Growing in Intimacy with GOD | Interview Excerpt ft. Hannah Elizabeth Mathews

0:01 Do you ever look around and think, Wow, the world is a crazy place and it just seems to get crazier and crazier. Ease your mind and take a break. This is Fuel for the Soul with John Gifta. We're a hub for inspirational Christian sermons, practical keys for Christian living, and Christian discussions and interviews. You'll be inspired to live the life that you were created for. Your host is a top ranking podcaster, best selling author, world record holder, aerospace engineer, life coach, evangelist, and founder of John Gifta International.

0:43 Welcome to Fuel for the Soul with John Gifta. Can you talk a little bit about, you know, your intimacy with God and how can people grow in their intimacy? Garden Um, The first thing I'd like to share is just be real with God. And I think that's how my intimacy with the father who now. I grew up in a Christian home. I've seen my parents seek a lot, you know, in their time of struggle. I think the first thing that I've seen my parents do is, you know, at least in times of crisis, is get down on the knees sent right now.

1:20 Not all of us have had perfect parents. My parents were not perfect, but one thing they did right was show me how to get out on my knees and pray in times of christis And I think that I'd always be gay to them for that, you know, for leading me to Jesus that way, on showing me the way, and for me that journey started in I know, specifically in leventh grade. Now, little hilarious side fact is I got saved at the age of eight because of a rapture movie and I got scared. I was really scared. I didn't want to hold hell, so I got saved my brother.

1:52 My brother was just like, do you want to go to head? You want to land a prisoners? I know, and like That's how I got saved at eight years old. But my real encounters with God and all of that started when I was in the eleventh grade. And I remember being real with the Father. It was just me him and in the and in the privacy of my own bedroom. I was not influenced by you know, a charisma church. I was not influenced by anything, you know. I just knew that I could sit down and talk to the Lord and tell him like a friend and just be honest with him and talk to him.

2:24 So I remember asking the Lord. And this is so funny. I remember asking the Lord. My first encounter with the Father was when I was in the eleventh grade and I asked him. I said, God, I want friends. And there's a context to this story. I had just transitioned from one school to the other, and you know, in this in this particular school, I was just not sure if I'd be accepted all of that, and so so I remember just paying in crime, I said, God, I just want friends. And that was the first time I felt tangible the peace that passed up all understanding.

2:53 I felt that tangibly in my room, and I felt it washop me, and he knew he would give me friends, like it was just this knowing. And and I remember narrating this same encounter to my mother the next day. Um, and I remember when I narrated the same encounter, I felt that piece again, like a little bit of that piece. I felt a wash over me again, and I started bawling them as well. But that's when it's first out. And then I think a few months later, I remember praying to the Lord to send me for drum lessons like just these little like you know, tiny press, and after I prayed that press, I got the gift of chance.

3:26 I don't know how it plays, but it was in the simplicity and in the I guess childlikeness for high schooler, you know, just the innocence of like, God, you're my friend, Like I'm talking to you and you're my best friend. And I built that rapper up with God so much so that, you know, when I got into college and I according to my relationships and once I were good for you and the ones I'm not so good for you. I remember just being so honest with the Lord, you know, so honest with it. I said, God, this is how I feel, you know, God, this is what I feel like doing.

3:56 This is what I don't feel like doing, you know. And seeing the Lord meet me at my place of realness and seeing Holy Spirit meet me at my lowest point, you know, when I felt the best him, when I felt the worst, you know, and telling the Lord and being real with the Lord saying God, I feel like trap. Oh God, you know, this is this is what I like doing. Like I know, imple do but little if you recover and God would meet me there, you know, And I would see his hand and protection over me, you know. And so I think that is how I built my or rather I built trust with the Lord, an intimacy with the Lord, by being real with him, by letting him in, by letting him see my UGGI, by letting him into those parts of my heart that you know, I once overs, I let God into that area of my heart, let God see my UGGI might not be good.

4:47 And like finally letting him into see those parts and allowing him to hearget and accept it, you know, and then allowing him to change and transform those parts is how I, you know, built intimacy with the Father over time, you know. And so I think that's that. I think that's all I can say in those real movements is when I've had my most intimate encounters with the Father, and all my encounters have been in the privacy of my own home. I've never had, like, you know, an encountent church outside or whatever.

