The Gift of Intimacy with God
Scripture Reading
“Draw near to God [with a contrite heart] and He will draw near to you.” – James 4:8a, AMP
Devotional Thought
One of the greatest truths in Scripture is that the God of the universe not only allows us into His presence but desires intimacy with us. Unlike human relationships that can fade or grow distant, God’s invitation is constant and unwavering: “Come closer.”
From the beginning of creation, intimacy with God was humanity’s original design. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve walked with God in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8, AMP). They experienced unbroken fellowship—hearts open, nothing hidden, and complete communion with Him. Sin disrupted that closeness, but God’s heart never changed. The cross of Jesus Christ restored the pathway for intimacy, making it possible again for us to boldly enter His presence (Hebrews 4:16, AMP).
· “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool [afternoon breeze] of the day, so the man and his wife hid and kept themselves hidden from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” — Genesis 3:8 AMP
· “Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].” — Hebrews 4:16 AMP
· “So now we draw near freely and boldly to where grace is enthroned, to receive mercy’s kiss and discover the grace we urgently need to strengthen us in our time of weakness.” — Hebrews 4:16 TPT
God doesn’t just want us to perform religious duties; He wants relationship. Hosea 6:6 (AMP) captures His longing: “For I desire and delight in [steadfast] loyalty [faithfulness in the covenant relationship] rather than sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” His desire is not that we simply check off prayer, Bible reading, or worship as tasks, but that we enter into genuine fellowship with Him.
· “What I want from you is steadfast love not simply dead sacrifices; I want you to know me intimately not simply give burnt offerings.” — Hosea 6:6 TPT
God’s Desire for Intimacy
Think about this: the Creator of heaven and earth—the One who spoke galaxies into existence—wants to be close to you. Not because He needs us, but because He loves us. Jesus emphasized this in John 15:15 (AMP): “I do not call you servants any longer… but I have called you [My] friends, because I have revealed to you everything that I have heard from My Father.”
· “I have never called you ‘servants,’ because a master doesn’t confide in his servants, and servants don’t always understand what the master is doing. But I call you my most intimate and cherished friends, for I reveal to you everything that I’ve heard from my Father.” — John 15:15 TPT
God doesn’t want a distant relationship. He calls us friends. He calls us children. He calls us beloved. That intimacy is personal, tender, and filled with His delight. Zephaniah 3:17 (AMP) even says: “The LORD your God is in your midst, a Warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with joy; He will be quiet in His love [making no mention of your past sins], He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.”
The Benefits of Intimacy with God
Clarity and Guidance
In a noisy world, intimacy with God quiets the chaos and opens our spiritual ears. Isaiah 30:21 (AMP) promises: “Your ears will hear a word behind you, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right or to the left.” The closer we walk with Him, the more we recognize His voice leading us.
Strength and Peace
Psalm 29:11 (AMP) says: “The LORD will give [unyielding and impenetrable] strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace.” Intimacy infuses us with divine strength, peace, and courage to endure trials that would otherwise overwhelm us.
o “This is the one who gives his strength and might to his people. This is the Lord giving us his kiss of peace.” — Psalms 29:11 TPT
Fullness of Joy
The presence of God transforms our perspective and fills us with joy that circumstances cannot steal. Psalm 16:11 (AMP): “In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.”
o “Because of you, I know the path of life, as I taste the fullness of joy in your presence. At your right side I experience divine pleasures forevermore!” — Psalms 16:11 TPT
Healing and Wholeness
In His nearness, God brings restoration. Jeremiah 30:17 (AMP): “For I will restore health to you, And I will heal your wounds,” says the LORD. Intimacy with Him brings emotional, spiritual, and even physical healing as His love touches the broken places of our hearts.
o “For I, Yahweh, say to you who were once called ‘Outcast,’ I will heal your wounds. And to you who were once called ‘Forgotten Zion,’ I will restore your health.”” — Jeremiah 30:17 TPT
Spiritual Transformation
We become like the One we spend time with. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (AMP): “And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit.” Intimacy produces transformation—our desires align with His, and our character reflects Christ more and more.
o “We can all draw close to him with the veil removed from our faces. And with no veil we all become like mirrors who brightly reflect the glory of the Lord Jesus. We are being transfigured into his very image as we move from one brighter level of glory to another. And this glorious transfiguration comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” — 2 Corinthians 3:18 TPT
Responding to God’s Invitation
Intimacy doesn’t happen by accident—it must be cultivated. Just as relationships with people deepen through time, honesty, and intentionality, so it is with God. He promises that when we seek Him with all our hearts, we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13, AMP).
· “Then [with a deep longing] you will seek Me and require Me [as a vital necessity] and [you will] find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. [Deut 4:29, 30]” — Jeremiah 29:13 AMP
o “If you reach out to me, you will find me when you search for me with all your heart.” — Jeremiah 29:13 TPT
This is not about striving for perfection but about pursuing presence. Sometimes that looks like extended prayer and worship, other times it looks like quiet stillness before Him, and often it looks like simply carrying awareness of Him throughout our day.
