God’s greatest pursuit is to know us intimately, and He invites us to do life with Him. Could there be a greater quest? Paul said, “Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8 NLT).

Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ was Jeanne Guyon’s passion. So vital was this mission that she wrote a book by the same name. This seventeenth-century Frenchwoman influenced believers like John Wesley, Hudson Taylor, and Watchman Nee. Regarding intimacy, she said:

“Let me ask you…do you desire to know the Lord in a deep way? God has made such an experience, such a walk, possible for you. He has made it possible through the grace He has given to all His redeemed children. He has done it by means of His Holy Spirit. How then will you come to the Lord to know Him in such a deep way? Prayer is the key.”5

So, how would you describe prayer in relation to knowing God intimately? Carefully read Jesus’ prayer in Matthew 6:5-15. What can you learn from Him and apply in your life?

As we have learned, when we’re born again, the Holy Spirit comes to live in our spirits. So, when the Spirit communicates with us, He does so in our spirits. Jeanne Guyon continues,

“The Lord is found only within your spirit, in the recesses of your being, in the Holy of Holies; this is where He dwells. The Lord once promised to come and make His home within you. (John 14:23) He promised to there meet those who worship Him and who do His will. The Lord will meet you in your spirit …Once your heart has been turned inwardly to the Lord, you will have an impression of His presence.”6

The most intimate way we can know God is by His Spirit—His Holy Spirit whom He has given us (see 1 Corinthians 2:9-12). Stop and pray, “Holy Spirit, are there any misconceptions, bad experiences, or personal biases I have concerning You that are distorting my understanding of You?” Be still and listen. Ask Him to remove any mindset that’s keeping you from His presence. Write what He reveals.

Meditate on this truth and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal its meaning to your heart.

But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

—2 Corinthians 3:16-18 NLT

Chapter 3 - Discussion Questions

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS