Aaron D’Anthony Brown challenges us to reflect honestly on how well we really know God. True intimacy with Him isn’t just about worship on Sundays — it’s about staying close when life feels upside down. Knowing God deeply means choosing Him in every season, especially the hard ones.

✨ Key Takeaways

💡 Saying we know God is different than truly trusting Him in trials
💡 Our faith can grow cold if we stop praying, reading, and staying connected to God
💡 Knowing God requires consistent relationship — not just when life feels good
💡 Scripture helps us learn God’s heart and equips us for seasons of doubt
💡 Reminders of truth (verses, prayers, routines) help us return to God when we wander

🌿 Intersecting Faith & Life

When was the last time you felt close to God? What was different about that season?

How can you build rhythms into your life — like daily prayer or scripture reading — that keep your relationship with God strong?

What truths do you need to write down or post somewhere to keep your mind focused on who God is?

How might preparing spiritually during “good times” help you stand firm when hard times come?

📖 Further Reading

Psalm 27:4 | Romans 5:8 | Jeremiah 29:11 | Hebrews 10:23 | John 15:4

💬 Join the Conversation

What’s one way you’ve learned to stay connected to God when life feels heavy? Share your experience with us @LifeAudioNetwork or on Crosswalk.com — your story might encourage someone walking through their own valley.

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Full Transcript Below:

Knowing God

By Aaron D’Anthony Brown

“But even the hairs of your head have all been counted. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:30-31, CSB)

How well do you know God? Your immediate answer might be something approving but give the question some thoughtful consideration. There’s a young woman I know, a college student, who grew up in church. Her father was a preacher, and her mother was the church’s librarian. She read plenty and sang plenty. If you asked her at the time, she would have told you that she knew God. Not only that, but her relationship with Him was also seemingly tight. Then time passed. She applied for college and did not get into the music school she wanted. Other things started to happen. Other bad things. Suddenly, she was on a path she never requested. Ever since, the woman who once knew God now often only mentions His name as an exclamation or joke.

Time after time, I’ve witnessed believers much like her who see themselves as having a profoundly deep relationship with God, and then something terrible happens, and that faith vanishes. I’ve noticed this trend even within myself. We claim we know God, but when crap hits the fan, we forget who He is. We stop trusting, stop praying, stop hoping in the one who gives peace. From there, we turn to our vices, idols, and fellow sinners.

While we may like to say we know God well, a more apt answer would be not well enough. If we knew God well, why wouldn’t we always trust Him? He’s always good, isn’t He?

Thankfully, there are sure ways to amend this flawed mindset.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

Finding intimacy with God means knowing Him both when life is great and when life feels terrible. Let’s devise some practical steps to put that idea into practice.

Pray Without Ceasing

Scripture tells us to pray always. If nothing can separate us from God’s love and He always wants a relationship with us, then there is no good reason to ever stop praying. Prayer is how we communicate, give thanks, make petitions, and in essence, draw closer to Him. Think about your relationships with other people. When you stop talking to friends regularly, there’s a chance that you will grow apart and, at the very least, you won’t think about them as often. We’re not on this Earth to think about God a little or only when convenient. Knowing God is a full-time activity, and prayer helps establish the routine.

Read Scripture

Taking time to read your Bible will not only make you wiser but will teach you God’s character. From the beginning of the book to the end, we are given insight into what God loves and what He hates, what He expects us to do, and what He wants us to avoid. What we also discover are truths about what knowing God actually means. Truths that help us commit to the act and remind us of the benefits.

Remind Yourself

If you’re a believer, then the idea of knowing God will seem appealing at face value, and most of the time, that may be the case. However, one way to prepare for those seasons of adversity is to have a game plan in place. During those times, knowing God won’t seem as appealing. Neither will prayer nor reading the Bible. That’s when we forget how good God is, and we stray away from our callings. While not good, that’s certainly normal. We’re humans and sinful. Yet, regardless of how or why we forget, the solution is the same. Remember. We can remind ourselves of truth by studying God’s Word and committing verses to memory. Write them down. Post them somewhere. Set alerts on your phone. Read the Bible with someone and quiz one another.

The more we consistently know, the less we will forget. Think back to being in school. When you’re going through the motions of homework and quizzes, the information is ingrained. When education stops, and you’re no longer putting things into practice, that’s when concepts start to fade. Let’s not allow that to happen in our relationship with God. Instead, let’s strive to know Him daily and throughout every season. We won’t regret that decision.

Further Reading:

Psalm 27:4
Romans 5:8
Jeremiah 29:11

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