intimacy with god
The Keys To Intimacy With God – Part 2
The Keys To Intimacy With God – Part 2
What are the keys to intimacy with God ? How can we have the closest possible and most intimate fellowship with God ? And oneness and unity with Him ? And a partnership with God in His kingdom work and mission ?
In this 3 part series of Bible study articles we will look at the keys to intimacy with God. In Part 1 we looked at the first 2 keys to intimacy with God. In this article we will look at the next 3 keys to intimacy with God.
Remember that intimacy with God is all about having a restored and close relationship with God, and is not the same as a religion. Religion is very much different than having a restored relationship with God through His son Jesus Christ. Being that it is a relationship, the keys to intimacy with God are similar to some of the keys to have a good relationship.
The Keys To Intimacy With God
Keys to Intimacy With God – #3 – Respect (Honor, Reverence)
Psalm 25:12-14 “Who, then, are those who fear the LORD? He will instruct them in the ways they should choose. They will spend their days in prosperity, and their descendants will inherit the land. The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.”
Luke 11:1-2 “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “LORD, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.”
Acts 2:43, 47 “Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles… praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the LORD added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (it was the Lord that did the great acts and wonders through the apostles)
Fear And Honor God
1 Samuel 2:30 “Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that members of your family would minister before me forever.’ But now the LORD declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained.
Psalm 111:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.”
Proverbs 15:33 “The fear of the Lord is the instruction for wisdom, and before honor comes humility.”
The Biblical word for “fear” means to be in awe of God, and to greatly respect and have a great reverence for Him. God is worthy of our reverence, and the more we know Him the more we will reverence Him and be in awe of Him. The word Praise means to “place great value on someone”, so when we praise God we are communicating how much we care for Him and value Him.
Keys to Intimacy With God – #4 – Trust & Faith
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Psalm 91:1-2 “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
Psalm 22:4-5 “In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.”
Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
Psalm 62:5-8 “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”
You simply cannot have a good, intimate relationship with God if you cannot trust Him. Faith is absolutely vital in walking with God and having close fellowship with Him. Because God’s ways are so different than our own (Isaiah 55:8-9), there will be times we will not understand what He is doing. Or why He is doing the things He is doing. Trust and faith is absolutely vital during these times.
Keys To Intimacy With God – #5 – Communication (2 way)
God Speaks And You Listen
Before we jump into our prayer requests and petitions, we should show God reverence and allow Him to speak first. God speaks primarily through His word the Bible. And also through His Holy Spirit in your quiet devotion/fellowship time with God.
John 10:2-4,10, 27 “But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice… I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep… My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
1 Kings 19:11-13 “The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.”
Our Heart Attitude Needs to Be “Speak Lord For Your Servant Is Listening”
1 Samuel 3:10 “The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.”
We need to have a humble, soft, and seeking heart. And we need to allow God to speak first, before we jump into our prayer requests. God wants to reveal a lot about Himself. And about His will and plans for you. And about how you can join Him in His kingdom work and mission.
You need to take the time to listen to God speak. It takes time. And effort. And concentration. It takes time to learn to hear God’s voice.
The Keys To Intimacy With God
Listening to God Is The Most Important Part of Our Prayer Time With God
The Biblical word for “listen” means to hear what God is saying, with the intent of doing whatever God says to do. Or going wherever God says to go. It implies having a heart that intends to do whatever God says, before you even hear God speak. What is in your heart determines whether you hear and obey God or not.
Psalm 46:10 “He says, “Be still, and know that I am God…”
Ecclesiastes 5:1 “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.”
Luke 10:38-42 “As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the LORD’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “LORD, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the LORD answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed-or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Blessed Are Those Who Hear God’s Voice & Obey
Luke 11:28 “But He said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”
Hearing God’s voice is the most important part of our prayer time with Him. That is why we should get in the habit of reading God’s word and hearing His voice before we share our prayer requests and petitions with God.
Good communication and learning to hear His “still small voice” is essential to knowing God. And to knowing His attributes, His will, and His plans, and God’s calling on your life.
In Part 3 we will discover the final 3 keys to intimacy with God.
Pursuing Intimacy With God
Pursuing Intimacy With God is committed to helping you with the most important thing in your life… your intimacy with God , your fellowship with Him, and your partnership with God in His Kingdom work & mission.
There are hundreds of Bible verses and great truths & promises in the Pursuing Intimacy With God studies book
** New Expanded Edition of Pursuing Intimacy With God Bible Studies Book – 40% more material
Ebook version of Pursuing Intimacy With God on Google Books
Pursuing Intimacy With God ebook Kindle version
Salvation: The Requirements for True Salvation
More Links
Preview the Pursuing Intimacy With God Studies Book
Jesus Christ Is The Source of Abundant Life
Can You Personally Know God – Part 2
Hearing God’s Voice – Vital for Intimacy With God
Hinderances To Hearing God’s Voice
You Can Learn to Hear God’s Voice
What Is Prayer ? God’s Purpose For Prayer
The Desires of God’s Heart – Part 2
The Greatest Desire of God’s Heart
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