Developing Intimacy with God
Feasting on God's Word & Abiding in His presence
Spending time with someone you love changes everything—and the same is true in our relationship with Jesus. Believing in Him is just the beginning. It's when we actually slow down, sit with Him, and let Him invade our hearts that a supernatural transformation starts to happen.
As Jesus said in John 15:4, “Abide in Me, and I in you.” Being saved is one thing, but choosing to surrender our life to Him—to let Him shape us from the inside out—is where the deeper work unfolds.
When we pause, even briefly, something shifts. We begin to hear His voice, feel His nearness, and open our hearts in ways we didn’t know we needed. He meets us there with comfort and a joy that doesn’t make sense in the middle of our chaos (Philippians 4:7). “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) isn’t just a suggestion—it’s a doorway into peace, clarity, and connection.
But the world is noisy. Fast. Distracting. It pulls at us from every angle. And if we’re not careful, we miss the gentle ways God is trying to reach us. As Romans 10:17 reminds us, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of God,” so what we choose to do with our time and what we allow into our lives matters!
As Believers, we know that nothing carries the same power as the living, breathing Word of God (Hebrews 4:12). That’s why developing intimacy with Him should be our highest pursuit. In Him, we find what our souls are truly longing for—it’s about making space for the One who restores our soul.
Stillness isn't just a break from the noise. It's an act of trust. A return to the Vine. A way to say with our time and attention:
“Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.” — 1 Samuel 3:10
Why Is God’s Word Important?
God knows exactly what we need, and He has provided His Truth to us in the Bible. Psalm 119:105 tells us that God’s Word is a light to our path, a lamp for our feet - it illuminates our way like nothing else can. Here is why it is important:
Wisdom for life
Makes you wise for salvation
You grow your relationship with God
Helps you fight temptation
Provides revival, wisdom, and joy
Nourishes your soul
Provides comfort
Transforms you to look like Christ
Blesses you to be a blessing to others
Then, Why Do We Neglect It?
Despite all those benefits, we shockingly still struggle choosing God and His Word to be our top priority. Almost every American home has a Bible in it, but studies reveal only 20% of people are actually engaging with it. Here are some of the most common reasons:
“I don’t have time.” - The short reply here is that we spend our lives on what we believe will satisfy us and what will offer us relief. We have to believe that He is the one thing needed most and trust Him for everything else.
“I always end up quitting, and I feel like a failure.” - Perfection isn’t the goal, but persistence is. Just like anything healthy for us, we have to make it a habit so we can reap the benefits. Don’t let fear of failure stop you.
“I get bored and confused.” - We all have to start somewhere with the Bible, and just like with anything else, there will be times of boredom and confusion, but just keep going. Sometimes it’s darkest just before the dawn - God’s Word is alive, and the Spirit will meet you and guide you.
“I already know a lot about God and the Bible.” - God is the subject of all eternity, He is an inexhaustible source, and has boundless depths. If you think you have conquered all knowledge of God and need no more, then you may be deceived in your understanding and certainly in the breadth of His being. Most of us are only barely touching his borders.
The joy of knowing God is an endless feast - it illuminates our need for Jesus as our Savior, protects us, gives us hope, and leads us into living the spirit-filled life He has won for us. God’s Word wasn’t given to us to keep us from life, it was given so we can walk in abundance of life!
Be Expectant
You need to know that He desires to meet with you, speak to you, guide you, and renew you. Our goal as Christians is not just to know about God, but actually to know Him like we know a friend. He is our Father, our Friend, our Comforter, our Guide, and our Lord. When we know Him like this, we naturally respond with joy, worship, repentance, and sorrow, also with hope and expectation. Knowing and loving God — that’s what quiet times are about.
Expect Him to meet you.
Expect to experience His goodness.
Expect to be changed.
“Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to You and wait expectantly.” — Psalm 5:3
Be Consistent
If we want to have a close, intimate relationship with the Lord, it’s going to cost us some temporary treasure, but it cannot compare to our eternal reward of being with Him. There is no better pursuit in this world than knowing God, and there is nothing we need more than listening to God speak to us through His Word.
The goal is to find a consistent time each day, in a place where you’re fully alert and free of distractions, and implement a plan of how to spend your time with Him.
