How to Cultivate Friendship and Intimacy with God

Do you want to know how to cultivate friendship and intimacy with God?

At the center of the Christian faith is an invitation to friendship and intimacy with God. He is an actual person, with a personality and a heart, and just as in any other relationship, it is the connection of these two hearts that matters above all else.

Friendship with God is the heartbeat of all; nothing else can substitute.

Jesus–the Expression of God’s Personality and Heart

If we want to know who God is, we need to look at Jesus. When we doubt God’s goodness or mercy or wonder how He feels when we suffer, we need to recall Jesus’ ministry on earth and everything He has done and said.

When the disciples asked Him to show God to them, Jesus pointed to Himself.

“The one who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words I speak to you I do not speak on My own. The Father who lives in Me does His works.” (John 14:9-10)

Remember to pin me for later!

How to Cultivate Friendship and Intimacy with God

We cultivate friendship and intimacy with God when we develop a friendship with Jesus, knowing Him more and more.

When we do this, our lives naturally orientate towards knowing, serving, and worshipping God in spirit and truth and we start developing Gospel-based lifestyles.

Here are 5 practical ways to cultivate friendship and intimacy with God.

Here are 5 practical ways to cultivate friendship and intimacy with God. #Christianliving #faith #encouragement Share on X

#1 Spending Time Together

As in any other relationship, the more time we spend together, the closer we get. Making time in our daily routines for fellowship with God is the first practical step towards deepening our friendship. We can have a designated time, for example, in the morning and the evening.

But it is also helpful to be aware of God’s constant presence during the day and to include Him in our everyday activities.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” (Matthew 6:33)

#2 Sharing Our Hearts with God

The second way to deepen our friendship and intimacy with God is to develop the habit of processing both our inner and outer experiences with Him. It is easy to share the outer experiences and what has happened to us, but it takes much more trust and honesty to pour our hearts and share the beautiful and the ugly. 

God wants to hear it all and to have it all–our thoughts, our emotions, our fears, and worries.

“Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is our refuge. Selah” (Psalm 62:8)

We can deepen our friendship and intimacy with God when we develop the habit of processing both our inner and outer experiences with Him. #encouragement #trustGod #faith Share on X

#3 Studying God’s Word

The third way to get to know God better is to study His word. God’s Word is an expression of His personality and heart. When we read and study God’s Word with the awareness that it is God Who is speaking to us, the Holy Spirit can reveal God’s truths and heart to us. 

The time we set aside for studying God’s Word is a time of having a meeting with the living God and being nourished and satisfied by Him. 

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through Him and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created.” (John 1:1-3)

#4 Applying God’s Word

It is not enough just to know and study God’s Word, but we need to hide it in our hearts and apply it to our lives. We should not be just listeners who forget but people who obey the Word and walk according to the Word.

Applying the Word to our lives adds a new dimension to our friendship with God and expresses our sincere love for Him.

“If you love Me, you will keep My commands.” (John 14:15)

#5 Trusting God with Our Pain

The last way to cultivate friendship and intimacy with God is our choice to trust Him with our pain and to worship Him in our suffering. There are depths of God’s grace and comfort which we can only experience when we are in the dark waters of pain and suffering.

God moves even closer and His everlasting arms hold us tighter when we suffer.

“The Lord is near the brokenhearted; He saves those crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)

One way to cultivate friendship and intimacy with God is our choice to trust Him with our pain and to worship Him in our suffering. #suffering #trustGod #faith Share on X

The Blessings of the Friendship with God

Friendship and intimacy with God are the sources of unimaginable joy and peace in the life of the believer. Knowing God more and more transforms our character and brings us deeper and lasting satisfaction.

It is a treasure of eternal value staying with us in this life and eternity.

“We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)

5 Ways to Cultivate Friendship and Intimacy with God Printable

I have prepared a printable of these 5 ways to cultivate friendship and intimacy with God and the accompanying Bible verses to help you meditate on them. Click on the image to download it.

More Resources to Help You Cultivate Friendship with God

If you need additional resources to help you cultivate friendship and intimacy with God, I can highly recommend these books.

Draw Near: How Painful Experiences Become the Birthplace of Blessings by Hadassah Treu

Kissing Guilt Goodbye by Enliven Devotionals

Transforming Your Thought Life by Sarah Geringer

Knowing God by J.I. Packer

Letters to the Church by Francis Chan

Forward: Discovering God’s Presence and Purpose in Your Tomorrow by David Jeremiah

Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics by William Lane Craig

Faith Talk: Christian Women & The Gospel  by Heather Hart and contributing authors

This page contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. The commission I make from these items will help keep this blog going. Thank you!

Your Turn

Which of these steps do you need to practice more? Can you share other ways to cultivate friendship and intimacy with God? If you have found this post helpful, I would be happy if you share it on social media and comment on it. Thanks!

Do you want to watch this post as a vlog? Click HERE. If you found it helpful, please subscribe to my YouTube channel. Thanks!

I send my newsletter “Keep the Faith” every two weeks. I share with you first the newest blog post, recommended books and articles, and the newest freebies and resources to keep the faith.

Want to know more about me before you sign up? You can read about me HERE and check my books HERE.