Imagine this: getting to know God personally. The One Who made everything: the entire universe and all that is in it, including you! The One Who knows you inside and out – both your good and not good qualities. Is that possible?
Yes!
It is possible to know God personally. Many people have a personal relationship with God and interact with Him daily.
This article aims to answer the following questions:
- Why would you want to know God?
- What does it mean to know God personally?
- How can you get to know God?
- What does the Bible say about knowing God?
- My personal story about getting to know God
- Possible obstacles: what might hold you back?
- Help me to get to know God
- Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why would you want to know God?
Good question. Why would you want to know God? What’s in it for you?
Here are a few reasons:
Fulfillment in your life
Augustine, a well-known Christian who lived from 354 to 430, once said in his book ‘Confessions’:
“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”
We experience a certain emptiness in life. We may not even know what it is. We try to fill it in many ways: with money, new relationships, the latest gadgets, extreme sports or even substance abuse. But unfortunately, these only provide temporary satisfaction. In the long run, a certain emptiness remains in your life. There is only one way this void can be filled: through God.
Jesus says:
“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
(John 6:35)
This is not about physical hunger and thirst but about spiritual hunger and thirst. Knowing God (through faith in Jesus) ensures that you are spiritually fulfilled. You no longer need to search because you will have found what you need. Knowing God fulfills your deepest spiritual needs.
Eternal life
Knowing God gives you eternal life.
John 3:16 says:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
This eternal life means entering into a relationship with God that lasts forever.
John 17:3 says:
“And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”
Peace of mind and spiritual rest
Knowing God provides a peace of mind and spiritual rest that no other knowledge can secure.
Philippians 4:6-7 says:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
There are many things you can worry about in this life. You can talk about all of these things with God in prayer. He is the One Who can give you peace of mind in every situation.
Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-29:
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Come to Jesus, He is the One Who can give you rest for your soul.
A loving Father Who is always there for you
If you believe in God and surrender to Him, He accepts you as a child, more than that, you become His child. From then on, God is your heavenly Father. He cares for you, He looks after you.
God doesn’t always give us what we want, but what He knows is best.
2. What does it mean to know God personally?
In short, it means having a personal relationship with Him. This is different from merely knowing about Him. You can learn many things about God, but it’s something else to know Him with your heart.
Both are important.
You can read the Bible and discover that God is holy, loving, gracious, just, eternal, omnipresent, and all-knowing. That’s ‘head knowledge’.
What we are talking about here is ‘heart knowledge’.
You can read and learn about someone, but it’s something entirely different to know him personally, to visit him and spend time with him.
You can also get to know God personally. With God, getting to know Him works differently than with people. You can talk to God (pray), but God doesn’t generally answer the way people do. Maybe it’s better to say that God communicates. He responds, but in a way that we don’t always expect. The primary way God speaks to us is through His Word (the Bible) and His Spirit (the Holy Spirit).
3. How can you get to know God?
We’ve mentioned several reasons why you would want to know God and what it means to know Him, but what must you do to get to know Him personally? How can God become your Father? How can you have that relationship with Him?
To get to know God, it’s essential to understand a few things. First, some background information, and then we’ll make it practical:
God created the heavens and the earth. He also made humans: Adam and Eve. God created a beautiful garden for them: the Garden of Eden. Here, they lived together with God in perfect happiness. Since God wanted people to have a relationship with Him out of free will, and live their lives by doing things according to His will, He placed a tree in the center of the garden: the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. He warned Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit of this tree. If they would do so, they would die. So, this command was a kind of test to see if the people would trust and obey Him. They had the choice.
One day, Adam and Eve did eat from this tree, resulting in very negative consequences. Their beautiful relationship with God was broken, evil entered the world and corrupted everything. Because of their disobedience, Adam and Eve had to leave the Garden of Eden. Years later, Adam died, just as God had foretold.
Every human being, after Adam’s disobedience, is born with a nature inclined to do wrong. And just like Adam, every person does indeed do wrong things.
Romans 3:23 says:
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
We all make choices to disobey God, which keeps us from being able to approach God. Just as Adam faced negative consequences for his disobedience (punishment), we also have to suffer the consequences for the wrong things we do, because we break the rules of the Almighty Creator. The punishment for breaking God’s commandments is an eternity in a place called hell: a dark place, full of fire, where people will suffer pain forever. This is terrible news.
Fortunately, there is also good news: besides being just, and therefore punishing our wrongdoings, God is also loving and wants us to have eternal life, enjoying His presence, and knowing Him personally. God sent His Son Jesus to make this possible: Jesus died for our transgressions of God’s commandments on a cross, taking the punishment we deserve. What a relief!
The forgiveness of our sin is now available to us. To receive it, we must do the following:
- Repent
- Put our trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins
Repenting means being sorry about the wrong you did, stopping any habits that go against God’s will, and choosing to live as Jesus taught from today forward. You can read about how to follow Jesus in the Bible (New Testament).
