Being Close to God

What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him? -- Deut. 4:7

Come near to God and he will come near to you. --James 4:8

Intimacy…it is one of the things we most need and crave as human beings. Without it, we become lonely. Without the closeness of intimacy, we become strange…crazy lone-wolves.

We long to be known by others for who we are. We long to have that same depth of knowledge of others. To be intimate seems to have been created into us.

Intimacy…closeness with God is also created into us. God’s purpose in creating us was for us to be known by him. God knows us through and through (Psalm 139). But he also wants to be known by us. This is why he reveals himself to us in the Bible, in history, through creation, through Christ and through each other. God wants to be known…for who he really is.

That is one of the reasons why he has given us prayer, for through it, we are close to God. In what precedes the “Shema” (Deut. 6:4), where Israel’s basic understanding of God and their relationship with God is revealed, prayer is part of the core of their faith. When we draw near to God through the self-disclosure of prayer, we are nearer to God, and he is nearer to us. When we listen to what God says to us while we pray, we are nearer to God.

Prayer is one of those ways God has given us to be close to him. It’s a great pity not to take advantage of it.

Pray and be close to God.

Discussion:

• Is it your experience that you are close to God when you pray?
• Does it ever happen that you are not close when you pray? Why do you suppose that is?
• Are there barriers to closeness with God?
• How can we deal with those barriers?
• What else would you like to say about intimacy with God?