5:21 Like maybe the closest I've had to like an encounter outside with the Lord is probably a church parking lot, but that is still an outside church. But like all my encounters, all my meetings with the Lord have been in the privacy of my own home. Trust me and him, and I've heard him and I felt him. Um so it's it's always been me and him. Um yeah. So I think I think just to pace back a little bit, just be real with the Father, and I think, um yeah, I think that that would really be your first step, to be an intimate and the Father just be I totally agree on the fact, Like, you know, one of the important aspects on how you can be growing your intimacy with God is to be as real with him, communicate with him, you know, just as you are.

6:08 Like one of the things is we kind of have this kind of a diplomatic relationship with God instead of having an intimate relationship with God. We are supposed to have that kind of a relationship, right, Like the problem is we just go and showcase a part of us like, Okay, God, you know what, I may be hurt, but I just come to you and I just behave like everything is fine. So unfortunately many of us are having this diplomatic like we just hide like what we feel, We hide our real real feelings and we just kind of come to God and like showcase as to everything is perfect and just focus on the good aspects.

6:45 And things like that. And because of that, you know, we are not able to grow in the intimacy, right, Like if you really want to grow in that intimacy, you need to be in a place where okay, you know, like just be yourself with him, like just be trans sprint with him, and that just when you know, like every area of your life can actually go to a deeper level. Right, you get what I'm saying. So, I mean, um, if I can come so yeah, I mean you're right, John, I mean I think as a church culture, or at least as as Christian's way, we've been conditioned to know how to the church, to know how to pray, um, to know how to worship.

7:26 And I love this quote by TV Jakes says, you know, if Jesus Christ had to come down today, you'd have to teach him how to do the church, like, oh Jesus, there's your hand to the chorus and like you don't clap your Jesus right. It's just you know, I thought that was, Oh my gosh, it's so true. You know, we'd have to. It's we're so conditioned um to you know, thinking of this is what looks Christian ease, and this is you know how whatever, it's all a facade, that's not that's not how it like. You have to break it down with the Lord.

7:56 Like the Lord the Holy Spirit knows your heart and there's no other way. If you really want to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ, be real, like, just tell him your stuff, telling the ugly bits. And that is what intimacy is like when even even in relationship and people love each other, you show, you show everything, right, you show the path that are pretty and not so pretty. And that's how intimacy is. Wilt like, it's the acceptance of the whole thing, right, and allow the Father to accept you and to transform you, you know, and I love and just allowing the Father to love you, um, is of another huge step.

8:34 Allow him to love, accept his love, know and believe that he has the best for you in the store, you know, let him in, you know. Rejecting his love is both like clearly really sad you know, and so yeah, I think what you're saying is completely right, um as well, that's so true. One more key I share in terms of intimacy that I've follow is the aspect of visualization, right, Like, for example, one of the reasons why people find it hard to have a relationship with God is like see, for example, I can talk with you because I can see you, when people are like, you know, I can't see God's I find it hard to you know, have that relationship with God.

9:17 So one of the keys that helped me, especially in the beginning stages, was like to you know, imagine, not visualize, based on the word of God. Like, for example, the Bible says I will never leave you and not forsake you. So just imagine you're going through a very bad situation. You just imagine Jesus with you, hugging you, kissing you, you know, leading you, and you know those are things that you know, like especially when you want to grow in your intimacy with God, these are things that will really help you understand like, Okay, Jesus is right next to me.

9:46 Jesus is right with me, and that has really helped me a lot in my life. You've been listening to Fuel for the Soul with John Gift, we help you were blood and inspire to live the life that God has for you. Make sure to subscribe to the John Gifted YouTube channel for regular uploads of sermons, skits, interviews and more. Follow John Gifta on Instagram for regular inspirational posts, and don't forget to check out the best selling books written by John Gifta, Who Am I which will help you understand your identity and the latest number one bestseller, Unveil your Purpose, helping you discover your purpose and to start walking in it.

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