How can you feel God's love?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

To feel the love of God, according to the Coptic Orthodox tradition and the spiritual experience of the Church Fathers, is not a fleeting emotional high or a "feeling" in the worldly sense. It is a state of being that grows through purification and union with Christ.

1. The Cleansing of the Heart

As mentioned in the writings of Diadochos, the ability to feel God's love is directly tied to the purity of the soul.

• The Barrier of Sin: Sin acts like a cloud over the sun. The sun's love is always shining, but we cannot feel its warmth if we are covered by the Schatten (shadows) of our passions.
• Repentance: To feel God, you must first clear the way. When you confess your sins and truly repent, the "scales" fall from your spiritual eyes. As St. Nikon of Optina says, only those who guard themselves from sin can have "sincere and fervent faith."

2. The Relationship of Prayer

You cannot feel the love of someone you do not talk to.

• The Agpeya: By praying the Psalms, you are using God’s own words to speak back to Him. In the Hours of the Agpeya, you encounter the "Groom" who loves His Church.
• The "Our Father": As HG Bishop Mettaous explains, when you say these words, you must "renew in your heart the emotions of love to God... who loved you so much and called you His child." Feeling God's love begins with the realization that you are His son/daughter, not a servant or a stranger.

3. Experience through the Liturgy

The Divine Liturgy is "Heaven on Earth."

• When the priest says, "The love of God the Father, the grace of His only-begotten Son... and the communion and gift of the Holy Spirit be with you all," he is literally pouring the Trinity's love over the congregation.
• Partaking of the Eucharist: You "feel" God's love most intimately when you receive His Body and Blood. This is the ultimate act of love—God entering into you to become one with you.

4. Humility and the "Cry for Help"

St. Silouan the Athonite gives a very practical instruction for those who feel distant from God:

• Say from your heart: "Lord, if you exist, then illumine me, and I will serve you with all my heart and soul."
• Because of this humble thought, the Lord "immediately illumines" the soul. The soul then senses that the Lord has forgiven her and loves her. It is an experience of grace, not a logical argument.

5. Love for Others (The Fruit)

You can test if you are truly feeling God's love by looking at how you treat your neighbor.

• According to Diadochos, when someone begins to "richly feel the love of God," they begin to love their neighbor with the same intensity.
• If you struggle to love others, it is a sign that your "orientation toward the sun" (God) is blocked. To feel more of God's love, perform an act of mercy for someone else in His name.

6. During Holy Week

The greatest "feeling" of God's love is found at the foot of the Cross.

• During the Pascha, as you hear the mournful but hopeful chants, meditate on the fact that the Creator of the Universe allowed Himself to be spat upon and pierced for you personally.
• The love of God is not a "nice thought"; it is the "Blood and Water" flowing from His side.

Summary: Do not chase an emotional "feeling," which can be deceptive. Instead, pursue faithfulness, prayer, and the Sacraments. As the Spirit dwells in you more deeply, you will reach the state where you are "completely changed by the love of God" and feel His power even in your bones.

Remember the words of St. Silouan: the Holy Spirit is the witness in your soul that "The Lord loves us so much!"