These Bible verses for knowing God point to a Father who wants to be found, not a distant idea to study from afar. Scripture invites us to seek Him with our whole heart, to be still before Him, and to learn of Jesus, through whom the Father is made known. Read them slowly and let them become your own prayers.
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:13 (KJV)
God promises to be found by those who seek Him with their whole heart, an encouraging word for anyone longing to know Him.
Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
Psalms 46:10 (KJV)
Stillness before God is where knowing Him often begins, away from noise and hurry.
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)
Jesus defines eternal life itself as knowing the only true God and the Son He sent.
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
James 4:8 (KJV)
A simple promise: when we draw near to God, He draws near to us.
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Philippians 3:8-10 (KJV)
Paul counted everything as loss compared with knowing Christ, showing how precious this relationship is.
Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.
Jeremiah 9:23-24 (KJV)
Rather than boasting in wisdom or riches, God invites us to glory in understanding and knowing Him.
O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
Psalms 34:8 (KJV)
Knowing God is personal experience, like tasting and seeing for yourself that He is good.
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Ephesians 1:17-18 (KJV)
Paul prays for a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God, a prayer worth making your own.
Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.
Hosea 6:3 (KJV)
Knowing the Lord comes as we keep following on, as sure as the morning and the rain.
But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
2 Peter 3:18 (KJV)
Growth in the knowledge of Jesus is ongoing, something we keep increasing in throughout life.
O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
Psalms 63:1 (KJV)
David’s early-morning longing for God models the thirst that draws us to seek Him.
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Matthew 11:28-29 (KJV)
Jesus invites the weary to come and learn of Him, promising rest to their souls.
For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Colossians 1:9-10 (KJV)
This prayer asks that believers keep increasing in the knowledge of God as they walk worthy of Him.
O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
Psalms 139:1-3 (KJV)
Before we know God, He already knows us completely, every thought and every path.
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
John 14:6-7 (KJV)
Jesus teaches that knowing Him is the way to know the Father.
Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.
Proverbs 2:3-5 (KJV)
Searching for wisdom like hidden treasure leads to finding the knowledge of God.
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
1 John 4:7-8 (KJV)
Love is a mark of knowing God, because God Himself is love.
Knowing God is more than knowing facts about Him. Jesus said in John 17:3 that eternal life is to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent. A simple way to begin is to pick one verse each morning, read it aloud, and turn it into a short prayer. Psalm 63:1, for example, becomes a plain request: Lord, I want to seek You early today.
Try keeping a small notebook beside your Bible. Write the verse, then one line about what it shows you of God’s character: His goodness, His patience, His nearness. Over weeks, these notes become a record of how God has made Himself known to you. Hosea 6:3 encourages us to keep following on to know the Lord, so steady, unhurried reading matters more than speed.
These verses also fit well in quiet moments of doubt. When God feels far away, James 4:8 and Jeremiah 29:13 remind you that drawing near is always welcomed. Share a verse with a friend, pray it together, and ask God to open the eyes of your understanding as Paul prayed in Ephesians 1:18.
John 17:3 is worth praying as a genuine desire for deeper relationship, not only correct belief.
If you want to keep reading, Bible Verses About Wisdom and Knowledge and Bible Verses About Family Relationships sit close to this topic.
Quotations follow the King James Version of 1611, now in the public domain. To read any verse within its full chapter, try Blue Letter Bible.
Bible Verses For Prayer for Healing and Bible Verses For Hope in Hard Times pick up threads that run through these verses.
Readers of this page often go on to Bible Verses For Happiness or Bible Verses For Self-Control.
This subject overlaps with Bible Verses For Blessings and Prosperity and with Bible Verses For Inner Peace.
For a related angle, see Bible Verses For Following God or Bible Verses About Following God.
To see how other translations render these lines, look them up on Bible Gateway.
Bible Hub offers commentary and cross-references for each verse.
Return to this verse as an ongoing desire for genuine relationship with God, not only correct information about him.
These verses were never meant to sit on a page as decoration \u2014 they’re meant to shape how you actually respond the next time you want your knowledge of God to move from your head to your everyday life.
You don’t need polished or formal language for it \u2014 an honest, plainly worded sentence is enough, something as simple as telling God directly for a knowing of God that shapes how you actually live.
Few people in Scripture show the longing to know God as clearly as Moses. Exodus 33:11 says the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Yet even after the burning bush, the plagues and the parting of the sea, Moses still asked for more: “shew me now thy way, that I may know thee” (Exodus 33:13). Closeness did not end his hunger for God; it deepened that hunger.
