Wednesday 17^th September, 2025

Bible Reading:  James 4:8a 

Memory Verse: Come close to God, and God will come close to you. James 4:8a (NLT)

By intimacy with God, we mean close familiarity or friendship with God. By intimacy with God, we mean understanding the ways of God, and not merely His acts. Those who are intimate with God understand what is in the heart of God per time, and they go the extra mile sacrificially to doing such things. Like David, they are after His heart (what pleases Him), and not His hands (what He can give). 

The Scripture, “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7) is not just a scripture for those called to the office of the prophet, but for all those who desire to be intimate with God. Like every relationship, you are as intimate with a friend as you would like to be. To be intimate with God, you must be willing to spend quality time together with Him in order to grow the relationship. And, there are codes and conducts that must be observed in order to nurture such growing relationship.

Furthermore, you will need to understudy the person of God if you must deepen your intimacy with Him. A wise man once said, “Many in a relationship love each other but don’t understand each other.” Understanding requires time, diligent study, and willingness to make compromises. All of these are most needful if you must be intimate with God.

An intimate friend is more than just an acquaintance. Such a friend knows and understands you inside out. Intimacy will surely cost you quality time spent together. God operated with only one man intimately in the Church at the wilderness. His name is Moses. While over 600,000 Israeli men were mere acquaintances to God, Moses knew God intimately.

You remember he spent 40 days on two different times alone with God in order to receive the 10 commandments without feeling bored, hungry or sleepy. He was simply saturated in God’s glory. No wonder the scripture says, “He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.” Psalm 103:7 (NKJV). Abraham was another mortal man that pressed into intimacy with God. God couldn’t destroy the city of Sodom and Gomorrah without first telling Abraham. That’s loyalty to the bond of friendship (James 2:23)! Receive grace to be God’s favourite intimate friend, in Jesus name. 

Quote: There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus: No, not one! no, not one! – Hymnal.

Prophetic Decree: Henceforth, you shall swim in deeper rivers of intimacy, in Jesus name. 

Prayer Focus 

1. I receive the willingness and the ability to be intimate with God, in Jesus name. 

2. I renounce and reject the grip of worldliness in my life, in Jesus name.

3. My Father, I am tired of shallow waters, please take me deeper, in Jesus name. 

4. I receive fresh fire of intimacy. I receive fresh fire to press deeper in God, in Jesus name. 

5. I receive spiritual insight to understand the ways of God, in Jesus name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezra 1-3

HYMNAL: THERE’S NOT A FRIEND LIKE THE LOWLY JESUS

No, not one! no, not one!

1. There’s not a Friend like the lowly Jesus:

No, not one! no, not one!

None else could heal all our souls’ diseases:

No, not one! no, not one!

Chorus

Jesus knows all about our struggles;

He will guide ’til the day is done:

There’s not a Friend like the lowly Jesus:

No, not one! no, not one!

2. No friend like Him is so high and holy,

No, not one! no, not one!

And yet no friend is so meek and lowly,

 No, not one! no, not one!

3. There’s not an hour that He is not near us,

No, not one! no, not one!

No night so dark, but His love can cheer us,

No, not one! no, not one!

4. Did ever saint find this Friend forsake him?

No, not one! no, not one!

Or sinner find that He would not take him?

No, not one! no, not one!

5. Was e’er a gift like the Savior given?

No, not one! no, not one!

Will He refuse us the bliss of heaven?

No, not one! no, not one!