Intimacy precedes fruitfulness – part 2

When I got to the point of deciding that I might never really get to intimacy with God I asked Him a question: What would it look like for me to pursue a more intimate relationship with You?

I began to have a desire to find out how other people who have achieved greater levels of intimacy did it. I read some books. God and I starting having a conversation about what my process for growing in intimacy would look like. And now, I’m beginning to increase my level of intimacy with God and produce some new fruit.

That’s how it’s worked so far for me. I don’t know how you’ll spend  time with Him, but it will take time. The secret is finding a way or method of spending that time which doesn’t become drudgery or ritual for you.

Maybe you’re like me and you’ve experienced some pain in your life and some disappointment and out of that you’ve grown and matured and you can see more clearly the priority of developing a more intimate relationship with the Lord. Maybe you’re hearing the whisper of the Holy Spirit calling you to intimacy.

So I know it’s hard and intimidating, but I want you to forget about that for a moment and dream. What might change in your life if you were able to come to ever increasing levels of intimacy? What might be possible if you came into deeper relationship with God?

How do you think your relationships with your friends might change if you were more intimate with God? What about your relationship with your spouse? Parents? Children? What might happen if you were constantly going deeper with God?  What fruit might be born in those relationships?

What if through a process of growing intimacy you came to an understanding of who you are? One of the most powerful prayers you can pray when it comes to getting identity sorted out is this: “Lord, I want to see myself the way You see me.” God created you and He’s in the best position to talk to you about who you really are. Once you come to understand and see yourself the way God sees you, you’re positioned to produce a lot of fruit.

What if you grew in intimacy with the Lord to the point that you always knew, in every moment, that He loved you? How would that understanding change you and the people around you? One thing that might change is your critical spirit (if you have one). You’d begin to see the same struggles in others that you’ve seen in yourself and instead of being critical, you’d be compassionate. Do you see how intimacy could produce fruit?

Ask this question first: “Lord if intimacy really does precede fruitfulness, then would You show me what steps to take so that my life can be a life that is characterized by intimacy with You and becomes a life that bears fruit in Your kingdom?” If you ask that question sincerely, God, who is the author and creator of intimacy and the one who thought up the idea of fruitfulness, won’t disappoint you.