Build a Daily Habit of Connecting with God
People often say we should ‘draw closer to God,’ but do we even know what that means? When was the last time you paused to think about it? Not just in theory, but during your everyday life experiences while trying to feed the kids, take the trash out, go to work, and do all the other things we must juggle?
I used to think intimacy with God meant being super spiritual. You know, always quoting the right Scripture or praying with poetic words. But honestly, there are days when my prayers feel flat, I barely manage to mumble them before falling asleep, or I can’t even finish a devotional without my mind wandering. Can you relate?
So, I’ve learned that intimacy with God isn’t about having everything together; nor is it saying the perfect prayer. Rather, it is simply waking up each day and saying, ‘God, I’m here. Let’s walk together today.’ The Bible may not use the word ‘ Intimacy,’ but it shows us how God continually draws close to us. Intimacy with God is not a straight path. It’s listening and hearing Him in unexpected ways. Trust builds as we learn to follow His voice.
Ask, “what does intimacy with God look like?”
Intimacy with God is not a to-do list. Is talking to your loved ones a ‘to-do list?’ I hope not. No, it is about both inviting Him into our lives and then responding when He invites us into His. Think of it like this: when you build a friendship, you don’t try to buy a relationship with big old gifts or by singing them a welcome song. Instead, you start small. Show up, listen, and be honest. The same is true with God.
Throughout the Bible, when it talks about Intimacy with God, it’s described as God drawing and coming closer to His people. Then, he invites them to draw near Him so they may know him. It’s more than just learning about Him but knowing him so well that we are truly experiencing Him.
The Bible shows Intimacy as God and His people moving toward a place of actual knowledge and close connection with each other. It isn’t about knowing about God; it’s about knowing Him on a personal level.
Over a decade ago, when my oldest son was around 10, he told me he wanted to know more about God. “So, what does that mean?” I asked. He thought about it for a moment and then responded by saying, “I think it means just hanging out with Him more.” He nailed it. Getting closer to God through prayer, reading the Bible, and reflecting on His words is HOW we grow closer to Him. That is where we start. Jesus said it best when he stated:
“…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 14:23b, ESV)
God doesn’t just want to be someone we know about. No, He wants us to dwell on Him in our hearts and know Him.
Building daily moments with God
This is where I have to think about my closest relationships. Instead, they didn’t develop overnight and are the product of everyday trust and honest conversation. God invites us to that kind of connection. Intimacy with God is similar but also includes faith and obedience.
The first two chapters in the Bible begin with Adam and Eve in the Garden. After they sinned, God asked,
‘Where are you?’ (Genesis 3:9, NIV)
He already knew but was inviting them back into a relationship. We also see this with Enoch’s life; Enoch is an example of what it means to “walk with God” (Genesis 5:24), a very personal and intimate connection that was so close that God just took him home.
I have thought a lot about Enoch’s walk with God. It reminds me of the time my daughter Abi and I went for a walk along a little stream during the early spring in Bakersfield. She would stop to point at things, flowers, rocks, and how the sunlight danced on the water. I was focused on getting to the end of the trail, but she was content to just be with me and collect tadpoles that we ended up taking home. Intimacy with God feels like slowing down to notice Him in the everyday moments.
Know Him; Don’t just know about Him
I remember when I was a teen, and our youth pastor taught us that the Scripture is a letter that demonstrates His relentless love for us. God’s desire to be with us could not just sit back and stay in the background or wait for us to figure it out. Instead, He steps into our lives, mess and all, and begins to forge a path through it all. That is relentless love in action.
Jesus invites us to,
“come and see.” (John 1:39, NIV)
And
“follow me.” (Matthew 4:19, NIV).
Do you get what Jesus is saying? He’s handing you an invitation for you and I to have a one-on-one relationship with him. He wants to be that close to you.
Look at Jesus’ parable about the prodigal son. A young man demanded that his father give him his inheritance early so he could go off on his own and make his own way. Only he instead went off and squandered it all leaving him penniless.
In fact, it was so bad, and he was so hungry that he began to drool over the slop that the pigs were eating. Now, personally, I would have to be pretty darn hungry to ever consider eating pig slop. But this had a positive impact, because it was at that moment when the son was at his lowest that he decided to pack his bags and go home with his tail between his legs.
Here’s that part I love. When the father, who had been longing for his son to come home, saw his boy on the horizon, he immediately ran off to embrace him. Do you get that? He didn’t just stand there waiting for an apology; he ran to embrace him in his arms and celebrated his return (Luke 15:20-24). That’s how God feels about us. He wants to be that close to Him. You mean that much to God.
Walk with god in your everyday moments
Intimacy is continuous. While, you may feel one day that you are walking side by side with Him, but the next day, you are wondering where He went. But here’s the thing: God never moves away from us. We have to keep moving towards Him.
David is a perfect example of this. He can cry out to God in despair one moment and then sing his praises the next. They are raw, honest prayers that reveal what Intimacy with God looks like: trusting Him in every season, even when life doesn’t make sense in the Psalms.
There have been times when my prayers sounded more like complaints that went something like, “Why, God? What now? What’s the plan?” In those moments, I have learned that God isn’t afraid of my questions. He does not chastise me for bearing my heart; He welcomes it. He desires that we would come before him as we are and let Him embrace us.
Intimacy with God isn’t about getting everything right. We can’t right now. However, it is about coming before him every day, spending time with Him, and recognizing He’s always here and we can trust Him. God always takes the first step. He just asks you to let Him in your life.
Now, let’s not overthink this. Start small. Pray in the shower while drinking coffee or anywhere you can be alone with Him. Read the Bible as a letter from a close friend. Or take a walk and talk to Him and recognize that He’s right beside you. Because He is. Like my son said, “Just hang out with Him more.” When you start spending time with God like this, you’ll begin to notice something; your heart settles. Worries don’t feel so heavy. And in those moments, you’ll find a quiet joy that can only come from walking closely with your Creator.