Intimacy With God – The Faith Travels

Hi Faith Travelers,

We’ve reached the end of June; the midpoint month of the year and many of you may have noticed the peculiarity of this particular season. It hasn’t been a business as usual time for many of us. In fact, its been a season where many believers have been wondering, “What is going on ?!”; not just regarding whats going on in the world but also in our lives, on our jobs, in our churches and amongst our families. Some would say it feels like chaos but in all actuality, its a shaking. A shaking in the natural realm and in the supernatural realm.

What is a shaking, you ask? (See Hebrews 12:26-27) It is divine intervention, spiritual awakening and refining process that is set in motion to remove what does not look like God. Its goal is to remove the fallacies, falsehoods and impurities in the Body of Christ so that what remains has been purified and established by Him. Why is the shaking happening? Because God is getting ready to shift some things in ways we haven’t seen or experienced before.

The word Shift is derived from the Hebrew word “Shanah” meaning to transition, alter or change. It biblically implies to the unfolding of a new chapter or an alteration in time. This is used when God alters seasons or circumstances. In other words, this season of shift is God’s appointed time to alter, change and transition You and the circumstances surrounding you for what He is calling you to, for His Purpose and His Glory.

The foundational scripture for this, is Ecclesiates 3:1 NKJV which states, “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven “. The Amplified version states, “There is a season (a time appointed) for everything and a time for every delight and event or purpose under heaven.” Verses 2-8, break down what those seasons can look like and what they entail.

Everything Has Its Time
1 To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:

2 A time to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;
3 A time to kill,
And a time to heal;
A time to break down,
And a time to build up;
4 A time to weep,
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
And a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones,
And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace,
And a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to gain,
And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
And a time to throw away;
7 A time to tear,
And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence,
And a time to speak;
8 A time to love,
And a time to hate;
A time of war,
And a time of peace.
Ecclesiates 3:1-8 NKJV

Word of the Lord: “We have entered into not just a new season but a new era in time and in the earth where things are shifting rapidly and intentionally according to God’s plan. In the coming days, months and years you will see more unprecedented shifts and changes in the earth whether it be in the weather, leadership, technology, exposure or in our economic ecosystem across the nations. As things begin to unfold we ourselves will be required to shift in order to be positioned where the Lord would have us be, at the appointed time, to carry out His will on earth as it is in heaven.”

In Daniel 2:21 AMP it states, “It is He who changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise And [greater] knowledge to those who have understanding!” In other words, God is in control of our time and seasons and it is up to us (because we have free will) to follow Him in receiving direction and wisdom on our positioning for His will in that time, season and shift.

So, how do we recognize the shift? Here are a few indicators of Seasons of Shift:

There are tangible changes without warning
- Sudden changes in circumstances, surroundings, jobs, relationships, comfort, etc.
The season brings restlessness and lack of comfort
- Often includes having to do things you are uncomfortable with but it’s unavoidable, so must persevere through it
Relational Shifts
- Who you were around in previous seasons changes and sometimes you are in a season with just you and the Lord
A release is required
- You find yourself having to let go of some things (and people) so that you can pack light in the shift; sometimes not taking anything or anyone with you
Your desires & priorities shift
- Priorities shift to focusing on the God things and not just your typical routine and desires
Old resources and provision no longer work for you
- New strategy is required because what once worked won’t work in the shift
There is sudden opposition that arises
- You begin to recognize sudden conflict and closed doors in current spaces

What do we need to stand firm (1Corinthians 16:13) in the Seasons of Shift:

Faith
- To operate in a deeper sacrificial trust in the Lord when nothing makes natural sense ( See Hebrews 11:1)
Humility
- To recognize that everything you are is because of God and apart from Him you can do nothing (See John 15: 5)
Trust for God’s Provision
- To have greater dependence on God (See Matthew 6:26-33)
Perseverance
- To understand that some promises require us to persevere in order to produce the character to walk in them (See Romans 5:3-4 & The Stories of David and Joseph)
Identity in Christ
- To always be rooted in knowing who you are in Christ Jesus no matter the circumstances (See Genesis 1:26, Ephesians 2:10 & 2Corinthians 5:17)
Radical Obedience
- To show you how to follow God’s instructions even when it doesn’t make sense ( See 1Samuel 15:22 & The Story of Noah)
Prayer, Intercession & Fasting
- To prepare you and get you to the harvest God has for you (See Galatians 6:9 & Matthew 9:37-38)
Intimacy with God
- To learn to seek first the kingdom of God (See Matthew 6:33)

No matter the season you are in, remember that God is with you, and He is forever faithful. Ecclesiastes 3:11 NKJV states, “He has made everything beautiful in its time….” As we walk through this Season of Shift, remember that seasons change but God doesn’t…. He’s always at work ensuring everything is working together for our good according to His purpose and plan.

Until the next Faith Teaching…

To be a part of the movement, share your own faith story Here!

The Answer You’ve Been Looking For

HI Faith Travelers!

