Getting Reacquainted: The Journey to Knowing God Intimately

There's something profound about the difference between knowing about someone and truly knowing them. You might know facts about a celebrity, recognize their face, and maybe even quote their famous lines. But do you know their heart? Their fears? Their deepest desires? That kind of knowing requires intimacy, time, and intentionality.

This same distinction exists in our relationship with God. Many of us know about Him; we know the stories, the doctrines, the commandments. But do we truly know Him?

Jesus made a stunning declaration in John 17:3: "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." Notice what He didn't say. He didn't say eternal life is about living forever. He didn't say it's about escaping hell or securing a spot in heaven. He said eternal life is about knowing God.

The Greek word used here for "know" is the same word used to describe the intimate relationship between a husband and wife. It's not a casual acquaintance. It's not surface-level familiarity. It's deep, personal, transformative intimacy.

God didn't save us merely from our sins. He saved us for a relationship with Him. From the very beginning in the Garden of Eden, God's design was for humanity to live perpetually in intimate fellowship with Him. When Adam and Eve sinned, they weren't just removed from paradise; they were separated from the intimate knowing they had experienced with their Creator.

Through Christ, that intimate relationship has been restored. But the question remains: Are we taking advantage of it?

Getting reacquainted with God involves three essential dimensions:

First, you need to know who He is. This isn't optional or negotiable. The God of the Bible has a specific character, specific attributes, and a specific nature. He is the Creator, yes, but He's also the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is love personified. He is just. He is jealous—not jealous of you, but jealous for you. He is a warrior who fights for what is right.

When you truly know who God is, you won't be confused by other religions or philosophies that claim to worship the same God. You'll recognize the distinct personality of the God of Scripture, and you'll be able to distinguish truth from counterfeits.

Second, you need to know who He is to you personally. He's not just the Creator of the universe; He's your Savior, your Provider, your Protector, your Healer, your Restorer, your Redeemer. This personal dimension of knowing God transforms your faith from abstract theology to lived reality.

Third, you need to know what He desires for you to do and empowers you to do. Here's where many of us get it backwards. We immediately jump to, "What does God want me to do with my career? What's my specific calling?" But before we can discern our individual assignments, we need to understand what God desires from all His children to love Him, to love others, to walk in holiness, and to be ambassadors of His kingdom.

When you grasp the general calling first, the specific calling becomes much clearer.

So if knowing God is the entire point of eternal life, why don't more of us experience this intimate relationship? What's standing in the way?

The answer is simple but challenging: the flesh.

Imagine trying to hear an important phone call, but the phone is buried deep in your back pocket, muffled by layers of fabric. You might hear a faint chime, a distant vibration, but you can't make out what's being said. That's what the flesh does to God's voice in our lives.

The flesh wants to sleep when it's time to pray. It wants to eat when it's time to fast. It wants entertainment when it's time to study Scripture. It's constantly pulling us away from intimacy with God, muffling His voice, dulling our spiritual sensitivity.

This is precisely why spiritual disciplines like fasting and prayer are so powerful. They pull the phone out of the pocket. They remove the muffler. Suddenly, what was faint becomes clear. What was distant becomes near.

How do we practically pursue this deeper intimacy with God? Three essential attitudes position us to receive:

Be Honest. First John 1:5-6 delivers a sobering truth: "This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth."

We cannot practice darkness and claim to know God. If there are areas of your life where you're consistently choosing sin, whether it's sexual immorality, addiction, idolatry, or anything else, the first step is brutal honesty. Not condemnation, but honesty. You can't address what you won't acknowledge.

Be Humble. Daniel 10:12 reveals a powerful principle: "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them."

Notice the order: Daniel set his mind to understand and to humble himself. Humility positions us to receive from God. It's the posture that says, "I want You more than I want what I want. I'm willing to lay down my preferences, my comfort, my agenda to pursue You."

Fasting isn't about manipulating God to do what we want. It's about positioning ourselves to receive what He wants to give. It's moving closer to Him and further from the world.

Be Hungry. Jesus made a remarkable statement in John 4:34: "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work." He was so consumed with doing the Father's will that physical hunger took a back seat.

Every successful spiritual fast comes down to this: hungering for God more than hungering for food. When we desire His presence, His will, and His work more than our next meal, breakthrough happens.

Here's the beautiful promise: Isaiah 65:24 declares, "Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear."

God isn't waiting for us to complete some religious ritual before He responds. Often, He's simply waiting for us to position our hearts. The moment we turn toward Him with honesty, humility, and hunger, He's already moving on our behalf.

Daniel prayed for twenty-one days, but the angel told him his prayer was heard on the first day. The breakthrough wasn't dependent on completing the full fast—it was dependent on the posture of his heart.

People are asking online: Would you rather have one trillion dollars or ten minutes face-to-face with Jesus? It's a fascinating thought experiment that reveals what we truly value.

Think about it. Ten minutes without the barrier of flesh. Ten minutes of crystal-clear communication. Ten minutes where you could ask anything and receive direct answers. No discernment needed. No, wondering if you heard correctly. Just pure, unfiltered communion with your Creator.

That's what awaits us in eternity. But why wait? Why not remove as many barriers as possible right now? Why not pursue that intimacy today?

The invitation stands: Get reacquainted with the God who knows you fully and longs to be fully known by you. Push aside the distractions, quiet the flesh, and discover that eternal life isn't just about duration, it's about depth of relationship.

This is life eternal: to know Him.