Trusting in Jesus (or believing in Jesus) for the forgiveness of your sins means acknowledging that you cannot earn your way to God by living well in your own strength, but only because Jesus lived a perfect life as God wanted. Because He was perfect, God accepted His death on the cross as a substitute to pay for our sin.
In short, it’s about putting your trust in Jesus and keeping His commands.
Jesus said in John 14:21:
“Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
By placing your trust in Jesus, you receive forgiveness for your sins and eternal life. This new life is undeserved; it is grace. You have repented from your old lifestyle. Before, you did what you wanted; now, you live (or try to the best of your ability) as God wills.
4. What does the Bible say about knowing God?
The Bible has several things to say about getting to know God. Here are a few Bible verses on this topic:
God allows Himself to be found
“You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.”
(Jeremiah 29:13)
If you seek God with all your heart, if you search for Him with everything within you, He will let Himself be found. You can trust that if God says this, it is true.
You can only come to God through Jesus Christ
Jesus said to him, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
(John 14:6)
There is only one way to God, and that is through Jesus Christ. This is also stated in Acts 4:12: “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
God wants everyone to know Him
“For this is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
(1 Timothy 2:3-4)
So, this means everyone. Including you! Seize this opportunity.
It is essential to know that you only have this lifetime to get to know God. Hebrews 9:27 says:
“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment…”
So think carefully and don’t postpone this decision for too long. You never know when you will die. This is not meant to scare you, but let’s be realistic.
Count the cost of following Jesus
In Luke 14:25-35, we read about counting the cost of following Jesus. If you get to know God personally and enter into a relationship with Him, this automatically includes obeying Him. We mentioned earlier the need for faith and repentance (repentance is the decision to stop living the way God does not want and from then on trying to live the way God does want). The Bible also talks about obeying Jesus. To keep it simple: if you obey God, you are following Jesus.
Let’s read this Bible passage:
“25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them, He said:
26 ‘If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—such a person cannot be My disciple.
27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.
28 Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?
29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you,
30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’
31 Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?
32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.
33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be My disciples.
34 Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?
35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.'”
In this passage, Jesus talks about a few things:
- You must love Jesus more than your own father, mother, wife, children, and even your own life (the “hate” Jesus speaks of here is not literal hatred but a way of emphasizing the correct priorities). Verse 26
- When you follow Jesus, you must count the cost: know that trusting in Jesus and entering into a relationship with God can cost you something. In some countries, choosing Jesus can result in persecution and broken family relationships. Knowing Jesus is definitely worth it, but you must realize this beforehand. Know what you’re getting into. Also, remember: this life is temporary, keep your eyes fixed on eternity, and think long-term. Verses 28-33
- Believing in God/Jesus without doing what He wants is worthless. Verses 34-35
5. My personal story about getting to know God
What does it look like in real life to get to know God personally? How exactly does this work?
God works in many different ways, and I’ll briefly share how it went for me.
Before I got to know God, I had been searching for “something” for years. Something beyond the material world; the meaning of life; does God exist or not? All those kinds of questions. I tried all sorts of spiritual things to see if that was what I was looking for. The answer was no. Something remained unfulfilled. I had even read parts of the Bible a few times. For example, I found the Book of Proverbs very beautiful, but I didn’t have a personal relationship with God. I didn’t connect much with Jesus.
Years passed.
One day I met someone who was a Christian. We had frequent contact and talked about all sorts of things, including many spiritual matters. By that time, I had come to the conclusion that there had to be some sort of God. What sense would life make if God didn’t exist? It would be meaningless. Yes, you can try to give meaning to your life, but in the end, you’re just fooling yourself if life doesn’t have objective meaning.
One day she asked if she could pray for me, asking God to show me the truth of life. I was fine with that. She prayed this prayer, and two weeks passed.
I remember it well: I was sitting at the table, and my mother was in the kitchen. Suddenly, I had a very strong desire to finally and truly know the truth of life. How does it work? Does God exist or not? Is there a meaning to life or not?
I started searching the internet for answers and came across a website that really helped me with these questions. Here, I learned, among other things, that God is a Person. This was new to me. Before that, I had always thought of God as a vague, impersonal force.
I also followed a free online course where I learned several lessons about the life of Jesus and could talk to a mentor. Just like we do here at Biblword (see courses). I really enjoyed doing this. I could ask all my questions, and my personal mentor tried to help me as best as possible.
One day, while I was in the shower, I suddenly had a strong desire to buy a Bible. After I got dressed, I quickly cycled to the store and bought a Bible. I sat on my bed and opened my Bible. I read something from the apostle Paul (I don’t remember what it was) and realized: this is the truth of life.
In a short time, my life changed dramatically. Before I knew God, I had no direction in life: and now, God gave me direction. Before I got to know God, my heart was empty; now, it was full. Before I became a Christian, I struggled with certain things in my life, but now I noticed that God was helping me! It was truly a difference between night and day.
