The Importance of PrayerSample

Prayer Builds Intimacy with God

Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” John 14:9

When I was younger, my relationship with God was purely intellectual, although I wouldn’t have thought it so. I called myself a Christian and I genuinely thought I knew God. However, in reality, I only knew of Him. I knew about what He had done throughout Scripture and I prided myself on that. But I didn’t truly know Him.

Back then, I think Jesus would have said the same thing to me as He did to Philip, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me?”

Dear friend, it is possible for us to have someone in our lives but to not actually know them. This is a surface-level relationship - a relationship without intimacy (or into-me-you-see, as I like to think of it). This isn’t the kind of relationship God desires to have with us.

As much as Jesus was calling Philip out for this, He was also telling Philip that He wanted to have a relationship where He was fully known by Philip! Jesus, the Messiah, the King of this world, the Saviour, longs to be known by His disciples…and that includes us!

The kind of relationship the Lord longs to have with us, dear friend, is one of depth, of trust, of vulnerability. This, beloved, is true intimacy with God. It is true into-me-you-see between us and the maker of heaven and earth. A mutual seeing and knowing and loving.

And the way we cultivate this kind of relationship with God happens through prayer.

Jesus built intimacy with His Father through prayer. Prayer was the place where He learnt about what His Father was like, where He got to understand His Father’s heart, where He got to know His Father’s will, and where He received all He needed from His Father.

In the same way, prayer is the place where we get to build intimacy with God. The Father - Your Father - longs for intimacy with you, dear friend. He longs for you to trust Him, to depend on Him, to go to Him for all your needs, to run to Him when you feel scared, alone, angry, confused. He wants to hear all about your greatest days, as well as your worst.

He wants to be in such deep communion with you:

seeing you and being seen by you,

knowing you and being known by you,

and loving you and being loved by you.

Reflection:

Ask God to show you who He is. How do you see Him? Is there any way you’re seeing Him that doesn’t line up with who He says He is in His Word?

Spend some time reflecting on whether there is anything you don’t want to reveal to God - perhaps a fear, a worry, a sin. Be bold and show Him what it is. He wants to see you and love you.

Prayer:

God,

I want to know You. I don’t want a surface level relationship with You. I don’t just want to know what You have done. No, Lord, I want to know You. I want to know You intimately, deeply, personally. Take me on a deep dive into Your heart, Lord. Show me every detail of who You are. I want to be with You and to see You – to really see You.

In Jesus’ name, amen.