I am sure today’s title has you wondering, what is she talking about?! The answer to what…and for what?!

Well it’s the answer to All of Your Problems!

So I’ve learned a few things over the last several years of my life; from my own experiences and from the experiences of others. One of the most important things I’ve learned is that everything you need is found in the presence of God. Where the presence of God is, an invitation of intimacy with Him begins. I’ll get into what that means shortly.

“Everything you need

is found

in MY presence.”
–From God to Me

Recently I have come across several friends and individuals, including myself, who have felt physically and mentally tired, drained, confused, emotional, frustrated, angry, anxious, heavy and down right burdened. If this is you, then you will want to keep reading. Why have they felt this way and what causes it? The answer is Life causes it! Some of us are taking things day by day and just trying to make it through the first 24 hours to get to the next 24 hours and then to the next and so on. Some days are great, others are intense, some days are joyful while others are beyond stressful. Why is that? Because Life is going to Life and then rinse and repeat. We have a real enemy(the devil aka satan) in this world who seeks to steal, kill and destroy (See John 10:10) and if you are living your life for Jesus Christ then the enemy seeks to not make it easy for you. The everyday life we live may be inconsistent but the one thing in our lives that isn’t inconsistent is God. He is the same yesterday, today and forever ( See Hebrews 13:8).

So how do we get in the presence of God to fix all of our problems? Well, the answer is we build a relationship with God and we become consistent with Him; in His word, in prayer and in communing with Him daily. Being consistent with God in turn creates intimacy with God. The word intimacy means close familiarity or friendship; closeness. It also means fellowship, communion, affection, understanding, sharing and togetherness.

Intimacy with God means closeness, familiarity, friendship, fellowship, communion and togetherness with God.

How do you become consistent with God to create intimacy with Him? Well let’s look at it like a marriage. When you marry someone and choose to spend the rest of your life with them; before you make that covenant before God and the courts you develop a relationship with that person. You spend time with them, you learn their likes and dislikes, you develop familiarity, friendship and closeness with that person and you learn the ins and outs of who that person is as a whole. That’s no different than what intimacy with God looks like. When we spend time with God in prayer or in His word, we learn His likes, dislikes and the promises He has made to and for us. When we truly seek God, we learn that the time with Him is never a one sided conversation because He certainly talks back, we just have to take the time to listen. This is what a relationship with God looks like.

What happens when we have intimacy with God? How do I begin to see God make a change with the problems I see in my everyday life? In Matthew 6:33, the word of God says “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” In the context of this section of the book of Matthew chapter 6, Jesus is telling us not to worry about our life. In not worrying about our life, He’s saying don’t worry about what we will eat, drink, wear or anything related to our everyday lives. He reminds us in this chapter to look at the birds and how the Lord makes sure they are fed; look at the flowers and the grass and how the Lord makes sure they grow and are taken care of. If we, being created in God’s image (See Genesis 1:27), are regarded higher than these things then how much more will God make sure we are taken care of. “For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things” (See Matthew 6:32). Earlier in this same chapter, where Jesus is showing us how to pray, He also says “For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” (See Matthew 6:8). He is all knowing and all powerful so when you have intimacy with the all knowing & powerful God, just imagine how that will change your life for the better.

“…For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.”
Matthew 6:8

The above may address those who don’t have a relationship with God or rather those that don’t exactly know how to have a relationship with Him but I also want to address those of you who have a relationship with God yet are lacking in intimacy with God. There are some of you out there who pray all the time and spend time in God’s word yet you still feel burdened, drained and overwhelmed as if you are carrying a weight that isn’t yours to carry. This was me and a few others I encountered recently. Some of us were so used to seeing God as just Lord and master, instruction giver, the One who shows us what to intercede for, yet we had somehow forgotten that God is our Father first and He wants us to come to Him as His child. Why? Because we spend our days trying to be the go to person for our families, the employee, the parent, the intercessor, the prayer warrior, the missionary, the minister and so many other roles we take on along with attempts to try to be everything to everyone, that we often forget that we are not and were never built for that. That’s why Jesus died for us, so that we wouldn’t have to carry those burdens.

If this is you, you may be lacking in intimacy with God and require some intimate time with the Father. What does that look like? Intentionally setting time for just you and God with no agenda, no prayer points and no distractions…Just you and God’s presence. Where it goes from there is up to you and Him. The only requirement is going to Him like a child in need of their Father, knowing everything will be taken care of, just as children often do. It can be a conversation about your day, how you feel about something or even just basking in the awe of His felt presence. Set this time with God consistently and watch a new facet of your relationship with God begin to unfold.

I made the change this year to set consistent intentional and intimate time with God with no agenda and in just the first two weeks my life changed drastically spiritually, mentally, emotionally, financially and even physically. Everything I need was and is found in the Presence of God. So, whether you have been walking with God for 2 days or 20+ years, we all need intimacy with Him. Take the first step and watch how time with Him gives you all the answers you’ve been looking for.

Until the next faith message…

To be a part of the movement, share your own faith story Here!