A moment later he prayed, “I beseech thee, shew me thy glory” (Exodus 33:18). God answered by passing by and proclaiming His name: “The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth” (Exodus 34:6). Moses asked to see glory, and God revealed His character. That is a quiet lesson for anyone reading Bible verses for knowing God: He shows Himself mainly through who He is, not through spectacle.
When you pray through Bible verses for knowing God, borrow Moses’ words. Tell the Lord you want to know His ways, then watch for how His mercy and patience show up in your ordinary week.
This short plan takes about fifteen minutes a day. Read the passage once straight through, then return to the verse in bold and ask, “What does this show me about God?” Write one sentence in reply. The goal is not to finish quickly but to meet the Person behind the pages, which is the heart of all Bible verses for knowing God.
At the end of the week, read your seven sentences together. You will likely find a picture of God that is personal, patient and near. Many readers repeat this plan with a friend, comparing notes each evening. Among these Bible verses for knowing God, the ones that stay with you are worth memorizing, since a verse held in memory can return to you in the middle of an ordinary day.
Knowing God grows in the places where real life happens: the car, the kitchen, the hospital waiting room, the bedside of a child. Scripture was written for those places. The following questions and ideas can help you carry Bible verses for knowing God out of your quiet time and into the rest of the day.
Dry seasons come to sincere believers. David wrote Psalm 63 “in the wilderness of Judah,” according to its heading, and still said, “my soul thirsteth for thee.” In those weeks, read the psalms of longing, such as Psalm 42 and Psalm 63, rather than forcing a feeling. Lamentations 3:22-23 is also steadying, reminding us that the Lord’s compassions never run out and are renewed each morning. His faithfulness does not depend on how strongly you sense Him.
Choose one short line, such as “Be still, and know that I am God,” and repeat it slowly while driving or washing dishes. Emphasize a different word each time: be still; know; I am; God. Simple repetition like this helps Bible verses for knowing God settle into your thinking instead of passing through it.
Children often understand God best through His promises and His care. Read Psalm 23 together at bedtime and ask, “What does the Shepherd do for His sheep?” Let them name each thing: leads, restores, comforts, prepares a table. Then pray one line of the psalm aloud together. Deuteronomy 6:7 encourages parents to talk of God’s words “when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way.” Small, frequent moments matter more than long lessons.
Some ideas about knowing God sound spiritual but quietly discourage people. Scripture gently corrects each of them, and seeing these corrections can make Bible verses for knowing God feel far more hopeful.
Jesus thanked the Father for hiding these things “from the wise and prudent” and revealing them “unto babes” (Matthew 11:25). Study is a gift, yet knowing God is open to the plainest believer who comes humbly. Many of the most comforting Bible verses for knowing God were first spoken to shepherds, fishermen and ordinary families.
Salvation comes by grace through faith, and Paul adds that it is not of ourselves but “the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). The way to the Father is Jesus (John 14:6), not a record of good days. We draw near because He has opened the way, not because we have proved ourselves.
Paul admitted that for now we “see through a glass, darkly” and know only in part, while looking ahead to the day we will know fully, just as we are fully known (1 Corinthians 13:12). Even the apostle lived with partial understanding. Questions are not a sign of failure; they are part of growing. Bible verses for knowing God do not remove every mystery, but they show a God worth trusting inside it.
Emotions rise and fall with sleep, health and circumstances. John teaches that keeping God’s commandments is how we can be sure we truly know Him (1 John 2:3). Knowing God shows up in trust, obedience and love for others, even on days when emotions are quiet. For a teaching overview of this theme, see Bible verses about knowing God and His character, and for help turning Scripture into conversation with Him, explore Bible verses about prayer.
These prompts suit a quiet evening with a notebook or a midweek Bible study around a kitchen table. Linger over a single prompt if it stirs something, and save the rest for another day. Honest answers, even short ones, are the best way to let Bible verses for knowing God move from the page into your life.
Close with a simple prayer: “Father, I want to know You, not only to know about You. Show me Your ways, as You showed Moses. Open the eyes of my understanding through Your Word, and help me follow on to know You day by day. Thank You that You already know me completely and still invite me near. I ask this in the name of Jesus, through whom You have made Yourself known, amen.” Return to these Bible verses for knowing God whenever you need the reminder that He wants to be found.
