You mention wanting to FEEL like there is a God who watches over you.
The interesting thing is that our feelings come and go, and are not always a true reflection of the facts. For example, have you ever felt guilty about something that you really don't need to, but your feelings mess you about and try to tell you otherwise? Or maybe you feel afraid Of harmless things (thunder/spiders etc) when there is no factual reason for it, only your feelings telling you strongly to believe you need to feel the fear. People can overcome such fears with therapy, a 'reprogramming' of the feelings, a bringing the feelings into line with the facts.
Interestingly, believing is the same. You look at the facts first, and the feelings will sometimes follow. People (including myself) make a mistake to FEEL unloved by God when they encounter problems in life, because the FACT is that God tells us we won't have a perfect life and that He cares and sorrows with us. Suffering was never in his plan for us, but he gave us free will to chose good or bad, and with it come the consequences of that. Not too unlike children who push boundaries and need to learn consequences so they will not grow up too unruly!
If you look up the word 'believe' you will see it means to "trust in", and "rely upon" with "full assurance", even in the absence of proof. That's why it's called faith. We use the term in every day life when we describe everyday event such as trusting someone to give us a lift in the car because we have faith that they are true to the word they have given us.
Having faith in God is just like that. To believe, you are saying you are trusting in, and relying upon, God being who He says He is; with full assurance.
Someone once described it like calling out a doctor when you're ill. After the phone call, you hear the doorbell ring and there stands a man with a stethoscope and what looks like a doctor's bag, and shows you his ID badge, so you have an obvious choice. Will you trust he is who he says he is and let him in to treat you, or will you tell him you don't believe he can possibly be a doctor and send him away?
One most well known and yet most misunderstood verse in the bible is John 3 verse 16 where it says "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only son, so that whosoever BELIEVES on Him, should not perish but have eternal life". So in other words, whoever "trusts in" and "relies upon" God will spend eternity with Him. But there are many warnings about trusting in and relying upon anything else, because that will not be a true faith, even if your feelings FEEL different at the time (feelings, while having a place, also have a nasty habit of changing!).
So it is pointless trusting in your own "good works", or being baptised, or attending church, or leading a good life. All of these things might have their place but they don't have a place in what you actually put your faith IN. So the biggest question to ask yourself is what you are believing in; your 'self' or God.
A few years ago I was challenged to research the evidence FOR a belief in God, and was amazed to find so much evidence. I looked up the claim and then googled secular websites to see if the claim was validated by historians and records etc, and incredibly it was.
You mention your family who have a strong faith, but your journey needs to be your own, and it sounds like you have already started that journey with your opening question. A good website to get you started on doing your own research is this one:
Proof that God is real
The bottom line is, God said "if you seek Me you shall find Me" and HE will always give more new information to someone honestly wanting to know more about Him. Good luck in your journey.