There is a church song/hymn that gives testimony to the way I think about God and the Christian walk. The song is "He LIves." One part of the song goes, "And jsut the time I need Him He's always near." The entire song is great and has wonderful things to say, but also the end of the chorus says what I think as well: "You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart." My Mother's family were backslidden Baptist people. They believe and professed, but they didn't practice it. I think both my grandparents accepted the Lord late in life before dying. My grandmother on my Dad's side of the family was a Christian, but my grandfather, Dad's Dad was not, but I hope he accepted the Lord before he died, and that is all we can hope. My Mom and Dad both accepted the Lord early in their married adult life, and they lived to please God all their lives, setting a godly example. I am no doubt a Christian because of the godly example my parents set for me.
I have been in church all of my life most of the years in the Assemblies of God churches, and the last number of years in the Free Methodist church. I have experienced God's power twice in my life. Once was when I was in my early teen years. We had two women evangelist who were holding meetins at our church, every night of the week. They were laying their hands on people, praying for them, and they were falling on the floor under God's power. Some people might question that, but I know it is real. One of them laid their hands on my head, and I didn't fall on the floor, but God's power went through my body in a way that I will never forget! I don't even know how to describe it, because there are no words to describe what happened to me, and it was powerful. The other experience I had from God's power was at the end of a sectional fellowship meeting at our church where I was the pastor at the time. Everyone was praying right at the end of the church service. I had the sensation that I was lifted up to the high ceiling in that church building, and the experience was real. It is hard to describe exactly what happened except that it was almost like I was out of my body and near the ceiling. I never had that experience before that time or since, but it was real. Those were the two times that I really experienced God power.