Intimacy with God, His highest priority for your life

Based upon Dr. Stanley’s Life Principle Notes

God’s twofold purpose in pursuing an intimate relationship with you is to reveal Himself to you and to accomplish His work through you. He wants you to have a life that is meaningful (Mt 5:14-16), joyful (Jn 15:11), and fruitful (Jn 15:5).

Review the MEMORY VERSE (Jn 1:14).  Let’s hide the Word of God in our heart; MEDITATE, what does the verse say to you?  Pray for understanding.  Review, Review, Review!

DISCUSS: What did I learn in the Sunday School lesson and the sermon about “God among us: do we notice?”

Read (Ps 63:1-8).  The Holy Spirit living in you gives you the ability to develop a real and personal friendship with Christ.  How does this Psalm of David indicate that he had a deep relationship with God?  How thirsty; how longing was David?

Some requirements for intimacy:  1. Trust; you cannot obey someone you do not trust. 2. Love; the more you love Him, the more you want to obey Him (Jn 15:14). 3. Openness and transparency; confess specific sins, open your heart and be honest with Him (1 Jn 1:9).  4. Two-way communication; when you pray, take time to listen; let Him reveal Himself (Jn 14:21). Do you believe that He will reveal Himself? 5. Time and effort; devote yourself to getting to know Him, the reward is worth it (Ps 16:11).

Some barriers to intimacy with God: 1. Pride; is an abomination to God (Pr 16:5); it shifts our focus from God to ourselves. 2. Rebellion; is often an outgrowth of pride. Anything that is rebellious to God is sin. 3. Unforgiveness; (Mt 6:12,14). 4. Lack of Time; the key to an intimate relationship is our time alone with God – spend time with Him today!