40 Possible Categories or Ways We Can Experience God
Can you identify the many means and methods God has used to impact your life, communicate with you and show His love?
This is certainly not an exhaustive list since the official list may be unending. We simply tried to think of common categories or reasons for putting a leaf on your tree. Some of your experiences can certainly fall under multiple, overlapping of categories.
The simple intent is to be a list to help you recognize that there are a large variety of ways that Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are touching your life. We split the 40 items into two main categories: Spiritual Communication and Environments, Actions, Occurrences, and Tools.
*An inspiring activity is to go through each of these categories and think about, share and record spiritual experiences you have had. You will be amazed at how many will come to mind as you remember things you haven’t thought of in a long time or had even forgotten.
Direct Spiritual Communication
1. Goodness - a feeling that something is genuinely good, holy, or divine: “This is good.”
2. Truth - a sure witness that something you are saying, hearing, reading or watching is true : “This is true.” or “This is of God.”
3. Divine Love - feeling a deep and real sense of His love that can be an overwhelmingly powerful experience: “I love you more than you can comprehend.”
4. Confirmation - a feeling or message that God endorses our decisions or faith as if giving His stamp of approval about a path we want to take: “Yes, that is a good idea.”
5. Direction/Redirection - general promptings or specific guidance about what to do/say or where to be: “You should go here…” or “Your time is finished with this…”
6. Comfort/Peace - in times of trouble, stress, heartache, etc.: “Everything will be ok. Trust me.” or “I am here.”
7. Conduit/Messenger - God uses someone to bless another or give them a message from either side of the veil. “Let that person know…”
8. Confidence - having a strong faith/feeling that God is with you—that He will go before your face and be on your right hand and left hand: “I am with you. Don’t be afraid.”
9. New Knowledge/Understanding – learn or comprehend something you never knew before—could be doctrinal, spiritual, or temporal. Pure intelligence.
10. Divine Approval - a feeling of God looking down as a proud parent, having glory and joy in us: “I am so proud of you and find joy in you. Good job.”
11. Reprimand - chastised for something said or done that we knew wasn’t aligned with the light and knowledge we had received: “You know better than that.”
12. Stupor of Thought - an unsettling or discomforting feeling about a decision we might be considering
13. 5 Senses - something from beyond the veil that is experienced with the 5 senses. Most likely seeing or hearing something normally beyond our physical world.
14. Warning - clear instructions or impressions that we should do something or go somewhere. “Don’t go there.” or “Don’t do that.” or “Stop!” or “Go that way instead.”
15. Prophecy - given to know something that will happen at some point in the future in a general or specific way—may be something that requires our preparation or attention
16. Dreams/Visions - to see or experience something in a different condition, state of being, or from beyond the veil
17. Forgiveness - a feeling and an experience of having our sins being taken away. The feeling of being cleansed through Christ: “I forgive you. You are clean.”
18. Remembering - having something we knew or learned previously brought to our remembrance in a moment that we needed it most or when someone else needed it
19. Discernment - being given unseen understanding about a person or situation: “This isn’t what it seems.” or “That person isn’t telling the truth.”
20. Refining - being given an understanding or specific direction of what you need to do to: “You need to be more patient with…” or “You should pray more earnestly each day.”
Environments, Actions, Occurrences, or Tools
Service – being the hands of God to bless the life of another. Often specific promptings or feelings are given which lead to opportunities to serve: “You should go and help….” or “You should offer to bring…”
Angels - to be given answers, support, love from beyond the veil—most likely from those connected to us
Miracle - something that happens without explanation but is of God. Several of the categories/topics in this list could be classified as miracles such as healing, protection, divine signatures, etc.
Divine Signature/Tender Mercy - when God does something amazing, beautiful, or miraculous and is often seen as a coincidence by people lacking faith or belief. Often these gifts are extremely personal and divinely woven into the most minute details of our life
Music - feeling God or goodness or truth when listening to or participating in uplifting music
Art- feeling God, goodness, inspiration or truth when looking at or experiencing art
Nature - having a sense of closeness to God while in nature or a feeling of awe at the beauty of the world or gratitude for His creations
Prayer- having a prayer answered specifically in potentially many ways. Most, if not all, of the categories listed can happen in connection with prayer
Enhanced Strength or Ability - being given physical, emotional, mental or intellectual strength or ability beyond our natural capacity. For example, learning a language quickly or enduring something that would have certainly exhausted our physical/emotional/mental strength under normal circumstances
Protection - a situation where we are protected from danger or a particular situation by divine means
Physical Healing - regaining health or improved bodily function after prayers, fasting or a blessing with priesthood power
Spiritual Healing - having hurt, bitterness, sorrow, pain or other similar feelings taken away or lessened through the mercy and grace of Christ
Scripture - receiving inspiration, revelation, comfort, strength, etc as we read, study, and ponder them
Blessings - a means by which we can experience God in many ways (peace, love, warnings, guidance, miracles, truth, etc.)
Genealogy/Connecting with Ancestors - having sacred experiences as we seek after and learn about those who have come before us
Worship - experiences that happen while we are in sacred places or acting in holy ways
Pondering - experiencing God or the Spirit while we take time to slow and create a quiet space and time to think about the most important things in our life. Often we can receive inspiration in quiet, reflective moments
Writing or recording - slowing down to consider and process our thoughts and feelings regarding things that have happened opens the door to experiences with God. The process of recording shows God the value we place on those things
Bearing Witness - sharing our spiritual faith and knowledge with others gives the Spirit an opportunity to confirm that witness to ourselves and those listening
Gratitude - being filled with the Spirit or overwhelmed with love as we consider a specific blessing or the many blessings God has given us