God’s desire is not for a fragment of your time but for your whole heart. When we yield to His invitation, intimacy becomes not just a discipline but a delight.
More Scriptures on Intimacy with God
✨ These passages reveal a consistent truth: intimacy with God is not a casual pursuit—it’s a necessity, like breath or water. And when we seek Him diligently, He responds with presence, guidance, reward, and transformation.
Jeremiah 29:13 (AMP)
“Then [with a deep longing] you will seek Me and require Me [as a vital necessity] and [you will] find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”
👉 Intimacy with God requires wholehearted pursuit—treating His presence as essential, not optional.
Psalm 63:1 (AMP)
“O God, You are my God; with deepest longing I will seek You; My soul [my life, my very self] thirsts for You, My flesh longs and sighs for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water.”
o “O God of my life, I’m lovesick for you in this weary wilderness. I thirst with the deepest longings to love you more, with cravings in my heart that can’t be described. Such yearning grips my soul for you, my God!” — Psalms 63:1 TPT
👉 David expresses intimacy as desperation—thirsting for God as the only true satisfaction.
Hebrews 11:6 (AMP)
“But without faith it is impossible to walk with God and please Him, for whoever comes [near] to God must [necessarily] believe that He exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek Him.”
o “And without faith living within us it would be impossible to please God. For we come to God in faith knowing that he is real and that he rewards the faith of those who passionately seek him.” — Hebrews 11:6 TPT
👉 God doesn’t just allow intimacy; He rewards those who earnestly pursue it.
Psalm 27:4 (AMP)
“One thing I have asked of the LORD, and that I will seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD [in His presence] all the days of my life, To gaze upon the beauty [the delightful loveliness and majestic grandeur] of the LORD And to meditate in His temple.”
👉 David prioritized intimacy above all else—seeking God was his one thing.
Deuteronomy 4:29 (AMP)
“But from there [in exile] you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.”
o “Here’s the one thing I crave from Yahweh, the one thing I seek above all else: I want to live with him every moment in his house, beholding the marvelous beauty of Yahweh, filled with awe, delighting in his glory and grace. I want to contemplate in his temple.” — Psalms 27:4 TPT
👉 Even in difficulty, God promises His presence to those who seek Him wholeheartedly.
Psalm 145:18 (AMP)
“The LORD is near to all who call on Him, To all who call on Him in truth (without guile).”
o “Every godly one receives even more than what they ask for. For you hear what their hearts really long for, and you bring them your saving strength.” — Psalms 145:19 TPT
👉 God responds to sincere seekers with nearness and intimacy.
Matthew 6:6 (AMP)
“But when you pray, go into your most private room, close the door, and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees [what is done] in secret will reward you.”
o “But whenever you pray, go into your innermost chamber and be alone with Father God, praying to him in secret. And your Father, who sees all you do, will reward you openly.” — Matthew 6:6 TPT
👉 Intimacy happens in the secret place—and the Father promises reward to those who seek Him there.
Psalm 73:28 (AMP)
“But as for me, it is good for me to draw near to God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge and place of shelter, So that I may tell of all Your works.”
o “But I’ll keep coming closer and closer to you, Lord Yahweh, for your name is good to me. I’ll keep telling the world of your awesome works, my faithful and glorious God!” — Psalms 73:28 TPT
👉 Intimacy with God becomes both refuge and testimony.
James 4:8 (AMP)
“Come close to God [with a contrite heart] and He will come close to you.”
o “Move your heart closer and closer to God, and he will come even closer to you. But make sure you cleanse your life, you sinners, and keep your heart pure and stop doubting.” — James (Jacob) 4:8 TPT
👉 Every step we take toward God is met with His nearness.
Proverbs 8:17 (AMP)
“I love those who love me; And those who seek me early and diligently will find me.”
o “I will show my love to those who passionately love me. For they will search and search continually until they find me.” — Proverbs 8:17 TPT
👉 God assures us that earnest, diligent seekers will encounter Him.
Reflection Questions
1. When you think about God’s desire for intimacy, what emotions or thoughts arise in your heart?
2. Do you see your relationship with God more as duty or as delight? Why?
3. What specific benefits of intimacy (peace, joy, guidance, healing, transformation) do you most need in this season?
4. What practices or rhythms help you personally experience closeness with God?
5. What practical step can you take this week to intentionally deepen your intimacy with Him?
Prayer of Intimacy and Surrender
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for desiring closeness with me. Thank You that Your heart is not far or distant but always inviting me near. Lord, I confess that so often I allow distractions, fears, or even busyness to keep me from fully sitting in Your presence. Forgive me for the times I’ve treated our relationship as routine instead of the treasure that it is.
Today, I choose to draw near to You with a surrendered heart. Teach me to recognize Your voice above the noise of this world. Help me to seek You not just for what You can do, but for who You are. Fill me with the joy, peace, and strength that come only from Your presence.
Transform me, Lord, as I abide in You. Strip away anything that hinders closeness, and give me a deeper hunger to know You intimately. Thank You that when I seek You with my whole heart, I will find You.
I love You, Lord, and I surrender all that I am to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen