This is a personal experience.  It might not convince anyone else; then again, maybe someone's on the edge and could try what I tried.

Here are some things I've learned over the last few years that led me to belief in - and love of - God.  I'm still learning, of course.

I started out as an agnostic, borderline atheist.  I figured one couldn't really know, but in the absence of proof, it wasn't worth discussing.

A friend described to me a theophany, so we had frequent discussions about proofs of God.

In about 2000, I began to feel my life hadn't gone that well with me calling the shots.  I'd painted myself into a professional corner.  This friend said I should consider praying to the "contingency of a God."  It was better than giving up, so I did.

It was amazing how quickly my life transformed.  Even though I didn't fully believe, within a few weeks I had a job and a home again... mainly by following a sort of still voice within:  "Why not try this?"  followed by an idea that would lead me to successes I hadn't imagined. 

The transforming event might seem trivial or funny to you, but here's what happened:  I'd had a pet parrot, Wiley, as a friend for over 20 years.  With age, he developed cataracts.  At first only the vet could see them, but later, they became opaque disks in his eyes.  They were inoperable.

Poor Wiley could no longer fly.  He would walk down his ladder to the floor, and try to find me following the apartment walls.

As Wiley seemed to near the end of his life, I finally just prayed a little prayer:  "God, if you're there, I hate to bother you about this. But Wiley is my friend and I know he's reaching his end.  Could you find it in your heart to heal his eyes so he can see again for his final months?"  I closed with an apology for bothering God with such a small thing.

I went out of town for a day.  When I returned, I guiltily glanced at Wiley's eyes... they were clear and black again - no disks!  His eyes were as clear as they were when he was young!  He obviously could see, not following the walls any more.  I checked with two bird specialists - they'd never heard of cataracts healing themselves.

I started to cry and fell to my knees with thanks... and shame.  All these years I had not believed, yet God must have been there, trying to help me anyway!  It also hit me that if He would heal a little bird, God must love us all, even undeserving me!

I couldn't wait to call my theophanic friend, though I thought he might laugh at me.  Instead, he said something else:  "Dan, God didn't just heal Wiley because He loves birds, He healed him for YOU."  

Wiley only lived another ten months, but I will never forget when I placed him in his coffin, his still-clear eyes were looking right up at me.

Since then, I've prayed at least twice a day, in the morning and at night.  It is always a prayer of thanks, especially for the many blessings I don't recognize or take for granted.

I have also tried to heed the church sign I saw:  "If God is your co-pilot, switch seats!"   God seems to know the "map" much better than I could, so I listen for that little voice often.  I've stopped trying to make things come out my way, and instead look for what God might have for me to do in the bigger scheme of things. 

Listening to that voice that actually saved my life:  It led me to find out I had a potentially fatal heart problem with no symptoms.  That little voice saved my life!

I've found that God speaks to me in three basic ways: 

Nudges (toward or away from some life choice, 

Lessons, which are events which should teach me something, and occasionally, rewards. 

Favors - an occasional prayer answered as asked.  Some prayers are answered in ways better than we imagined - including the answer "No."

I think also I've experienced what I call "Soft Landings."  These are the negative results of poor decisions I've made.  The results aren't good, yet not nearly as bad as they could've been.

Since there's nothing special about me, I assume these gifts are available to everyone.  God's love is such that He makes these benefits avialable to all - even if we are undeserving.  After all, if anyone is undeserving, it's me!

I hope this story will help someone.   Listening to that voice, and giving thanks sure have filled  my life with wonder and appreciation.