5 Prayers for Knowing God More Intimately (John 17:3)

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“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3, KJV)

This verse reveals that eternal life isn’t merely about securing a place in heaven—it’s about knowing God intimately and personally. In this blog post, we’ll explore five powerful prayers each focusing on a different aspect of knowing God more intimately that can help deepen our relationship with God.

Prayer One: Wisdom and Revelation

“[I pray] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.” (Ephesians 1:17) This remarkable prayer highlights two essential spiritual gifts: the spirit of wisdom and the spirit of revelation. These two work together in perfect harmony to deepen our knowledge of God. Think of revelation as God’s divine unveiling—like pulling back a curtain to reveal heavenly truths. However, revelation alone isn’t enough. We need wisdom to interpret and apply what God reveals to us.

Have you ever awakened from a spiritually significant dream only to find its details slipping away like water through your fingers? This experience illustrates having revelation without wisdom. The veil was temporarily lifted (revelation), but without wisdom’s interpretative power, the meaning remained elusive.

The cooperation between wisdom and revelation transforms mere information into divine inspiration—what we often call a “Rhema” word from God. It’s the difference between reading about God and experiencing Him firsthand. When both spirits are at work, Scripture comes alive. It ceases to be just words on a page and becomes a living encounter with God Himself.

Prayer: “God, I come before You asking for both the spirit of wisdom and revelation. Help me move beyond mere head knowledge into heart knowledge of Who You are. Grant me not just the ability to see spiritual truths, but also the wisdom to understand and apply them in my daily walk with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Prayer Two: Experiencing God

“I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.” (Job 42:5). This verse beautifully contrasts two levels of knowing God: hearing about Him and seeing Him personally. Many Christians remain content with secondhand knowledge of God—hearing testimonies, listening to sermons, and reading books about Him. While these are valuable, they’re meant to be stepping stones toward personal encounters with God, not the final destination. Job’s statement reveals a transformative progression from intellectual understanding to experiential knowledge.

Think about the difference between reading about Paris and actually walking its streets. One gives you information; the other provides experience. Similarly, we’re called to move beyond merely accumulating facts about God to experiencing His presence personally. The Psalms echo this truth: “O taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8). Notice the sensory language—taste and see. God invites us into the experiential knowledge of His goodness, not just intellectual acknowledgment of it.

Prayer: “God, like Job, I want to move beyond merely hearing about You to seeing You with the eyes of my heart. Transform my knowledge of You from information to intimate experience. Let every Scripture I read and every sermon I hear lead me into a deeper, personal encounter with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Prayer Three: Spiritual Engagement

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life.” (1 John 1:1) This verse reveals three progressive dimensions of spiritual experience: Hearing (“which we have heard”), Seeing (“which we have seen with our eyes”) and Handling (“our hands have handled”)

Each dimension represents a deeper level of spiritual engagement. It’s like learning to play a musical instrument. First, you hear music (inspiration), then you see how it’s played (observation), and finally, you handle the instrument yourself (application).

Prayer: “God, guide me by Your Spirit through these dimensions of engaging with You. Let me not only hear Your truth but see it clearly and handle it personally. Help me move from being a spectator to becoming a participator in Your divine life. Make Your Word so real to me that I can handle it, apply it, and share it with others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Prayer Four: Divine Knowledge

“The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.” (Proverbs 3:19) This reveals that God’s creative and sustaining power flows through His knowledge. When the Bible says “God is light” (1 John 1:5), it’s not just a poetic metaphor. Light in Scripture often represents knowledge and understanding. Just as natural light reveals physical reality, divine knowledge reveals spiritual reality. This knowledge isn’t merely intellectual—it’s transformative and life-giving.

Consider how Jesus operated during His earthly ministry. He didn’t just possess information; He walked in divine knowledge. He knew when power had gone out from Him (Luke 8:46), knew what was in people’s hearts (John 2:25), and knew the Father’s will perfectly (John 5:19).

Divine knowledge is different from human knowledge. While human knowledge puffs up, divine knowledge builds up (1 Corinthians 8:1). It’s not about accumulating facts but about knowing God intimately and understanding His ways.

Prayer: “Father, plant in my heart seeds of spiritual knowledge that cannot be stolen by the enemy. Let Your spirit of wisdom and revelation bring me into a deeper knowledge of You. Help me understand Your ways, not just Your acts. Transform my mind with Your divine knowledge, that I might think Your thoughts after You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Prayer Five: Seeking God’s Face

“When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.” (Psalm 27:8). Seeking God’s face is different from seeking His hand (what He can do for us) It’s about pursuing intimacy with Him for His sake alone. For example, in Psalm 105:4 David advised us to seek both God’s strength or His power and His Face too when he said: “Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore.” This pursuit isn’t primarily intellectual—it’s a matter of the heart. As Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).

David said that the seeking of His face must be done continually in the words, ‘seek his face evermore.”  That means that this skill of seeking God’s face must be developed intentionally. Just as a musician must practice regularly to master their instrument, we must consistently engage our hearts in seeking God. This often means putting our hearts ahead of our minds—trusting God’s leading even when we don’t fully understand His direction. Always remember that intimacy with God isn’t achieved through formulas or religious routines. It’s developed through consistent, heartfelt pursuit of His presence. As Jeremiah 29:13 promises, “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

Prayer: “Lord, teach me the skill of seeking Your face. Help me put my heart before my head, trusting You even when I don’t understand. Let my heart engage with Your heart in deep communion. Take me beyond the shallow waters of information into the depths of genuine experience with You. Make this year a season of unprecedented intimacy with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

In conclusion, these prayers will move you from information to revelation, from hearing to seeing, from understanding to experiencing, and from knowing about God to knowing Him personally. Let these prayers guide you into deeper waters of knowing God. Don’t just read them—pray them with sincerity and expectation. God desires to be known by His children (Daniel 11:32), and He rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

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