7 Keys to Intimacy with God

Have you faced challenges in experiencing intimacy with God and sensed a distance between you and Him? 

If you find God distant, consider who might have shifted position. I, too, grappled with nurturing my close connection to Christ. The demands of daily life had grown so overwhelming that my consistency in fostering a relationship, spending time with Christ, and delving into His teachings began to waver.  

It was during one of those difficult seasons that I discovered the keys to reigniting my relationship.

What are the Keys to Fostering Intimacy with God?

1. Forgiveness

Are you holding on to a wrong that was done to you? Hand raised! I had allowed unforgiveness to take root in my heart and refused to forgive someone. “Forgive as I have forgiven you…” (Matthew 6: 14-15). It is not a suggestion, but a command. This is one of the 10 commandments that God gave Moses. Sometimes we take forgiveness as if it is an act we do according to how we may feel at the moment. Our feelings should not determine if we are going to walk in forgiveness. All of us have a past, but we must choose to release the “baggage” from the past to be free. Sometimes we relive the incident over and over in our minds until we exhaust ourselves emotionally and physically. Stop the cycle now! You must forgive.

2. Scheduling Time with God Daily

I have a regular date with God, do you? If you plan to eat lunch with a friend, you don’t stand them up, but make every effort to arrive on time. You should have a regular place that you go to meet with God. It could be a chair, a room, a bench. The more time you spend with a person the more you get to know them intimately and deeply. Enoch had such a habitual relationship with Christ that he just walked into heaven; never experiencing death due to his intimate relationship with God.

3. Repentant Heart

John 1: 9 says, “Confess your sin and God is faithful and just to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” not some but ALL. You don’t have to continue to live in condemnation forever. There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. So why keep pointing the finger at yourself for letting yourself down and others around you. God already knew you were going to do it; You allowed the temptation to take over you. Confess It - Be Free and Move For-ward.

4. Commitment to Excellence / Keep Your WORD

God’s word doesn’t return void. You must be a person of your word and have integrity. Don’t overcommit and obligate yourself to the point that what you’re doing isn’t from your heart and genuine. If you’ve over-committed yourself sometimes you are no longer functioning with the spirit of love. You might need to evaluate if God has called you to do those things. God First, Family Second, and Career Third.

5. Read Your Bible (Know His Ways)

You must read and study the Bible to develop an intimate relationship with Christ. It requires more than only attending church on Sunday. We are to study and show ourselves as an approved workman. (Psalms 103:7) God made His ways known to Moses and His acts to the children of Israel. I am often asked, “How do I know God’s plan and purpose in my life?” My response is, “How’s your Prayer Life? You will not know God’s will or His Word through osmosis, but through the Holy Spirit which will speak to you.

6. Prayer (Seek His Face/Glory)

The Hebrew word for Glory is ‘kavod” which means weighty presence. The Greek Work for Glory is “doxa” which means brilliance or radiance. The glow upon God’s face shined so brightly that Moses had to turn away. The glory of God brings intimacy. The more intimacy you have, the more glory you shall experience. In my opinion, this is the best place to be!

7. Surrender

Arriving at a place of true intimacy with God requires surrender.
I remember singing the Church hymn, “I Surrender All” at the end of service, but was I simply saying the words to the song, or was I truly ready to surrender in my heart? I believe a surrendered relationship to Christ has valuable and very important.

I challenge you to move out of the daily routine of checklists and move toward an intimate relationship with Christ. He desires for you to know in an intimate way.

Are you ready to use your Keys today? Check out the Rekindled Course today and get started Igniting an Intimate Relationship with God.