Knowing about someone is not the same as knowing them. For example we can know that Jesus is the son of God. We can know that He performed miracles. But that’s not the same as knowing Him personally.
Paul stated his love for Jesus this way:
“All I want is to know Christ and to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death” Philippians 3:10 GNB
To know Christ
The right to come to know Him more is because you are born again. You are invited into the family. The way to get to know Him more is through reading the Bible and talking to Him through prayer. The Greek word used for “know” in this passage could also be translated “be aware of or perceive or understand”. These words are a bit deeper than casual acquaintance.
Undivided Devotion
As I read the Word, I must purposefully desire to understand and be aware of what the Spirit wants to speak to me. But this takes time and undivided attention. Lately I am working to be undivided when I read and pray. In other words, to put the “to do list” on a shelf. We’re not merely going through the motions of religious devotion when we seek to know Him. We seek to understand what He wants to tell us for that day.
I love the fact that president Abraham Lincoln always made time for his son Todd, even when he was meeting with important generals during the civil war. He would stop and listen to Todd. There are times I have allowed interruptions of a cell phone or door bell to interrupt my sweet communion with Jesus. Isn’t it sad the unseen Lord of the universe is put on call waiting? I’m challenged that Jesus is indeed the most important person in my life and everything and everyone else is second.
Prayer:
So many things can clutter my soul. But today I decide that all I want is to know Christ. Oh yes I know Him as my Savior, but I want to know Him more intimately. I want to know His personality, His heart, His ways. I desire Him today more than anything else. I desire all that He wants to do both for me and those around me today. I want to experience the power of His resurrection. Since the Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead, I want to know and experience more of the Holy Spirit in my life. Deep within me, like a bucket pulling the water from a deep well, I hunger for You. I hunger for your presence and your gifts to be manifest. The very same power that raised Christ from the dead is alive in me. All I want is to know You more, Jesus. I want to experience everything that belongs to me and plumb the depths of what You have for me to experience today.