When the Old Testament says someone “knew” another person, the verb is yada, and it covers far more ground than our English word. Genesis 4:1 says that Adam “knew Eve his wife,” and a child was born. Nobody reads that as a statement about his memory. Yada is a word for closeness that has been lived, tested and shared. So when Hosea 6:3 speaks of following on “to know the LORD,” the hope is for something that grows through time spent together, the way a friendship does after years of ordinary days.
That helps with a verse like Jeremiah 9:24, where God says the one who boasts should boast in this, “that he understandeth and knoweth me.” The Lord is not asking for a good score on a theology quiz. He is asking whether a person has come to see how He actually behaves: that He practises loving-kindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth. To know Him is to recognise His habits. A farmer knows his neighbour’s dog by its bark long before he can describe its breed, and something like that is going on here. Familiarity with His character, built slowly, is what these passages keep pointing toward, and it is why a person with very little formal training can know God better than a seminary graduate who only studies Him from a distance.
Hosea preached in the northern kingdom in the years before Assyria crushed it, and his own home became the sermon. God told him to marry Gomer, a woman who would not stay faithful, and the children’s names carried the message. Against that backdrop, the line in Hosea 4:6 lands hard: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” The people had temples, sacrifices and festivals. What they lacked was any real acquaintance with the One they claimed to worship, so their religion drifted into habit and then into idols.
Chapter 6 gives a short, hopeful call to return, and it is easy to read it as a tidy invitation. Yet the very next verses show God grieving that their love is like a morning cloud that vanishes in the sun. Think about how that feels from His side. He is not a distant manager wondering why attendance dropped. He is the faithful partner in a marriage where the other one keeps wandering off. Seeing it that way changes how a reader approaches Jeremiah 29:13 or James 4:8. Seeking Him is not a favour we do for a busy deity. It answers a relationship He has been pursuing, patiently and at real cost, long before we looked up.
Philippians 3 was written while Paul waited under guard, probably in Rome, with his future in the hands of people who did not like him. A man in that spot might be expected to ask for rescue. Instead he writes that he counts everything loss “for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.” He had been a rising Pharisee with a flawless record, and he describes that record the way someone talks about a drawer of old receipts.
What stands out is verse 10: “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings.” Paul has known Jesus for roughly thirty years by then, and he still says “that I may know him.” He does not think he has arrived. A long-married couple will recognise the feeling: after decades you still find out something new about the other person over a Tuesday dinner. If you have been a believer for a long time and feel embarrassed that you still have so much to learn, Paul keeps you company. And if you are new, you are not behind. Both of you are in the same line, reaching for the same thing.
Almost everyone who prays regularly hits stretches when nothing seems to happen. The Bible does not hide this. Psalm 63:1 was written by David in the wilderness of Judah, where he felt thirst in his own body and said his soul thirsted for God in “a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.” Notice that he still says “my God.” He is honest about the dryness and does not pretend it is something else.
A few practical thoughts may help. First, keep showing up in small ways, even when the feelings stay flat. Read a short passage, say a sentence of prayer, sit quietly as Psalm 46:10 suggests. Second, check the ordinary stuff: poor sleep, a crowded calendar and unresolved anger can all make a person feel far from God when He has not moved. Third, a long season of numbness or heaviness may involve more than spiritual dryness, so talking with a pastor, a counselor or a doctor is wise and not a failure of faith. Finally, remember Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11:28 to come to Him when weary. He says come. He does not say first fix yourself and then come.
Lord, I am tired and I am not sure what I feel. Still, I am here, and I would like to know You better than I do today. Meet me in the plain hours of this week, and keep me from quitting when it gets quiet. Amen.
If you want to keep going with this theme, try Bible Verses About Knowing God, Bible Verses About God's Promises, Bible Verses About Peace With God, Bible Verses For The Names Of God and Bible Verses For God's Omnipotence.
For deeper study, Bible Gateway, Bible Hub and Bible Study Tools are all free to use.
Knowing God is more than knowing facts about Him. Jesus said in John 17:3 that eternal life is to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent.
This page brings together 25 King James Version references about knowing God, drawn from 14 different books of the Bible.
Yes. The verses about knowing God gathered here include passages from both the Old Testament and the New Testament, such as Psalm 63:1 and John 17:3.
John 17:3 is one of the verses about knowing God referenced in this collection, alongside Psalm 63:1.
Yes, the verses referenced on this page, including John 17:3, are quoted according to the King James Version (KJV), and are suitable for daily reading, memorization, or devotional use.
