The Power Of Intimacy With God" Pastor Adin

Devotional

Day 1: The 72 – Preparing the Way with Unnamed Obedience

Jesus sent out 72 unnamed believers to heal, cast out demons, and prepare towns for His arrival. Their legacy wasn’t fame but faithfulness—obeying without needing recognition. They rejoiced not in their authority but in their names being written in heaven. Intimacy begins when we serve quietly, prioritizing Jesus’ mission over our visibility. Their story challenges us: what matters isn’t who knows our name, but who knows our heart. [25:02]

"After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.'" (Luke 10:1–2, ESV)

Reflection: Where has Jesus sent you to “prepare the way” for His work this week? What would it look like to serve without needing your name attached to the outcome?

Day 2: The 12 – Leaving Everything to Follow Closely

Peter, James, and John abandoned boats full of fish—their livelihood—to follow Jesus. Intimacy demands surrender. The 12 walked with Him daily, absorbing His teachings and miracles. Their proximity wasn’t passive; they chose to trade security for nearness. Closeness to Christ requires releasing what we cling to, trusting His call over our calculations. [27:51]

"And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him." (Luke 5:11, ESV)

Reflection: What “boat full of fish”—career, routine, or comfort—might Jesus be asking you to leave ashore to follow Him more closely this season?

Day 3: The Three – Invitation to the Inner Circle

Peter, James, and John witnessed the Transfiguration—a glimpse of Christ’s glory reserved for those who pressed in. Jesus reveals more of Himself to those hungry enough to climb the mountain. Intimacy isn’t favoritism; it’s the fruit of relentless pursuit. The deeper we go, the more we see. [32:06]

"And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light." (Matthew 17:1–2, ESV)

Reflection: What “mountain” is Jesus inviting you to climb with Him today? What distractions make that ascent feel inconvenient?

Day 4: Transparent Prayer – Laying Bare the Heart’s Depths

David’s prayer—“Search me, God”—exposes the raw honesty required for intimacy. Transparency means inviting God into our hidden corners: resentments, fears, and secret sins. Like a surgeon, He removes what harms us to make room for His presence. Vulnerability isn’t weakness—it’s the gateway to being fully known. [40:11]

"Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!" (Psalm 139:23–24, ESV)

Reflection: What specific thought, habit, or unspoken struggle do you need to voice aloud to God today? How might confession free you to receive His healing?

Day 5: First Love – Returning to Relentless Priority

The Ephesians lost their fiery devotion, trading passion for duty. Jesus’ rebuke—"You’ve forsaken your first love"—pierces complacency. Intimacy withers when He becomes one priority among many. Reigniting that love means repenting not of sin but of sidelining Him. He demands first place, not because He’s needy, but because He’s worthy. [48:48]

"But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first." (Revelation 2:4–5, ESV)

Reflection: What good thing has subtly replaced Jesus as your “first love”? What one action this week could recenter your priorities around Him alone?

Sermon Summary

Intimacy with God is not just a religious word or something reserved for marriage language. Intimacy with God means really knowing him and being known by him, closeness, deep friendship, familiarity with the living God. God already knows every thought before it comes, every word before it is spoken, every hair on the head. The real question is whether a person really knows him.

God longs for intimacy with his children, and the eyes of the Lord are ranging throughout the earth looking for hearts fully committed to him. Intimacy with God is available to every person, but a person is as close to God as that person chooses to be. God is not holding back some people because he likes them less. Jesus shows more of himself to those who trust him more, seek him more, and want him more.

The 72 show one level of relationship with Jesus. The 72 were believers and disciples, and they went out doing what Jesus told them to do. Their names are not recorded, and that is fine, because the name that matters is Jesus. Their intimacy was real, but it was tied to obedience and preparing the way for the kingdom.

The 12 show a deeper level. Peter, James, and John left the fish, the boats, the business, everything, and followed Jesus. The 12 walked with Jesus, talked with Jesus, watched Jesus, soaked in what he said, and were trained to teach others to obey everything he commanded. That kind of nearness came with surrender.

The three show an even deeper place. Peter, James, and John went into Jairus’ house, saw the transfiguration, and were close enough to ask private questions. The inner circle was not about favoritism. The inner circle was about hunger, trust, and deep desire.

The pathway to intimacy begins with embracing God’s unconditional acceptance. True closeness is rooted in the revelation that God really loves his children and really likes them. Transparent prayer then lays the heart open before God and says, “Search me, oh God,” because the heart cannot be trusted to lead itself. Seeking his presence means coming after God on purpose, not checking off a religious box. Obedience means Jesus is not just Savior, but Lord and Master. Shifted priorities put Jesus back in first place, because Jesus refuses to take any place but first.

