Ten Practical Ways to Deepen Your Intimacy with God
We’ve spent the last four weeks discussing different aspects of our relationship with God. In addition, I’ve spent these last four weeks packing up my house, saying goodbye too many times, and entering a new rhythm of life. I am grateful God gave me words to share with you that have sustained me during our process of moving.
Today, as I sit to write, I am weepy, wounded, and weary. I don’t tell you that for sympathy or because my life is falling apart. Currently, I am definitely experiencing God’s goodness! However, I also know it is wise to recognize good can also be extremely difficult.
Circumstance and our Relationship with God
None of us continually live in circumstances where life is pleasant, smooth, and comfortable. All of us, from time to time, experience the hard, the difficult, the painful, and the fearful. We must not allow our circumstances to dictate our relationship with God.
That being said, may I also state God often reveals Himself through our circumstances. When we encounter situations that are confusing or heartbreaking, we lean into our Father more quickly for strength, wisdom, and peace. During those seasons of success or plenty, God gives us the opportunity to discover how to use our gifting while still giving Him all the glory. Regardless of our current journey, we must always be filled with gratitude as we seek to identify how God blesses us with His goodness. After all, He is ALWAYS good.
How do We Deepen Intimacy with God?
As I contemplated the four types of relationship we have with God, I wondered, so how do we deepen our relationship? What are practical things we can do? Are there habits we can create that will continually strengthen and deepen our intimacy with our Lord and Savior?
Be in the Word
I’m sure you have heard sermons, read books, or listened to podcasts teaching you how to build your relationship with God. We must be in the Word. God has much to teach us about who He is and His purposes through the stories we read throughout the Old and New Testament. However, we must do more than read. We must study to discover the underlying truths about who God is, what He values, and how He longs to transform our lives.
I firmly believe we should all spend time in God’s Word every day. We can also participate in Bible Studies, learning from others what they see in God’s Word. We should attend church consistently and seek to take at least one thing away each week from our Pastor’s sermon. I find it helpful to ask my friends what they are currently learning in God’s Word because they always present a fresh perspective to me which helps me grow.
Going Beyond Studying the Word
God’s Word also tells us we deepen our relationship with God through prayer, fasting, and serving others. We gain insight through talking with God and learning to listen to His voice. God meets with us when we choose to set aside our physical needs to focus on His presence and movement in our lives. Plus, He meets with us and blesses us when we choose to be His hands and feet to those in need.
At this point in my journey, I am desperate for the presence of God. I need His nearness to enable me to live this new life well. So, I asked myself, “what else can someone do to draw near to God?” How do I better my friendship with Jesus? How do I deepen intimacy with the Holy Spirit? What do I do to strengthen my trust in God whose Kingdom is so counter cultural?
I followed my questioning by doing what many people now do, I googled. I took advantage of AI and the power of the internet to learn how people better their relationships with others. After my research, I created an extensive list of ideas that I then whittled down. Because let’s be honest, putting my phone down at dinner time doesn’t necessarily apply.
Ten Practical Ideas to Strengthen Your Intimacy with God
Practice quality time together without distraction.
Some of you may quickly align this idea with the time you spend reading God’s Word. I believe that’s perfectly applicable. However, I also believe there could be more opportunities. Go on a prayer walk with God. Spend ten minutes doing nothing but listening to praise music and worshiping. Or learn the practice of silence.
Share your feelings and thoughts.
This seems like a no-brainer; however, I’ve realized we often just share what we want and not the underlying feelings, concerns, dreams, and fears. Whether you speak your words aloud or write them on paper, fully express yourself to God.
We want God to fix things. However, God wants to transform us. We must move beyond the idea of a better circumstance and express to God what is hard, exciting, fearful, trying, confusing, and hopeful. When we express all our inner workings to God, we allow Him the privilege of meeting our need in the way He deems best.
Show appreciation regularly.
Don’t you love it when someone expresses gratitude to you? When we receive a thank you card, or a gift from a friend, we feel seen and wanted. When we send a card or give a gift, we anticipate the joy someone else will experience.
