How to have a deep relationship with God (Ask Dr. Stanley)

God wants you to have an intimate personal relationship with him through his son Jesus Christ that's his ultimate purpose for creating you and as we discussed during the message you can be a Christian and still not have a close relationship with God intimacy depends upon total openness and surrendered to him and today's letter is from a man who wants a more intimate relationship with God but he's not sure how to do it so Steve asked how do you submit yourself to God fully how do I have a personal relationship with him I would like to begin a strong relationship with him please help me well Steve let me just say this there's a verse in scripture in Romans chapter 12 verse 1 that talks about this very issue Paul said I urge you brethren by the mercies of God to present your bodies that's your total being a living and Holy Sacrifice which is acceptable to God well first of all if you want that kind of relationship it's a choice you make it isn't something that just happens many people have been a Christian a long time and have no intimacy with God whatsoever it is a definite choice you make when you say in this email I want to have a personal relationship an intimate relationship with him it is a choice that you're making you must want to do it it must be a desire that is strong because there are many things working against that in your life you say well how do I do that in your strength you cannot it is the work of the Holy Spirit and remember this Jesus sent the Holy Spirit in order to enable you and me first of all to live a godly life to work in us and through us and so we have him to help us with their want with our desire with our commitment with our choice and so he will enable us as we strive and as we attempt with all of our heart to deal with the things in life that have kept us from having that personal intimate relationship then the Word of God is so very important because here is where you discover what it means and how to live that godly life as you get instruction for example from the Lord Jesus and from the Apostle Paul as you read day after meditating upon the Word of God and in prayer asking God to show you to give you God in some direction and what you'll find is this you'll find that he begins to just clean out things in your life to do not belong there and the emphasis of your life changes the interest of your life changes and just what happens the way that develops is daily as we read God's Word we examine what's going on in their life does this fit does this fit is this drawing me closer is this pulling me away and so it is a process that you go through it's not going to happen all at once but it can be absolutely definite when you say God so work in my life that I can have a personal intimate relationship with you the cleansing is going to be the first thing that begins to happen your interest changes God begins to draw you into a relationship with him and before long you realize something has really happened in my life well that's all the time we haven't in touch this week and we're glad you joined us I trust that the Holy Spirit will draw you into a deeper more intimate relationship with Jesus throughout 2010 the day's message was the beginning of our in-depth study of the thirty life principles we'll continue next week with life principle two it's one that you're probably very familiar with and that is obey God and leave all the consequences to him that's the only way to enjoy life at its very best

Channel: In Touch Ministries

Views: 78,029

Rating: 4.9603958 out of 5

Keywords: Y1001 LL, charles stanly, intimacy with God, dr. stanley, personal intimate, intimate relationship, relationship with God, close with God, closer to God, answers, questions, relationships, Charles Stanley, surrender, life principles

Id: PN0H7ujBWQo

Length: 3min 58sec (238 seconds)

Published: Tue Oct 04 2011