Key Takeaways

1. Intimacy is chosen, not zapped. God does not determine a believer’s degree of closeness by some random zap from heaven. Intimacy grows where hunger, trust, and pursuit become real choices. The lack of depth cannot honestly be blamed on other people, busyness, or circumstances when Jesus is still calling for the heart. [82:32]
2. Jesus’ name is the one that matters. The 72 did real kingdom work, but their names disappear from the story. That is not a loss, because the point was never their platform, recognition, or popularity. A life can be deeply useful to God without ever needing its own name to be big. [86:00]
3. Deeper hunger sees deeper glory. Peter, James, and John saw things the others did not see because their desire pressed closer to Jesus. The transfiguration was not favoritism, but revelation given in the place of nearness. God shows more of himself where the soul wants him more than it wants lesser things. [92:36]
4. Transparent prayer opens locked rooms. “Search me, oh God” is dangerous and necessary because the heart hides what destroys it. God’s people do not grow by following the heart, but by letting the Spirit expose resentment, offense, pride, and secret loves. Intimacy deepens when nothing inside is guarded from God’s gaze. [100:11]
5. Storms test roots, not leaves. The storm does not prove the beauty of a tree’s leaves, but the depth of its roots. Hard days reveal whether the soul has been going after God with passion or merely looking alive on the outside. Deep roots hold fast because they know the Lord of the storm. [106:50]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[77:47] - Loving God With Everything
[79:11] - What Intimacy Really Means
[80:52] - Are You Content With God?
[81:38] - Three Dynamic Truths
[84:25] - The 72 Sent Out
[87:19] - The 12 Leave Everything
[90:10] - The Three Go Deeper
[94:10] - Deep Desire Opens Intimacy
[98:01] - Embrace God’s Acceptance
[99:52] - Practice Transparent Prayer
[102:33] - Seek His Presence
[107:42] - Obedience Means Jesus Is Lord
[108:31] - Shift Your Priorities
[111:21] - Prayer For A Deeper Love

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
- 2 Chronicles 16:9 (ESV): “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.”
- Luke 10:1-3 (ESV): “After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.’”
- Psalm 139:23-24 (ESV): “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”

Observation Questions

In Luke 10:1-3, what specific task did Jesus give the 72 disciples, and how does their anonymity highlight the focus of their mission?
According to 2 Chronicles 16:9, what is God actively looking for in people, and how does this relate to intimacy with Him?
The sermon mentions Peter, James, and John witnessing the transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-2). What unique privilege did they receive, and how does this connect to their level of closeness with Jesus? [01:32:36]
Psalm 139:23-24 invites God to “search me.” What does this prayer reveal about the role of transparency in deepening intimacy with God?

Interpretation Questions

Why might Jesus have allowed only Peter, James, and John to witness events like the transfiguration, while excluding others? What does this suggest about the relationship between desire and spiritual revelation?
The sermon states, “You are as intimate with God as you choose to be.” How does 2 Chronicles 16:9 support or challenge this idea?
Psalm 139:23-24 warns against trusting our own hearts. Why is this prayer both “dangerous and necessary” for growth in intimacy with God? [01:40:11]
How does the distinction between the 72, the 12, and the three disciples illustrate different levels of surrender and commitment to Jesus?

Application Questions

“Search me, O God” requires vulnerability. What specific area of your heart (e.g., resentment, pride, secret habits) do you need to invite God to examine this week? How will you practice this prayer? [01:40:11]
The 72 disciples’ names were not recorded, yet their obedience mattered. Are there areas where you’ve prioritized recognition over faithfulness? What would it look like to serve anonymously this week?
Storms test roots, not leaves. What current challenge in your life is revealing the depth (or shallowness) of your reliance on God? How can you intentionally deepen your roots in this season? [01:46:50]
The sermon warns against letting Jesus take “any place but first.” What practical step can you take this week to reorder a priority (e.g., time, relationships, work) that has crept above Him?
Transparent prayer opens “locked rooms.” How might your prayer life change if you approached God with complete honesty about your struggles, rather than religious routines?
The 12 left everything to follow Jesus. What is one thing (e.g., comfort, control, a habit) God might be asking you to surrender to draw closer to Him?

Sermon Clips

48s

“``the storm doesn't test the leaves on a tree. How's how what get what is tested by the by the storm? The roots. Can I ask you all a question? How are your roots? How are they? Are they going deeper? Are you going after God with a passion? That's what seeking's all about. So when the storm comes, you're holding fast because you know the author of life, you know the the Lord of the storm. Okay. The leaves get messed up. You got little things to happen, but what really matters is that you hold on to Jesus.”

43s

“You want intimacy? Every day you show up and you have this transparent prayer, oh, holy spirit, search my heart. Search me to the core. Oh, god, test me. I test me like never before. Remove any walls that I have up, god. Allow me to see who you are, and and let me be so vulnerable with you, God, that I share my innermost thoughts and my innermost needs, God, and my frustrations, everything. I cast it on you, God. That's prayer. And that's that's what I call transparent prayer. Number three, seek his presence.”

69s

“Go on a journey for that woman, Don't give me some excuses. You're as close to her as you choose to be. And the same thing is true of God. Don't tell me how much you work. I work too. Don't tell me you don't have time and you get up too early. Seek the Lord. Seek him while he can be found. This life is so short. Seek his face. Get up and have devotions. Don't don't check off some little weird thing that's religious. Get up and say, God, I can't wait to be in your presence. Get your prayer list and and multiply it day after day after day. Have a bible reading plan. You know, the bible says discipline is painful for the moment. And this is Hebrews thirteen eight, I believe. But later, it yields a peaceful fruit of righteousness for those who are trained by it. That's what we need.”

42s

“He knows you, and he loves you. And until you and I embrace the fact that God loves us more than we can even imagine, so much so that the creator, the author of life, Jesus Christ, Lord of all, stepped off the throne. God sent him to be take the punishment that you and I deserve, where the gospel ought to come out in every single message. Man, if we if we can embrace the depth of God's love, I am telling you, it is so much easier to move in to knowing God in the depth of how he wants to be known. Secondly,”

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The Power Of Intimacy With God" Pastor Adin

Devotional

Day 1: The 72 – Preparing the Way with Unnamed Obedience

Day 2: The 12 – Leaving Everything to Follow Closely

Day 3: The Three – Invitation to the Inner Circle

Day 4: Transparent Prayer – Laying Bare the Heart’s Depths

Day 5: First Love – Returning to Relentless Priority

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

The Power Of Intimacy With God" Pastor Adin

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