3 Critical Components to an Intimate Relationship with God

An Ask Pastor Kevin Response

In a conversation yesterday with a friend, he asked what I considered were the critical components to an intimate relationship with God. We enjoyed our conversation. Let me share with you my answer to him related to what are the critical components to an intimate relationship with God.

Three Critical Components to Any Intimate Relationship

Every true intimate relationship enjoys three critical components: voice, ear, and presence. Let me explain each simply. For there to be an intimate relationship, you need to hear the voice of the other person. There needs to be face time where you can hear the heart, the concerns, the joys, the thoughts, the hopes, and the expectations of the other person. You need his or her voice. Further, you need the other person’s ear. For a truly intimate relationship, you need to be heard by the other person. The other person listens to your voice. He or she desires to hear you, what is on your heart, your mind, how you feel, and what you would like. In addition to voice and ear, an intimate relationship includes presence. Another way to refer to presence would also be time. The best intimacy develops in real-time presence. We have all learned over the past years that technology can also help us build intimacy together, although not the best of course.

In my opinion, these are the three critical components to any intimate relationship: voice, ear, and presence. In action, these would be talking, listening, and spending time together. With that in mind, let us turn our attention to our relationship with God.

You enjoy God’s Voice.

You enjoy God’s voice through God’s Word. He shares with you all the components that help build an intimate relationship with you in His Word. Even better, He protected His voice through the inspiration process so that you get exactly what He wanted to communicate with you. In its pages, the Bible shares God’s voice about His heart, His concerns, His joys, His thoughts, His hopes, His expectations, and so much more. As we read and meditate on individual passages, we learn these things. So much so, we develop the mind of God.

⁷ The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
⁸ The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
⁹ The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
¹⁰ More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
¹¹ Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward. (Psalm 19:7-11)

We enjoy God’s voice. It helps us understand Him. We learn Christ and walk with Him through it.

¹⁵ I will meditate on Your precepts,
And contemplate Your ways.
¹⁶ I will delight myself in Your statutes;
I will not forget Your word. (Psalm 119:15-16)

You enjoy God’s Ear.

God listens to you as well. The Bible makes this clear.

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
And His ears are open to their prayers;
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” (1 Peter 3:12)

These are some of the many verses in the Bible which describe how God listens to us. So pray, and pray often. The Bible teaches to pray without ceasing (1 Thess 5:17).

You enjoy God’s Presence.

Great news – God is with you. Look at these key verses:

⁷ Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
⁸ If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
⁹ If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
¹⁰ Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;
¹² Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You. (Psalm 139:7-12)

¹⁷ How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
¹⁸ If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You. (Psalm 139:17-18)

²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Matthew 28:20)

¹⁶ Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16)

God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit all are with you. You enjoy God’s presence continually.

Friend, You can have an intimate relationship with God.

God invites you to come to Him, enjoy Him, talk to Him, and spend time with Him.

²⁸ Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)

¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

God awaits you. He is with you (presence), speaks to you in the Bible (voice), and listens to you (ear). In order for you to have a close, intimate relationship with Him, you will need to become aware of His presence, spend time in His Word, and pray often. As you do, you will enjoy two things: 1) a closer relationship with Him, and 2) a life that changes.