Fr Alvan Ibeh: Know God for Yourself

In his regular column Fr Alvan reflects on the importance of knowing God personally through prayer, Scripture and lived experience, and allowing that relationship to shape our lives.

A few weeks ago, I had an encounter while at work at the hospital that gave me insight into this article.

I went to see a patient in one of the wards. When I got to the ward, the person I came to see was not around (maybe he had gone for a scan, as his bed was not there either). Since he was not there, I decided, as I always do, to say hello to the other patients in the bay. It went smoothly until I got to the last person, and then things changed. The man welcomed me, asked my name and asked what I was there for. I told him my name and was about to tell him what I do when he saw my collar. “Oh, you are a churchman,” he said. He said religion is not for him and that he doesn’t believe in God. He said that we all originated from dinosaurs and were not created by God. He went further to say that all those who believe in God are delusional and have been brainwashed. He told me that he was brought up as a Catholic and went to church every Sunday as a young man, but at some point he gave up religion because he no longer believed what he was told. He asked if there is a God and why people fight and kill one another. He mentioned that what we believe is nothing but what we have been told by people. Funnily enough, as he was saying all this, I kept hearing a voice in my head saying to me, “These things he is saying may be the truth.” But I am convinced of what I believe in—not based on what I was told as a young man or what I heard others say, but based on the experiences and encounters I have had that have made me believe beyond any reasonable doubt that God is real. So it was on this basis that I stood my ground and bore witness, though he also stood by his convictions.

As I left him, something struck me: “What if I didn’t know God for myself? What would have happened? What if my knowledge about God was only from what I have heard others say or what others have written about Him, and not from a personal encounter with Him?”

Job, in Job 42:5–6, said, “My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore, I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” Jesus, in Luke 9:20, asks His disciples a more personal question after asking them who people were saying He was: “And you, who do you say that I am?” It was only Peter who was confident enough to answer that question because he had encountered Jesus personally and intimately. Others kept quiet because they didn’t know what to answer. So, it is possible that someone can be a Christian for so many years and yet not actually know God personally. Do you really know God for yourself?

Knowing God personally is not about memorising doctrine or adhering strictly to routine; it is an intentional, transforming relationship that shifts from knowing about God to knowing and experiencing Him first-hand. We can read every biography written about a person and remain a stranger to them. Knowing God requires engaging Him directly rather than relying exclusively on second-hand reports from preachers, books or tradition.

If you want to know God for yourself, you must shift from head knowledge to an experiential relationship. This is because information about God provides the structural framework, but heart engagement transforms that structure into a living connection. We must also cultivate attentive silence and solitude. In a noisy, fast-paced world, hearing a quiet voice requires intentional space, and this is where encounters happen. So we must lower the noise floor and learn to listen actively. We must engage with Scripture as an active conversation. In other words, Scripture should not be treated as a textbook to study for an exam but as a living letter meant to reveal character and offer guidance. Scripture is a place of encounter; it is alive and always active.

As we know God, we grow in humility, patience, compassion and integrity. We learn to forgive because we have received forgiveness, to serve because Christ served, and to seek justice because God cares about what is right. This growth takes time. When we stumble, we can confess our sin and return to God, trusting His mercy (1 John 1:9).

If you want to know God for yourself, begin honestly. Ask Him to reveal Himself as you read the Bible. Tell Him what you are carrying. Consider the life and teaching of Jesus. Seek the support of a faithful Christian community and take the next step of trust God places before you.

You may not receive answers to every question at once. But you can know the God who invites you to seek Him, meets you with grace and remains faithful through every season.

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