This lesson continues our path forward from humility and self-denial to a deeper intimacy with God that can follow. Through prayer, worship, Scripture, and fasting, believers can experience God's presence and develop a deep, personal relationship with Him. This lesson highlights biblical examples like Moses on Mount Sinai, Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, and Paul’s longing to know Christ, In these examples, we see that intimacy with God is cultivated through surrender, trust, and abiding in the Spirit. With the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, we are empowered to walk in the presence of God, moving closer to the communion humanity enjoyed with God in the Garden of Eden.

Objectives

This lesson aims to equip you to:

1. Explain how practices like prayer, fasting, Scripture reading, and worship can foster an intimacy with God.
2. Analyze biblical examples of intimacy, such as Moses’ encounters with God and Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane, to understand how surrender and trust deepen this connection.

Reading

As you prepare to proceed through this lesson, we encourage you to read Chapter 3, “Intimacy,” in Paul Bergin’s, The Path of Presence: A Discipleship of Dwelling with Jesus (Slingshot, 2024).