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.” — Matthew 6:33
Time – My pastor often reminds us, “What gets scheduled, gets done.”Choose a time of day when you can give your full attention to God, even if it’s just five minutes. Maybe it’s mornings, lunch, or before bed. Consistency is key, so pick a routine you can stick with. You may need to set an alarm to rise earlier than normal or go to bed earlier or consider your family schedule.
Place – Find a spot where you can tune out the noise and be free from distractions. For Jesus, this was “a solitary place.” For you, it might be your room, your car on lunch break, or a park bench when the weather is nice. If you’re tempted to check email, turn off your devices. If you find yourself preoccupied with the day ahead, keep a notepad close by to jot down the thoughts entering your mind.
Plan – Before you start, decide what you’ll focus on. Choose what Bible passage(s) you’ll read and what else you might do, such as meditating on Scripture, allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to you, and/or praying. Having a plan means spending less time figuring out what to do and spending more time with God.
*It is often helpful to start small and let the length of time grow—you will be shocked at how the Lord will increase your appetite for being in His presence. Before long, you will be disappointed when the time comes to a close.
Be Openly Creative
Create a space and rhythms that speak to your heart and make you want to linger in His presence. Feel the freedom and beauty of creating your own combination of elements and be open to how the Spirit leads you. Some days you may spend the bulk of the time rejoicing and singing, or maybe you’ll be led to meditate on a Psalm; other days God’s Word may cause you to repent, and be gently restored by His quiet, loving presence. Wherever the Spirit leads us, we should always be considering why it is important to God and what we should do about it.
There is really no right or wrong way to be with the Lord. It all boils down to where He calls you to be in his presence and the ways in which He meets you there. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Journaling
Keep a spiritual diary as you meditate on Scripture: record some of your thoughts, document what the Lord is teaching you, recall what He has spoken, list prayer requests and concerns, write love notes to the Lord, and keep up with what He’s doing in your life. It helps in disciplining your mind. It becomes your story of how God has been faithful in your life—you are keeping stones of remembrance.Woship Music
Add music to your devotions. Play music or sing a cappella. Read a hymn out loud. Find several Psalms that speak to your heart and start your time by worshipping and acknowledging who He is. Try reading/singing the text out loud.Explore Translations
It is important to find a Bible translation you understand for your regular devotions. You also should consider the faithfulness of the wording (more on that here). Reading other versions can bring a deeper understanding and fresh perspective, as you compare and contrast.Memorize Scripture
Hiding the Word in your heart is the first step to renewing your mind. Don’t be afraid to write in, highlight, circle, or underline in your Bible. Making a connection with the text helps you remember the Word— and find it later as a reference. If you want some tips for memorizing Scripture, check this out.Prayer Retreat
It may seem impossible, but consider setting aside a large portion of time to spend with the Lord in prayer. Consider a quarterly time of prayer and reflection. You may have a local retreat center, a place in nature you enjoy, or even consider a hotel room for a night—He will meet you there in amazing ways.Seek Out Nature
Being outside is such a beautiful reminder of our Creator, the astounding scenery He made, and a witness of His goodness. Alow your senses to experience all of nature, let it fill your soul, and wait for the Lord to speak. If He doesn’t, He might want you to simply sit with Him and enjoy being in His presence in order to experience His nearness. (Here’s the catch, though: don’t listen to music, or try to bring a lot of things; just go, be undistracted, and find Him in His creation).
Be Conversational
Talk With God - “God is always speaking; he’s always doing something. Prayer is to enter into that activity.” — Henri Nouwen
Read His Word as a love letter to you - Psalm 27:8 “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming!’”
Respond in prayer to what He says to you - Write out the conversation between the two of you.
Go deeper with smaller sections of Scripture - One of the greatest promises in the Bible teaches that if we meditate on God’s Word day and night, we will be “like a tree firmly planted by streams of water” (Psalm 1:2-3).
Read the passage intended for the next morning’s quiet time just before you go to sleep
Take about three minutes to scan through the passage and ask God to highlight a word or phrase that will help you focus on Him the next day, and meditate on it as you go to bed.
Your mind will prayerfully ponder this Scripture while you sleep, making it more likely for you to be replaying these truths in your mind the next morning
Give expression to His impression - Do something with what He says—apply it to your life and bring His Word and wisdom to life. We should obey any instructions He provides.
