Getting Acquainted With God

By Kenneth E. Hagin

“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.” —Ephesians 3:14–15

Spiritually speaking, there are only two families on the earth: the family of God and the family of Satan. Every person, regardless of heritage or background, belongs to one of those two families. Which family do you belong to? Who is your father—God or Satan?

The only way you can be delivered out of the family of Satan is to be born into the family of God (John 3:3; Col. 1:13). You must receive Jesus as your Savior and be born again to belong to the family of God and call God your Heavenly Father.

Once you are born again, you begin to grow spiritually as you get to know your Heavenly Father. The number one way you become better acquainted with God the Father is through His Word. Smith Wigglesworth once said, “I can’t understand God by feelings. I understand God by what the Word says about Him. He is everything the Word says He is.”

Many people want to get acquainted with the Father through experiences. It’s true that you can learn some things about God through different experiences in life. But the number one way to get to know Him is through His Word. In the Word we find out about the Father’s nature and how much He loves and cares for us.

What does the Word say about our Heavenly Father? Jesus always presented God as a loving Father.

JOHN 3:16
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

JOHN 16:27
27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.

It was difficult for the Jews to understand what Jesus was saying when He talked about a Father of love. They had only known God as a God of law and justice—and that is one side of God.

Jesus was presenting the Fatherhood side of God. He was presenting the very nature of the Father, for the Bible says God is love (1 John 4:16). Jesus revealed God as a loving Father Who cares for our every need.

MATTHEW 6:8, 26
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them [the Gentiles]: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Notice the utter tenderness in this picture of the Father caring for His children. Our Heavenly Father knows our needs, and He desires to meet them before we even ask Him for help!

Because God is my Father, I like to do what Paul talked about in Ephesians 3:14–15. I like to get down on my knees and say, “. . . I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in Heaven and earth is named.” That word family takes God out of a harsh religious context and makes our relationship with the Father real and intimate.

We’re a part of the Father’s family. That fact has nothing in the world to do with religion. Religion is harsh and cold, but Christianity is a relationship with a God Who is a loving Father.

Many Christians have a difficult time comprehending God as a Father Who loves and cares for them. Often Christians have been religiously taught to fear and shrink from a God of justice. They have the idea that God is like a judge who sits up in Heaven looking for a chance to punish people the moment they make a mistake.

But no, God is love! Thank God for the Father’s love that Jesus came to reveal to us.

In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus said more about the Father’s care for His children.

MATTHEW 6:31–33
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Some people have been religiously taught to read that last verse, “All these things shall be taken away from you.” They think if they put God first, they won’t ever have anything.

But that’s not what Jesus said. He said the things you need will be added to you as you seek first the Kingdom of God. That promise proves your Father’s love and care for you.

Look at Matthew 6:34. Jesus said, “Take therefore no thought for the morrow. . . .” Another translation says, “Be not anxious for tomorrow.” This verse shows us that the Father doesn’t want His children full of worry and anxiety because He loves us and wants to meet our every need.

So have no worry or anxiety. Do not fret. You can be sure of this one fact: As you trust God with your life, He will take a father’s place and perform a father’s part in your life. He is your Father, and He loves you and cares for you with an everlasting love (Jer. 31:3).

We’ve looked at several statements Jesus made relative to the Father. Against the backdrop of these powerful statements about the Father’s love,other scriptures take on new light and become more real to us.

For instance, let’s look at a familiar verse as it is translated in The Amplified Bible.

1 PETER 5:7 (Amplified)
7 Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.

You should read that scripture as if your Heavenly Father is speaking directly to you, because this is a message from the very heart of God to you. He wants you to put an end to worry, doubt, and fear in your life.

How do you get rid of worry, doubt, and fear? By doing what this scripture says. Cast all of your care upon the Father. Abandon yourself to His love and care. Having done that, make sure you leave your burden with the Lord. When you have given your cares to the Father once and for all, don’t pick them up again.

Think what a difference it would make in people’s lives if they would walk in the light of these scriptures! Some people go many places trying every way except God’s way to receive deliverance and victory. They may receive temporary help, but they won’t experience permanent victory until they practice being doers of the Word.

You will experience victory only by refusing to worry and fret about your problems and cares. Instead, take those cares to the Lord in prayer and thank Him for the answer. Your Father loves you. He is interested in you. If you will make your requests known to Him and wait in His presence, He will help you understand what to do and give you the answers to your problems.

How much your Heavenly Father loves you! Wouldn’t you like to know Him better? Take advantage of the access your Father has provided for you through Jesus (Eph. 2:18) and get acquainted with Him through His Word. Commune with Him in prayer, and be sure to cast all your cares upon Him.

As you come to know and experience for yourself the depth of the Father’s love for you, doubts and fears that have plagued you in the past will be dispelled. As the Father loved Jesus, so He loves you (John 17:23). And because of the Father’s great love for you, you are never alone!
(Editor’s Note: This article was adapted from Brother Hagin’s book Classic Sermons.)

Attend to My Words

My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. —Proverbs 4:20–22

These verses give us the answer to all of life’s problems. God made the world with words (see Genesis chapter 1). Because God’s Word has creative power, it’s our remedy for any difficulty.

For God’s words to become life and health to us, we must continually practice these simple steps:
1. Attend to God’s Word.
2. Incline our ears unto God’s Word.
3. Let God’s Word not depart from our eyes.
4. Keep God’s Word in our hearts.