Now, this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. John 17:3(NIV)
We all want to build intimacy with God. But sadly, very few of us get to enjoy that kind of relationship. We get caught up with so many things or give up so fast because of different setbacks in life.

Our heavenly Father wants to be intimate with us. It’s his desire to be close to every person in this world. And for us to know his true nature and character. But God is a gentleman. He’s not going to impose himself on any of us.
He only invites us to build a relationship with him through his son Jesus.
Table of Contents
Why do we need to Grow Intimacy with God?
It Enables you to Walk in Authority
The Bible tells us that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives on the inside of us. But how many of us walk in that power?
We have all the power to do great things in the world as kingdom children (Luke 10:19). But most of us are struggling with life because we do not know our authority. It is only by getting close to God that we understand the authority we have been given. And how to walk in it.
Intimacy with God will help you to know the secrets of the Kingdom
A person cannot share their secrets with you if the two of you are not close. Trust needs to be built between the two of you first. The same is true about God.
There are so many things that God has in store for his children. But it’s only when we become intimate with him on a deeper level that he reveals these things to us.
Also Related: The Top13 Benefits of Seeking God’s Presence.
Fulfillment
Do you know that there are different levels of intimacy with God?
When you give your life to Jesus, God adopts you into his family. And you enjoy a certain level of intimacy with him. But that is not all there is to your relationship with God. You need to cultivate your relationship with God so that you can know Him well.
David is an example of someone who enjoyed deep intimacy with God. He knew God would come through for him and was not afraid of his enemies. Even in times of despair, David went to God. He did not doubt his faithfulness.
You may be wondering how do I increase intimacy with God? Here are eleven proven ways that will help you to grow intimacy with God:
Study the Bible
There is more to growing intimacy with God than just having head knowledge. You need a revelation of the word through the spirit.
Reading your Bible is okay. But when you forget what you have read, you will not grow close to God.
Take time to study the Bible and ask the Holy Spirit to give you revelation. Ask him to make the word alive as you study. And to show you who God is through scripture.
Practice the presence of God throughout the day
Many people wait to feel the presence of God in their prayer closet. But our Father says he will never leave nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). He will be with us till the end of time.
Meaning we should not wait for certain times to experience the presence of God. Do not wait for Sundays to experience God’s presence.
Your heavenly Father is with you all the time. But for you to become more intimate with Him, you need to practice his presence throughout the day.
Talk to Him the way you talk to your friend. Yes, God is a spirit, but we can welcome him to manifest in the physical. When we do that, we get to enjoy physical intimacy with God.
Meditate on the Promises of God
When did you last read the word of God and spent some time thinking about what you read?
Can you genuinely say that you always take time to memorize and meditate on the promises of God? The truth is most of us struggle to memorize scripture. We forget the verses we have read almost immediately.
But if you want to have deep intimacy with God, you need to spend time in his word. Jesus said, “if you abide in me and my word abides in you, then you’ll be my disciples” (John 15:7).
This means that the word and promises of God should not be taken lightly.
Only by knowing and continuing in the word can you know Jesus on a deeper level. This, in turn, causes us to grow intimacy with God.
Be Intentional about Hearing God’s voice
As much as God wanted to be intimate with the children of Israel, they only worshipped him with their lips. But their hearts were far from him.
We can worship God with our lips but not our hearts. But when we do that, we end up not having a close relationship with Him.
Being intentional about listening to God’s voice will help you know how he speaks. And this will cause you to grow closer to him.
It’ll also be hard for the enemy to lead you astray, for you will acknowledge his voice immediately. (John 10:4-5)
Use Your Hobbies to Get Close to God
Do you know that your hobbies can help you grow intimacy with God? If you love reading in your free time.
How about reading devotional books, the Bible, and other Christian literature?
If you love painting, then use that time to glorify God. Paint something that will cause your mind to stay on the Lord.
Using your hobby for God’s glory will help you know God more. And this will draw you to grow closer to Him.
Create a Quiet Time
With all the noise around us, it is hard for us to have our own quiet time.
Studies show that spending time alone helps you relax and focus on the right things in life. So how about creating quiet time so that you can reflect on God and his promises?
The more you spend quiet time with God, the deeper your relationship with him will grow.
Prayer
What do you do when you’re excited or overwhelmed? You call up your friends or go to their place to talk to them, right?
Prayer is simply communicating with God. It is telling him the things that overwhelm or excite you. It is also listening to him as he talks to you.
If your desire is to grow closer to God, then make prayer a priority in your life.
Forgive others and yourself
Did you know that unforgiveness can hinder you from enjoying an intimate relationship with God?
We need to learn how to forgive others and ourselves to move forward with our lives. Not just, but when we forgive, we also get to enjoy our relationship with God.
Unforgiveness causes us to harbor hatred and bitterness in our hearts. And this opens up doors for the enemy in our lives.
Hatred also blocks us from hearing God’s voice. That is why we are encouraged in the Bible to forgive others. (Hebrews 12:15).
Also Related: 11 Proven Benefits of Intimacy with the Holy Spirit.
Make Worship a Lifestyle
To many people, worship means listening to music and singing along.
Dancing to praise and worship music in church is awesome. But there is more to worship than just music.
God wants us to worship from our hearts. It should not be something we do only on Sundays.
Make worship a lifestyle by finding things to praise and magnify God about in everyday life.
Things as simple as food, nature, family, job, and the things surrounding you should motivate you to worship God.
Creation reveals to us the nature of God. Through it, we can connect with God on a deeper level and become intimate with him.

Journalling
Another great way to increase intimacy with God is to spend time journaling your thoughts.
When you pray, journal down the things God is revealing to you. Doing that will enable you to know him on a deeper level, and this will increase intimacy.
When we are going through difficult times, and we feel like giving up, we can go back to our journals. The entries we made will be a source of encouragement to us.
They will remind us of God’s faithfulness and enable us to keep standing firm in the promises of God.
Fellowshipping with other Believers
Now you may be wondering how fellowshipping with others is going to help you grow closer to God.
See, when we spend time with other people, we get to know how God relates to them. We also find out the great things God is doing in their lives. And their testimonies encourage us to continue being faithful in our walk with God.
Not just that, but God has created us differently. So when we fellowship with others, we get to know him differently.
Fellowshipping with others will help you find out the different ways to grow closer to God. As they share how they grow their intimacy with God, you will be able to get some insights into increasing your level of intimacy with God.
All in all
Increasing intimacy with God is a personal choice. But you will be more fulfilled when you grow intimacy with God.
God loves and wants all of us to have an intimate relationship with him. But he will never force you. God wants you to go to him, and in doing so, he will reveal himself to you.
If you do not have an intimate relationship with God, do not feel discouraged. Know that God is waiting for you, and he longs to be close to you. Take the first step, and he will come through for you.