What Does It Take?

[Aquila]

Awesome thread!

Cultivating intimacy with God.

One should set aside time for prayer, meditation, and praying in the Spirit. Also, as many said here, learning to follow the leading of the Spirit.

I'd like to add something else...

There is also the cultivation of an ontological intimacy. Intimacy with God is more than just a prayer life. It's more than laying petitions, supplications, requests, praise, and worship before God. It is more than feeling emotional towards God or sensing emotion from God. True "spiritual intimacy" with God is "oneness". This is a cultivation of the "oneness" of spirit through the Holy Spirit that indwells the spirit of the born again believer.

The believer who lives a life of spiritual intimacy with God has realized and experienced this union with the LORD. God doesn't desire that we live lives wherein we are merely looking up and serving a God who is somewhere "up there". No, God desires to indwell us and to be found in the deepest recesses of our beings. Through this union/oneness we cultivate the "mind of Christ" by renewing our minds through study of the Word and tapping into the very mind and thoughts of Jesus. We are to "put on Christ", allowing ourselves to be conformed into His very image and likeness. This is more than emulation. In fact, it is allowing His Spirit to live His own life, will, desires, and plans out through us. We are to live as "living extensions" of Him in this lost and darkened world; He being the True Vine and we being the branches. A vine and its branches are a single organism. His life, Spirit, and power will flow through this intimacy and oneness as the life, spirit, and power flows through the vine into it's branches. And in this union, we will bear much fruit. In this union we see the unseen, hear the unheard, and manifest the unknown... through Him who dwells within us, within our very being, within our "inner man". This is true "intimacy with God". Oneness of the mind and spirit with the Holy, the Eternal, the Source, the Creator, the Alpha, the Omega, the First, the Last... the great... I AM. We become "one spirit" with the LORD Himself.

In this union He partakes in all that we are... and we partake in the divine nature, all that He is, was, and ever will be. And it is all available to us through grace.

Here are some spiritual mysteries to ponder from the Scriptures...

John 14:20 (ESV)
20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

John 14:23(ESV)
23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

John 15:1-7 (ESV)
15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

Romans 8:29 (ESV)
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers

Colossians 1:27 (ESV)
To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Galatians 2:20 (ESV)
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

2 Peter 1:3-4 (ESV)
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

1 Corinthians 6:17 (ESV)
But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.

Below, I have shared a chart expressing this spiritual reality. This is "intimacy with God".

[good samaritan]

I think the number one thing to have a close relationship with God is desire. I don't understand it, but there have been seasons in my walk with God that I have felt so close to him and other times so far away. Never in the last 13years have I ever quit serving him, but I have different seasons. The one thing that kept me through it all though is a desire for him.
Call it his spirit drawing or whatever you may, but that desire for God is what so many seem to lose our turn from. We must do everything we can to let that desire for God increase in our life. Never be content with God always have a desire for more.

[votivesoul]

I like the comments so far. Keep it up, everyone.

Additionally, I would like to add that God becomes more and more willing to be intimate with us, the more we embrace truth. One aspect in particular I want to mention is spiritual transparency.

Self-deception and delusion are real spectres hanging over every believer. It's the number one kind of deception warned against in the Scriptures. I have found that my intimacy with God increases the more I refuse to deceive myself into thinking incorrectly about who and what I am.

It seems a bit strange at first, the need to openly and honestly, confessionally speak to our omniscient Creator, as if He's hearing the things we say to Him for the first time, and would not otherwise know the things we say to Him. But it's not for Him, it's for us.

The more I make myself spiritually naked before God, and do so unashamedly, flaws and all, the more I find myself walking in the light of His glory. Our oneness increases and intimacy flourishes.

[Aquila]

Amen Votivesoul.

[Michael The Disciple]

Gods Not Afraid Of Your Honesty-Margaret Becker

[votivesoul]

In that the fear of the LORD is to hate evil, I find the more I hate evil, especially in myself, the more my fear of God grows, which pleases Him.

In Psalm 25:14, it reads that the secret of the LORD is with them that fear Him. In my study and understanding of this passage, the word secret here means private counsel.

Being invited into the private counsel of God is a very intimate thing to experience.

I encourage everyone to renew their fear of the LORD, to hate evil, and watch as He draws you ever closer to Himself in private intimacy.

[KeptByTheWord]

Amen. Very true words, VS. The very heart of holiness with the Lord is to eschew evil, most importantly in our own hearts. Once we have our own hearts in reverent fear and honor of the Lord, and not allowing any evil to preside or reside... then progress will be made in our intimacy and relationship with Him.

[votivesoul]

Another thing that I've been thinking a lot about is the community of believers.

Witnessing and experiencing the revelation of Jesus Christ in the Body, as He manifests the various facets of His existence to us, through others, is just as necessary as having a personal relationship with Him.

I count every moment with my fellow believers as precious. It's as much like being with Jesus as when I'm alone in prayer at home.

[HopePreacher]

Immediately after Pentecost these things were said about believers:
> They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching.
> [They devoted themselves] to the fellowship.
> [They devoted themselves] to the breaking of bread.
> [They devoted themselves] to prayer.
(Acts 2:42)

Each of those speak of coming together in fellowship. And in verse 46 it says, "Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and at together with glad and sincere hearts."

Close fellowship is vital to spiritual growth.

[KeptByTheWord]

Originally Posted by HopePreacher

Immediately after Pentecost these things were said about believers:
> They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching.
> [They devoted themselves] to the fellowship.
> [They devoted themselves] to the breaking of bread.
> [They devoted themselves] to prayer.
(Acts 2:42)

Each of those speak of coming together in fellowship. And in verse 46 it says, "Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and at together with glad and sincere hearts."

Close fellowship is vital to spiritual growth.

Agreed!