Write it down - Isaiah 55:11 tells us that God’s Word doesn’t return void. He imparts knowledge to us for a purpose—it could be solely for us or someone else. We can trust that it is relevant to every pressing and practical problem, so keep a record.
Be Persistent
A life lived following Jesus is not a sprint —it’s a marathon. This discipline is the best thing you can do for your health, your marriage, and your family, but remember that we can’t earn God’s love by being super disciplined, nor can we ever lose His love if we forget or get derailed. He loves us, period.
We don’t spend time with God so that He will love us more or show us favor—we spend time in the Word because we need the daily reminders of His unending love and His free gift of grace.
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”— 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
What to Expect in Return
To grow in your relationship with God - You will have a deeper hunger for the things of God. You will have an enlarged view of God; your love for God will increase, your faith will be strengthened, you will have a heightened sense of God’s presence.
To reap benefits in your personal life - You will experience a quiet in your spirit. You will experience His unmistakable peace within you. Your mind will be enlightened, and over time, you will be able to see things from God’s perspective and sense God’s direction for your life. Your heart will be purified, and your body, emotions, and spirit will be divinely energized.
To have greater influence on other lives - 2 Corinthians 2:14-15—”But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.”
The Spiritual Sandwich - A Quiet Time Example
The Navigators Ministries suggests one way to taste and see that the Lord is good is by eating a “spiritual sandwich.” With the “bread” being prayer (first and last) and the “meat” being Scripture (middle), we can be nourished daily by the Lord and His truth in the Bible. Here’s how:
+ Prayer/“Bread” — To start your quiet time, use the ACTS Prayer Model for prayer. Focus your time by beginning with just A and C, as you’ll move on to T and S later on.
A – Adoration. Begin with praising God, adoring Him for who He is, His Holiness, and making Him the focus of your worship and exaltation.
C – Confession. Confess any sins that you have not already confessed to Him.
1 John 1:9 declares, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
+ God’s Word/“Meat” — Try the ABC Bible Reading Method as you dive into God’s Word.
Ask - Ask questions about what you are reading. Here are some ideas:
What does this passage tell me about God?
What does this passage tell me about people?
What is God saying to me here?
How can I apply it to my life?
Who am I going to tell about this passage?
Best Verse – Look for one verse in the passage that narrows your focus on the big lesson or truth God is revealing to you. As you go through your day, try to return to that “best verse,” perhaps rereading it, or just taking a few seconds to talk with God about it. Then, listen. Often, the Holy Spirit will bring it to mind in the middle of an unexpected situation, and how it can be applied.
Commit - Choose one area of your life (or some part of your upcoming day) that you can commit to God. It might be a sales call, presentation, test, or a meeting with a particular person. What is it about your “best verse” that resonates with your life? Commit that to God.
Sometimes what we commit to God is an attitude of the heart: “Today, Lord, I trust You with this.” Or, it’s a specific action we should take: “Yes, Lord, I will go to her and ask her forgiveness.”
+ Prayer/“Bread” — Now, use the ACTS guideline to pray again, this time focusing on the T and S.
T – Thanksgiving. Thank God for what He spoke to you. Thank Him for your “best verse” and for the truth or lesson that He revealed to you. This is also a good time to thank Him for any other blessings in life.
S – Supplication. To “supplicate” is to ask, so this is time you can use to ask God for anything you need. You might ask Him for His help with your latest project, for patience with your coworker, or for eyes to see your day the way the Lord sees it. Trust God’s sovereignty, including His timing and will for your life.
Tools & Resources
I’ve linked some of my favorite things, like Bibles, journals, books, and devotionals, here.
A book that I often suggest for developing intimacy with God is A Place of Quiet Rest by Nancy Leigh DeMoss.
I highly recommend the First 5 Daily Bible Study App and their Experience Guides.
The BibleProject videos are wonderful for a broad understanding.
A podcast like The Bible Recap can also provide insight.
If you are interested in going deeper, consider this Inductive Bible study guide.
My Inspired playlist on Spotify is my go-to for raising my worship.
I pray you are encouraged to walk by faith, dine with our Lord, feast on His Word, and walk in His ways as you follow Him in Scripture and as He comes alive in and through your life.