to download the PDF. - Rhema

almost 44 years. I know his thoughtsand he knows mine. It’s a natural factthat the more time you spend withsomeone, the better you know thatperson.Both of my children are marriedand have families of their own. Andafter they left home, I retired fromcooking. Although I love to cook, I nowdo that only on holidays. As a result,my husband and I eat out frequently.Sometimes Ken will ask me whereI want to eat, and I’ll tell him that I’mthinking about a certain restaurant. Andoften he tells me he’s thinking about thatsame restaurant. This happens becausewe have spent so much time together.Ken’s ways have become my ways, andmy ways have become his ways.Isaiah 55:8 says, “For my thoughtsare not your thoughts, neither are yourways my ways, saith the Lord.” Whenyou are born again, your thoughtsand ways might be very differentfrom God’s. But the more time youspend communing with your HeavenlyFather, the more your thoughts andways become like His.Our Heavenly Father desires thatwe know Him. But some people knowGod only as their Creator. Othersknow Him and Jesus only as theirSavior. Still others know the Fatherand the Son as their Creator, Savior,and Healer.Do you realize that you can knowyour Heavenly Father as a friend? Ifyou allow Him to, He will be a closefriend and confidant Who will neverbetray you or tell your secrets.Isn’t it funny the way some of usare? Many people who hear confidentialinformation feel as though they musttell one other person! They say, “Don’ttell anybody else. This is between youand me.” But after each person tellsjust one other person, it soon seems asif the whole world knows the secret.God is not like that. I learned along time ago that I can tell Him all ofmy problems and secrets and He willnever betray me. He will never let mysecret out.How do we get to know our HeavenlyFather better? First of all, we cando that by reading and meditating onHis Word. We can learn so much aboutwhat God is like by reading and studyingthe Bible. And if we want Him toanswer our prayers, we need to knowwhat He’s promised us in His Word.We can also get to know our HeavenlyFather by spending time withHim in prayer. D. L. Moody once said,in effect, “I would rather learn to praythan to preach.” Jesus never taughtI learned a long time agothat I can tell [God] all of myproblems and secrets andHe will never betray me.His disciples how to preach, but He didteach them how to pray. Jesus knewthat prayer was vital to the disciples’success in life and ministry.The Apostle Paul is a good exampleof someone who knew the Father. Butone reason he knew Him so well wasthat he made knowing Jesus his toppriority. And Jesus told His disciples,“Anyone who has seen me has seen theFather” (John 14:9 NIV).PHILIPPIANS 3:8, 10 (Amplified)8 I count everything as losscompared to the possession of thepriceless privilege . . . of knowingChrist Jesus my Lord and of progressivelybecoming more deeplyand intimately acquainted withHim. . . . For His sake I have losteverything and consider it all to bemere rubbish . . . , in order that Imay win . . . Christ. . . .10 [For my determined purpose is]that I may know Him [that I mayprogressively become more deeplyand intimately acquainted withHim, perceiving and recognizingand understanding the wonders ofHis Person more strongly and moreclearly], and that I may in thatsame way come to know the poweroutflowing from His resurrection[which it exerts over believers], andthat I may so share His sufferingsas to be continually transformed [inspirit into His likeness even] to Hisdeath. . . .How Well Do You Know YourFather?We’re not talking about yourearthly father—we’re talking aboutyour Heavenly Father. In Kenneth E.Hagin’s 4-CD series, get to knowGod, not just as your Creator, King,and Savior, but as your Father.Knowing God as Your Father(4-CDs, Kenneth E. Hagin)Regular Price: $28.00 ($33.60 Canada)Special Offer: KIT09WF06C | $21.95* ($26.35* Canada)Plus Shipping and Handling*Special Offer expires September 30, 2009To order, visit us online at www.rhema.org/bookstore,call 1-800-54-FAITH (543-2484), or mail the enclosed envelope.In Canada, call 1-866-70-RHEMA (707-4362).rhema.org 17