Does this mean that my life was perfect from then on? No. Does it mean that it will be for you? No.
But still, there is a very significant, positive difference. And what is more, after my present life I know I wil be with God forever!
As mentioned: God works in many ways. He has His own path for everyone. This was my path. What will yours be?
God knows.
Will you embark on an adventure with God?
Will you choose to get to know God personally? Do you want eternal life with God?
6. Possible obstacles: what might hold you back?
Maybe you want to know God personally now. Or perhaps you still have doubts. Possibly there are things holding you back. Perhaps there are still questions. Here are a few obstacles and possible answers:
I’ve done too many wrong things. God doesn’t want me.
In Romans 5:8, it says:
‘but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Nobody can earn his way to heaven. Since we need to be perfect in order to come to God, none of us has a chance. God knows we have done wrong things. That’s why Jesus came to earth: to take the punishment for our wrongdoings upon Himself. All of them.
Colossians 2:13 says:
“And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,”
Did you catch that? When you come to Jesus, God will forgive all your sins. Not some or most. All.
I will be rejected by my family if I believe in Jesus
In Matthew 10:34-39, Jesus says:
34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Challenging words from Jesus. But He says you have to make a choice: you must value Jesus more than anyone else. If you lose your life for Jesus’ sake, you will find it.
What about…?
You may also struggle with how certain things work in the world or have intellectual questions, such as:
- If God is in control, why does He allow evil things to happen on earth?
- How can a loving God send people to hell?
- What about God and science?
- How can you know the Bible is really true?
- Why doesn’t God just make everyone believe in Him and do what He wants?
You may have many similar questions. I have learned that there are answers to many of them. For example, check out this website (use the search function), or go to GotQuestions.org. My conclusion: it’s true: God exists, the Bible is true, Jesus lives, and He is the only way to God.
7. Help to get to know God
Perhaps you’ve calculated the cost of following Jesus (and getting to know God personally) and now want to make the choice. You can pray a simple prayer like this:
“Lord God in heaven,
I want to know You.
I realize that I have broken Your commandments
and deserve punishment, eternal separation in hell.
Thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to earth to take the punishment for my disobedience upon Himself.
I understand that I cannot become Your child through my own good deeds, but only by trusting in Jesus for the forgiveness of my sins.
I put my trust in Jesus and want to follow Him forever.
Thank You that I can now be Your child.
Please help me to get to know You better and live as You desire.
In Jesus’ name.
Amen.”
When you have put your trust in Jesus: You have become a child of God! You HAVE eternal life. Your sins are forgiven and you can have a personal relationship with God now!
Maybe you’d like to talk to someone personally about these things. You can use the chat button on this website or follow the Bible Basics course with a personal mentor (link), where you can ask all your questions.
8. Frequently Asked Questions
How can we know God?
We can know God by repenting of our sins and placing our trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. It involves recognizing that we cannot come to God through our own good deeds, but only through the perfect life and sacrifice of Jesus. By trusting in Him, we receive forgiveness and enter into a relationship with Him. This leads to living a new life according to God’s will, guided by faith and repentance.
Why do people need to know God?
People need to know God for several important reasons. A few are:
- Fulfillment in Life: Knowing God brings spiritual fulfillment, filling the emptiness that cannot be satisfied by material things like money, relationships, or possessions. Jesus provides this fulfillment, as He is the “Bread of Life,” who satisfies our deepest spiritual needs (John 6:35).
- Eternal Life: By knowing God, we receive eternal life. This relationship with God lasts forever, as promised in John 3:16 and John 17:3.
- A Loving Father: When we know God, He becomes our loving Father who cares for us and provides for our needs, far better than any earthly parent could (Matthew 7:11).
What’s the difference between believing in God and knowing God?
The difference between believing in God and knowing God is that believing involves accepting the truth about God, His existence, and His attributes, while knowing God means having a personal relationship with Him.
- Believing in God can involve head knowledge – understanding facts about Him, such as that He is holy, loving, just, and omnipresent. It’s possible to learn many things about God through study, like reading the Bible, but not have a personal relationship with Him.
- Knowing God goes deeper. It’s heart knowledge – a personal relationship where you experience God’s presence in your life. It involves interacting with Him through prayer, listening to His guidance through the Holy Spirit, and living in a way that reflects obedience to Him.
In short, believing in God is about understanding who He is, but knowing God is about experiencing and living in a close, personal relationship with Him.
What does it mean to know God?
To know God means to have a personal relationship with Him, beyond just knowing facts about Him. It’s about experiencing Him personally in your life, communicating with Him through prayer, and being guided by His Holy Spirit. Knowing God involves both head knowledge (understanding who He is through the Bible) and heart knowledge (experiencing His love, grace, and presence in a real, relational way).
This personal relationship with God transforms your life, fulfilling your deepest desires, and guiding your decisions and actions according to His will.