We are made in the image of God. We delight in gratitude, and so does our Creator. Expressing thankfulness is as good for the giver as it is the receiver. In addition, it strengthens the bond between both parties.
Support each other’s interests and passions.
We expect God to support our interests and passions. Often, we tell God exactly how we think He could best support us. We detail exactly how we want events to proceed. Let me remind you, relationship is a two-way street. We also must support God’s interests and passions. In Christianese: we must live for the Kingdom. Our relationship with God is not all about us. In all reality, we are to be all about Him. We must daily consider how we can support God’s interests and passions by how we live.
Create rituals or traditions together.
God instructed the Israelites to honor the Sabbath and keep it holy. He also commanded them to hold a variety of feasts and celebrations to remember significant events like Passover.
We create traditions for our children around holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. Each year, when we participate in various rituals together, we deepen our connection as we build on memories.
Each of us has unique experiences with God that we can remember through some sort of tradition we share with Him. We don’t need to create anything elaborate, but we can choose to do things that will deepen our intimacy with Christ by remembering our past.
Continue learning about each other.
If you’ve grown up in the church like me, you may struggle with the idea of learning something new about God. Perhaps you read the entire Bible every year, and the stories all seem too familiar. Just like when you’ve been married for a long time, you gotta mix things up.
Approach your quiet time in a different method. Read a different translation. Do a Bible Study from a different theological perspective and ponder what you agree with or disagree with and why. Continually ask: what does this teach me about God?
God is infinite. We cannot fully grasp Him in this life, so there is always something to learn. We may have heard the truth before, but we may experience it in a fresh way and therefore learn it in a more comprehensive way.
Practice relational mindfulness.
I know that phrase sounds like psychological mumbo-jumbo. However, the concept is profound and simple. We focus our energy on the present moment and what we are experiencing with another. This practice involves being fully in the moment with God. Are you hurting? Express it. Are you held in awe over God’s creation? Express it. Are you enjoying another person or an experience? Express it to God. Are you excited, grateful, delighted, fearful, anxious, or full of peace? Express it.
Experience new things together.
This seems expected when you consider a marriage relationship or strengthening your relationship with your adult children. We can do the same with God. Since He is always with us, we simply try new things and then practice relational mindfulness. Go to a different Bible Study. Try a restaurant from a culture new to you. Learn to climb or kayak or knit or line dance. Stretch your mind and your muscles and include God in your activity.
Check in regularly.
We often talk about beginning our day with Jesus. Some people pray before their feet hit the floor. Others discuss their morning quiet time ritual. If we only talked to our spouse once a day, our relationship would falter.
Set a midday check-in. I have reminders on my phone to pray at both noon and four. I have discovered this helps me consider how God may want to adapt my schedule or remind me of a truth He wants me to consider.
End your day with God. Read a devotional, listen to scripture, write in a gratitude journal. Just as we begin the day with Jesus, we should close our day with Him.
Never Stop Asking questions.
God is the source of all knowledge. We must never assume we can figure things out on our own. When we work with someone, and ask how they might do a particular task, we learn a fresh perspective. We must recognize God always wants to help us and work with us, just as He helped and worked with Adam in the Garden. We must remember God created this World with so much wonder. In addition, we are God’s children and free to ask our dad all the questions we want.
Always Growing
We continually build a relationship with God. We don’t generate intimacy in just one interaction a day. Think about the different aspects of our relationship with God. First of all, Jesus is our friend, and He wants to hang out with us all day long. Second, God is the Sovereign Creator and the source of all wisdom. He is available and He wants to help. Third, we will better grasp the Spirit’s guidance by spending more time asking questions and sharing ourselves with Him. Lastly, we will better understand God’s provision as our portion when we invest in our relationship with Him.
Allow me to suggest choosing just one or two of the ten ideas to implement. God doesn’t expect us to do it all. Open the door to greater intimacy by choosing ways that will enable you to successfully include God in more aspects of your life. Remember, He wants to be with you, and He wants to do life with you. Enjoy the journey, He is a good, good Father.
Scripture and Sidewalk Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
