrated), and we saw [as eyewitnesses] and are testifying to and declare to you the Life, the eternal Life [in Him] Who already existed with the Father and Who [actually] was made visible (was revealed) to us [His followers].
What we have seen and [ourselves] heard, we are also telling you, so that you too may realize and enjoy fellowship as partners and partakers with us. And [this] fellowship that we have [which is a distinguishing mark of Christians] is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ (the Messiah).
(1 John 1:1-3)
Notice how careful John is to explain: “This is my own experience. I’m not telling you of someone else’s experience. I’ve discovered Jesus for myself. I’ve seen Him. I’m an eyewitness of Him. I’ve heard Him. And I’m telling you all these things so you, too, can know Jesus. You can experience Him. You can fellowship with Him.”
That is the essence of Christianity—the fact that we can each know, experience, and fellowship with God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, for ourselves.
John says this fellowship we have with God is our distinguishing mark. In other words, every time we experience God’s presence and sense Him moving in our hearts, it impacts our lives and leaves an impression of God on us that the rest of the world can see.
If you go through the Bible and read the accounts of all the great men and women of God, you’ll find that the entire Book is an account of people’s experience with the living God.
Running throughout the Scripture is an invisible thread that constantly encourages us:
Seek God. Don’t just mentally accept these words as true. Use them as a foundation for your faith, and then step into the experience of God they point to. Seek to know the reality of God’s presence in a personal way. Set out on a quest for Him. Wear out the path to Him. You don’t have to just listen to others’ experiences with God. You can discover Him for yourself.
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On the chilly March night in 1972 when Lynne Hammond took her first step into a life of Spirit-led prayer, she had no idea what was about to happen. All she knew was the hunger in her heart for God wouldn’t let her sleep. In the few short months she’d been born again, her desire to fellowship with Him had grown so strong she could hardly contain it. “Help me, God!” she cried. “I want to know you. I want to be able to talk to you. Please, teach me to pray!”
Suddenly, a heavenly presence flooded the room. Lynne sensed waves of spiritual fire sweeping over her and a beautiful language began to flow like a river from within her. Although she’d never heard of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, she knew instantly, without a doubt—this was God!
What began that night soon blossomed into a life of prayer that ultimately became a ministry of prayer when, in 1980, Lynne and her husband, Mac, founded Living Word Christian Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Under Lynne’s leadership, the prayer ministry at Living Word has become an internationally recognized model for developing effective pray-ers in the local church.
A teacher and an author, Lynne publishes a newsletter called Prayer Notes, has written numerous books, and currently serves as the national prayer director for Daughters for Zion. Her passion for inspiring and leading others into the life of Spirit-led prayer continues to take her around the world to minister to believers whose heart cry, like hers, is “Lord, teach me to pray!”