Hollywood actress describes having a personal relationship with God, says she sat and ate with Jesus
Longtime actress Essence Atkins recently spoke publicly about an encounter she had with God that solidified her faith.
The account of her experience can be seen in the all-new Urban Movie Channel original docuseries "Behind Her Faith" which highlights four women at the top of their careers and takes a deep look at their personal journeys of faith as their driving force.
"I remember very particularly and specifically having an encounter, a very real encounter with God, and it was undeniable. And after that my life never looked the same,” Atkins said on the new Paula Bryant‐Ellis show.
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The former “Cosby Show” actress, who continues to have a thriving career both in film and television, said God met with her while she was home alone in her apartment and spoke to her.
"God was speaking to me. I heard Jesus talking to me and it wasn't out loud, but it was a voice that was not my own and the words were not my own,” she continued.
Atkins admitted that she initially thought she might be going crazy because she didn’t understand it, but she went along with it.
"I went into the kitchen and I made dinner and the voice was like, 'Set a place for me.' So I set the table for two. I cooked and I didn't serve food on the second plate but I prepared a second space. I remember opening the door and sitting down at the table and speaking out loud to the voice that was asking me questions and having a conversation," she explained.
Later that night she randomly opened her Bible and it landed on Revelations 3:20. The scripture says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”
She became overwhelmed with emotion and declared: "This just happened! I just had a conversation with God and He came in and He ate with me. I heard His voice and I talked to Him. And I saw that scripture after and that's the first scripture that I ever memorized and it was undeniable.”
"I had no idea that Christ and the relationship is personal. It's not somewhere up there, it's personal,” she stressed. “It's in the lion's den with you. It is in the fire. It's not like, 'Oh, I'm up here and I'm just hovering and I'm just bestowing,' and it's not fairy dust.”
Atkins concluded her testimony by saying: "God is with you. He's right there with you through it all, every second of every moment of every day through everything. And there's no mistake that you can't recover from. There's no sin that makes Him love you less. That was just an astounding practical moment for me.”
