How can a Christian have a relationship with someone they cannot see or hear?
Introduction
It is difficult to imagine a relationship with someone you can't see, touch, or hear with your physical senses. Human relationships are built on face-to-face interaction and audible communication. God, however, is not a man; He is pure spirit: “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).
The Christian relationship with God is real because it operates on a different, spiritual plane that transcends our five senses. We do not relate to God through sight, but through faith.
Main: Three Ways God Makes the Relationship Real
God has provided clear, tangible ways to communicate with us and for us to communicate with Him, bridging the gap between the invisible Spirit and the physical believer.
1. God Speaks: Through the Written Word (The Audible Voice)
While we don't hear God's booming voice, He has delivered His truth and instructions clearly and irrevocably through the Bible.
His Revealed Character: Scripture reveals God's character, His promises, His commands, and His plan for humanity. When you read the Bible, you are reading God's own words and thoughts, which is the foundational way He reveals Himself.
The Living Word: The Bible is not just a history book; it is "living and active" (Hebrews 4:12). As you read it, the Holy Spirit uses that Word to illuminate your mind, convict your heart, and guide your path—providing the clear, steady voice you need for life.
2. We Speak: Through Prayer (The Two-Way Conversation)
Prayer is the intentional, verbal, and mental communication from the believer to God. It is the "talking" part of the relationship.
Converse with Confidence: We are invited to “approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Prayer is honest conversation where we praise Him, confess our sins, express gratitude, and bring our requests.
Listening and Trusting: Prayer is also about the believer listening—not through a physical voice, but through seeking confirmation, peace, and wisdom that comes from the Holy Spirit. A mature Christian learns to recognize the still, small voice of the Spirit, which is always consistent with the written Word.
The Mediator: Through the Holy Spirit (The Personal Presence)
The third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, is God’s personal presence who lives inside every believer, making the invisible relationship intimate and real.
The Indwelling Presence: Jesus promised the Spirit would come to dwell within His followers, acting as the "Helper" or "Counselor" (John 14:26). The Spirit provides the sense of God's reality—convicting us of sin, assuring us of salvation (Romans 8:16), and empowering us to obey.
Experiencing the Fruits: We "experience" God's presence not through physical sight, but through the "fruit of the Spirit" (love, joy, peace, patience, etc.) (Galatians 5:22-23). These are tangible, emotional, and behavioral indicators that the invisible God is actively working in your life, providing evidence of the unseen relationship.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the ability to have a relationship with an unseen God rests on the nature of faith: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).
You relate to God through trust. You read His Word to hear His mind, you pray to express your heart, and you rely on the Holy Spirit to connect the two. This spiritual relationship is far more profound and lasting than any physical encounter could ever be.
