How To Develop an Intimate Relationship with God
I’m reminded often of moments when I stray from my conscious awareness of the Lord. When I am consumed by the cares of life and the worries this world presents to me, I find myself in a worry state of catching myself out there in the open naked to the elements of this world. At such times I have a go-to measure because of the relationship that I have developed over many years growing ever closer to the Lord.
As I was walking and meditating alone during the early morning hour of darkness my attention was always on the Lord. You can’t help but be overwhelmed by the sheer ponderous of the Presence of the Lord as you gaze at His creation. Over the many years, I have developed a habit of placing myself in a position to be close to the Lord in prayer or meditation. I also spend a lot of time in prayer throughout the day because that is how my life has unfolded now that I am retired. I have so many opportunities to spend quality time with the Lord.
It dawned upon me just recently that everyone does not have this sort of go-to aid when they find themselves naked before this world of woe. My Lord is only a breath away for me personally because it has been my desire and my practice to stay closely connected with Him throughout the day. I use breath prayers which are short phrases consisting of just a couple of words to invoke the presence of the Lord. Such as; “Lord guide me,” “Stand by me Lord,” “Guide my steps,” “Watch over me as I sleep,” ‘Have mercy upon me, Lord,” Show me Your way,” Open my eyes to your truth,” or one of my favorite, “Be still and know that I am God.” I need to remind myself that God is always present, but I am the one that drifts away. By constantly using these short-breath prayers throughout the day I keep the presence of the Lord very close to the front of my mind so there is never a moment that I am not assured of His presence.
This is how my life has unfolded. This gift was given to me to share what I have learned with my brothers and sisters of the faith. God doesn’t give us knowledge and godly wisdom to horde or hold on to for our selfish consumption. He gives it to us to share with the entire body of His faithful believers. Since we are one body in God… the entire body is to benefit as one body members share His blessings.
In a similar way my entire body benefits from the ability the ears have to hear. My entire body benefits from the ability my eyes have to see. My entire body benefits as the individual body members of my body use their ability to perform for the good of the entire body. That is how God made each of us to serve within His glorious body. Once you see and know you are one of His body members… you can’t wait to share with the rest of the body what the Lord God shares with you through the gifts He put in you before you are placed in your mother’s womb to be born here on the earth.
It is said that it takes about 21 days to create a habit for most of us. If that is the case then you must be willing to commit to doing whatever you would like to see as a positive change in your life for at least 21 days. If you are unwilling for whatever reason to commit to doing something positive to make a lifestyle change then that should show you something about yourself. If you are not important enough to yourself, then who do you suppose cares more about you than you do? The Lord has blessed me with a certain set of talents that could be beneficial to the entire body of believers. He also blessed me with the spirit of unselfishness, so I am eager to share His blessings with others. As He blesses me I desire to share His blessings with the rest of His body of which I am only a body member. His blessings do not belong to me but instead are intended for the entire body. Now that He has shown me certain things I cannot wait to share the blessings with my fellow believers, especially those in Christ Lord.
I remember reading a very short pamphlet years ago called Practicing the Presence of God. It was written by a monk called Brother Lawrence. Lawrence worked in a kitchen preparing the meals for the group each day. As he prepared the food he would always meditate upon the Lord seeking His comfort and peace while cooking. Over many years of practicing keeping the presence of the Lord ever close to Him, he discovered that he had somehow stumbled upon something that could greatly help others. Brother Lawrence wrote this tiny pamphlet and had it published for the world to read. When the book came to me it was just at the right time when I was so open to receiving divine knowledge and teachings. I immediately put his thought process into practice and noticed immediate gratification. I knew consciously the Lord was right by my side all during the day because those brief prayers kept Him close to me.
The Lord tells us to draw close to Him and He will draw close to us. He says if we abide in Him and keep His word in us He will likewise abide in us. The scriptures can’t be any clearer. The issue is for us, are we willing to do what is necessary to keep the Lord that close to us at all times? This sort of relationship is completely possible, but we must desire to have it and do what is necessary to acquire such intimacy. It is not magic nor is there a magic potion to use. All we need to do is commit to the Lord and He will likewise commit to us. There is no heavy lifting here. He also tells us to take His yoke and make our burdens light because using His yoke allows Him to carry the weight for us. You might need to look up what a yoke is to understand how that works.
God desires a very close intimate relationship with all His created. The issue isn’t God’s desires, but our desires. He created us as objects to pour into all His deep affections. His boundless love! All we need to do is desire that for ourselves and He freely gives to all who want such a relationship. The issue again is for us to make such an intimate relationship a top priority to us. If it is only a slight desire you only get a slight intimacy. If you wish to have full intimacy then commit yourself more to the Lord. We cannot out-give God. We do not have it in our capacity to out-give God.
At this stage of my life, many things unfolded in such a way that allowed me to be in this moment sharing this sort of message with you. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become His sons and daughters. If you wish to have a very close relationship with the Lord it has to be somewhat of a priority to you. God already having seen the end of times knows who will be returning to His flock. The fact that you are receiving this message implies that there is something about you that He is reaching out drawing you ever closer. Just as the pamphlet appeared in my life just at a point when I was so ready to receive that message, likewise this message is coming to you, even if you are not yet fully ready to put it into practice. This is what we call planting the seed.
Someone else will come along later and water the seed, nurture it, and cultivate it until it produces good godly fruit. Should you desire to have such an intimate relationship with God, help is already on the way. This is the planting phase. The more you desire things of God the more He is drawn closer to you. It’s up to you to set your priorities where you feel you get the most benefit. The Father realizes how busy we are with the cares of life and even how difficult it is to keep your gaze upon Christ Lord. He is willing to assist you with both should you set that as your top priority. To get what God offers, the kingdom of heaven, you must be willing to make Him first on your list.
This is a very simple message. It does not require you to be a scholar or a rocket scientist. It only requires you to desire God with all your heart and all your soul with all your might. He carries the torch from that point. However, even with that stated He still cheers for you all along the way even when you stumble and fall. He is there to pick you back up, dust you off, and watch you as you go about your way standing guard over your steps as you will one day feel His draw just at the opportune time.
There is no magic potion here, you need only desire the Lord and He will come to you. Ask for His presence and He will appear to you spiritually. Seek Him and He will allow you to find Him. Knock on doors to the kingdom of heaven and the doors will be opened for you. Seek first the kingdom of Heaven and its righteousness and all else will be provided unto you. Though this sounds so simple, why isn’t everyone doing it? When you are ready for the Lord He has been waiting on you all along. To almighty God be the glory. Selah!