On a daily basis, there is a battle taking place that we may not even be aware of. It’s such a subtle battle that if you are not sharply tuned into the Spirit of God, you will lose it every day. It’s the Battle for Intimacy. As humans, we are faced with choices every minute of the day. It begins with the choice to get out of bed each morning and resist the desire to sleep in.  Afterwards, we are faced with some or all of the following choices: What to wear, what to eat for breakfast- do we grab something at home or stop and grab a donut and coffee on the way to work? What to eat for lunch, dinner?  Etc.  Again, these are daily choices. Likewise, daily choices exist in the spirit realm: Are we going to get up early enough to connect with God before we begin our day? Pray? Read the word? Perhaps read a devotional?  Decide not to take the time to do any of this because we’re running late? What’s the plan to connect with God during the day? Or will we leave him at home along with the shoes we wore yesterday?                                                                  

Imagine a time when there is complete quiet in your life.  Clear your mind and picture a time of freedom from any and all disturbances. No people, phones, computer, email, texts, facebook or twitter. You are sitting in a room on a comfortable chair and all is quiet and calm. You are looking out the window and enjoying the beauty of it all, and just listening to what God is saying to you. All of a sudden something in your house drops to the floor or there is a knock at the door. The 1^st thing you do is disconnect with your quiet state and focus on the noise. Noise is designed to distract us (Definition of noise- a sound that is loud, unpleasant, unexpected, or undesired; A loud outcry or commotion). Many people react to noise because it’s startling and can take you off guard. It’s the same in the spirit. The Lord is calling us to times of quiet and rest so He can speak to us. Noise in the spirit realm can be a problem, sickness or health issues, relational and financial challenges, etc. Whatever it is, it’s designed to bring an interruption in your time of intimacy before the Lord; to rob you of your mental and emotional focus and bring attention to something other than the Word of God. We can often find ourselves meditating on how bad we feel, how much pain is in our body, or how we’re going to pay the next bill. I say, it’s all just spiritual commotion! During our quiet time, the Lord will speak to us, encourage us, and give us direction in all areas of our lives but we just have to take the time to listen.  Psalms 46:10 “Be still, and know that I [am] God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Let’s be mindful of the battle for our intimate time with the Lord, and make choices to win every day! It all starts with a decision. Make the right one every day!

Stay Tuned for Part two: What happens when I don’t feel or sense God’s presence in my intimate time with Him?