by Pastor Thomas Sullivan
KEYS TO INTIMACY WITH THE FATHER
1 John 4:16
We were created to give and receive love. If we do not have love, we will suffer emotionally and never reach our God-given potential. God desires that we walk in an intimate relationship with Him. Walking in intimacy is walking in transparency. We need to be honest with God about our feelings toward Him and others. Intimacy has been described as “in-to-me-see”. It is transparenct before God. God the Father thinks about you and me all the time. (Psalm 139:17-18)
Sometimes because we have lacked a parent’s love or been severely rejected, we are afraid of intimacy. We build walls. These walls hinder us from having intimate, close relationship with God and healthy relationships with others. We may find it hard to love God because we have believed a lie about God. (John 8:44) What are Satan’s lies?
There are at least four keys to developing an intimate relationship with God.
1. The image you have of yourself will determine the level of intimacy in which you can walk.
a. You were created in God’s image and God is love.
b. In whose image do you walk?
c. Do you see yourself as a lover created in God’s image and a lover of other people?
d. Have you bought into the lie that you don’t have to express love?
e. Jesus said that it is all about love. (Matthew 22:37-40)
To be continued . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
