Are God and Jesus Reality?

That question really bothered me during my first year of college.

I had grown up in the Christian faith. I went to Sunday school, attended Bible studies, and was in church every Sunday. I completed confirmation, was very active in my youth group, and had even shared the gospel message with others. I had a lot of head knowledge about God and Jesus—I could recite Bible stories and explain theology.

But by the time I left for college, I began to seriously question if God and Jesus were actually real.

Wrestling with Doubt

I had so many questions:

• Who created God?
• Doesn’t evolution disprove God and the Bible?
• If I had been born in Asia, would I be a Buddhist or Hindu?
• If I had grown up in the Middle East, wouldn’t I be Muslim?

I realized maybe I was a Christian simply because that’s what I was taught growing up.

On the outside, I had a great life. I was raised in a well-off family and had all the material things that should have made me happy. But deep down, I had no true or lasting joy, and I lacked any real purpose in life.

When I left for college, I entered a really difficult personal season. I felt like God never heard my prayers, and everything just seemed hopeless.

That’s when I began to doubt His existence entirely.

A Roommate with Real Faith

My college roommate was a standout football player—popular on campus and full of joy. But what stood out most was his genuine faith in God and Jesus. 
He was known for his strong Christian walk.

That really bothered me.

Why? Because I had head knowledge of Jesus, but he had heart knowledge. I didn’t really know if Jesus was real—but my roommate clearly did. Jesus was just a fact in my head. I didn’t even know that I had any good news to share because  all I had was head knowledge.

Rock Bottom and a Cry for Help

One night, in total despair, I drove around Tacoma, Washington, feeling empty and lost. I eventually checked into a small motel. Once inside, I dropped to my knees and cried out to the God I had learned about as a child.  It was not a religious prayer, but a cry from my inner being:

“God, I don’t even know if You are for real, but if You are, then please  make Yourself real to me—because if You’re not, then there’s no reason for me to live.”

I didn’t hear an audible voice or see lightning bolts that night. But over the next few months, something began to happen…

God Answered

I started to notice how God had specifically answered some of my prayers, both before and after that night. The prayers weren’t vague—they were exact. That gave me a flicker of hope. Maybe God was real?

I still had doubts. Was it coincidence? Or was something bigger happening?

One day, about a month or two after that motel night, I had to go back to the dentist to get a cavity filled. As I was driving there, I desperately prayed:

“God, if You are for real—as I’m starting to believe—please make my cavity disappear.”

I sat in the dentist’s chair, and to my amazement, the dentist said he couldn’t find the cavity that had clearly shown up on the x-rays from the week before. I remember both he and his assistant going to the back room to look over the x-ray.  He was baffled.

But I knew.

That wasn’t coincidence. That was a bold prayer answered with divine precision.

Mercy, Not Deserved—but Freely Given

God didn’t owe me that. I didn’t deserve it. I had doubted Him. But instead of punishment, He gave me grace and mercy.

Why? Because He loves me.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”
— John 3:16–17

The Bible became alive to me. I had hope. I had purpose. I knew God was real.

More Than Belief—A Call to Transformation

But knowing God is real isn’t enough.

“You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!”
— James 2:19

Even demons believe in God. The difference? Repentance and faith in Jesus. I didn’t truly understand that until a couple years later.

A Second Fall—and a Greater Redemption

A couple years after my experience with God’s reality, I backslid. I did things I knew were sins. And I felt crushed with guilt. I wanted to repent but felt like I had gone too far. I believed I could never be forgiven.

That hopelessness—being separated from God—was the worst feeling I’ve ever known.

But once again, I fell to my knees and cried out:

“God, I know I have backslid. Can You forgive me?”

In the days that followed, God showed me three times from the Bible that I was forgiven. But I still needed one more confirmation—I was desperate for assurance.

I prayed, “Please show me one more time that I’m forgiven for backsliding.  I had to hear that word, backslider”

Later, I turned on the TV and saw a Christian program I had never seen before. The pastor looked straight into the camera with his finger pointing directly into the camera at me and said:

“You, backslider, watching this show—Jesus says, ‘Backslider, come back to Him. He has forgiven you.’”

The guilt lifted instantly. The condemnation was gone. My heart overflowed with peace.

Grace That Covers Everything

Jesus used a moment, media, and a messenger I had never seen before to speak the exact words I had prayed; I needed to hear forgiveness for-backsliding.

I now understood grace —personally, deeply, and completely.  I deserved punishment and hell.  Jesus gave me mercy and forgiveness instead, and I personally had encountered His amazing love.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
— Romans 3:23

“For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:21

“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
— Romans 5:8

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.”
— Ephesians 1:7

Jesus: Alive, Real, and Personal

Now I know that I know God and Jesus are real.

I once only had head knowledge. Now I have a personal relationship with Jesus. I know He:

• Cleansed me of my sin
• Made me a child of God
• Is transforming me into His likeness

And now I want to spend my life telling people about Him—that Jesus is not just a religious idea or tradition. He is alive and real.

The Best News

I now know I have GREAT NEWS to share:

Jesus offers:

• Redemption
• Cleansing
• Justification
• Sanctification
• Eternal life
• Intercession
• Access to the throne room of God

And all of this is available to anyone who repents and puts their trust in Jesus.

Not by good works. Not by religion.

Only Jesus.

Final Thoughts

Now all I want to do is help others see that God and Jesus are for real and that you don’t have to wait for heaven to know God. He wants an intimate relationship with you now.

“Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
— Romans 10:13

You can know Jesus personally. You can be forgiven. You can be transformed.

The only question left is:

Are God and Jesus reality for you?

If not, cry out to Him—He is ready to make Himself real to you, just as He did for me.

PRAYER

Father, thank You for loving us even in our doubt and rebellion. Thank You for hearing our desperate cries when we aren’t even sure You are real, and for answering in ways so personal that we could never mistake them for coincidence. Thank You for Your grace that meets us when we deserve judgment, and for Your mercy that washes away our guilt and shame. You have shown us in many ways that You are alive, that Jesus is real, and that Your love is deeper than our sin.

Lord, help us never to forget what You’ve done for us. Fill us with courage to share our stories about You so that others who doubt might see that You are true and that You long for an intimate relationship with them. For those who feel far from You, reveal Yourself as You did to us who already know You —bringing forgiveness, peace, and new life through Jesus Christ. We praise You that in Him we are redeemed, cleansed, and made righteous.

Father, my hearts cry is that if anyone reading this story is like I was in total despair, that you would reveal Yourself mightily to them and allow them to encounter Jesus, the risen Christ, and encounter His love, mercy and grace.  Thank You Father that You will leave the 99 to find the one lost. (Luke 15:1-7)  All glory to You, my Savior and my God. Amen.

“For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:21