Intimacy In The Prophetic

Introduction

The Intimate Breath of Life

1. 1. Genesis 2:7
      Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living being.

      As Adam received the breath of life, so we also become living beings, as the breath of life comes into us through the Holy Spirit.
      (I Corinthians12:13)

      1. Now we become carriers of the presence of God as imparters of life, as the following scriptures reveal:
         1. Song of Songs 4:16 “Awake O north wind, And come wind of the south: Make my garden breathe out fragrance, let its spices be wafted abroad May my beloved come into his garden and eat its choice fruits.”
         2. Genesis 2:24 “For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother and shall cleave to his wife and they shall become one flesh.”
      2. When we are filled with the breath of God, it affects us. Life flows through us, as we relate to the Lord.
      3. This intimacy is birthed out of our relationship and fellowship both to God and one another. We can now know each other intimately as pictured in the union of marriage.
      4. The love of God, the breath of God, was from the beginning a two-fold attribute of love to, and from God. This can be experienced as it springs up and flows out like the four rivers of the garden of Eden.
      5. This love is deep and affectionate, embracing, passionate and can even be overwhelming or overcoming.
         1. Song of Songs 4:9 “You make my heart beat faster with a single glance of your eyes.”
         2. Song of Songs 6:4-5  “Thou are beautiful, O my love … Turn away thine eye from me, for they have overcome me.”
      6. Both Adam and Eve were stripped, not hiding behind anything, and not ashamed, but open, honest and vulnerable with God and each other.

B. Read: Genesis 3: 1-13

1. 1. Previously all Adam and Eve had known was communion, honesty, intimacy, hearing and running to the sound of the Lord walking in the Garden.
   2. As Genesis 3: 8-10 portrays, now in disobedience, Adam and Eve hide themselves in fear, creating barriers to intimacy.
   3. Their response has changed from running toward God, to running away from God. Now they find themselves hiding from the Presence of the Lord Himself.

The Four Questions

1. Read Genesis 3:9

   God asks four distinct questions for those hiding behind the barriers. The closer your get to the light the more you are exposed. Every new step of light, reveals a new level of darkness within. Intimacy in the prophetic is being where God is.  Not hiding from Him but running to Him!

2. Four Searching Questions
   1. Genesis 3:10 – Where are you?
      This is an invitation in intimacy.
   2. Genesis 3:11 – Who told you, you are naked?
      Who’s your source of information, knowledge and life?
   3. Genesis 3:11 – Have you eaten from the tree?
      Honesty or deceit and rebellion is your choice!
   4. Genesis 3:13 – What is this “you” have done?
      Personal responsibility is required. Blame shifting is not the answer, even though you may be hurting as a result of yours and another’s disobedience and failures.

Barriers to intimacy: Worldly Temptations

1.  Comparing Genesis 3:5-6 with I John 2:16
   1. Genesis 3:5-6 “When the Woman saw that the tree was good for food… a delight to her eyes.. and desirable to make one wise… she took from it’s fruit an ate.”
   2. I John 2:6 “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful  pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.”
   3. Opportunities and temptations will come. When they are yielded too, they create barriers around our lives, walls and fences of self protection.
2. Lust of the Eyes:
   1. Our eyes and hands are the instruments by which the Lord desires to move through. Yielding to these temptations (The lust of the eyes) puts up false filters over the eyes and they become clouded.
   2. The Seer portion of our lives is thwarted by such lust. Revelation can then get clouded. The result is that there becomes mixture.
   3. But Matt 5:8 states the promise: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
3. Lust of the Flesh
   1. Cleansing of the flesh is necessary! Psalm 24:4 says “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and pure heart…”
   2. Our hands in many dimensions represents our bodies as instruments of blessing. (Ps. 26:6; 1 Tim. 2:8)
   3. Why do we need clean hands then? Acts of compassion come through our hands as our hearts are purified by His love.
      1. James 4:8 tells us: “Cleanse your hands…and hearts.”
      2. Titus 2:11-14 adds “For the Grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in this present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and savior, Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good works.”
      3. Romans 6: 11-12 “Therefore do not let sin reign I your mortal body that you should obey it’s lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness: but present yourselves to God as those who alive from the dead, and your members, as instruments of righteousness to God.”
   4. God desires to release his impartation and the power of his presence through our hands. (Hab.3:4). Clean hands enable us to impart the blessing to others, including those closest to us.
4. Boastful Pride of Life
   1. This in a sense is false worship of self.  Here we are in comparing ourselves to one another and we adopt a false scale of balance. God is enthroned on the praises of his people (Ps. 22:3). Where a throne is set up over the person or house or city, this is where God comes down. In His presence you can see Him, feel Him, touch Him, hear the sound of Him and the aroma of His presence.
5. Why Does God Ask the Question?
   
   1. Every question God asks is an invitation to intimacy, dialogue and communion. An invitation to walk out of hiding into a transparent place of light, truth and honesty.
      As Isaiah 1:18 says: “Come let us reason together…”
      Again an invitation to come out from the fig leaves we hide behind into honest and transparent dialogue.
   2. God desires and initiates intimacy for us, so we would come out
      of hiding. He knows we are afraid. Where are you?
   3. Are we posturing ourselves to be inviting to others? Are we afraid of being exposed? Are we condemning? or are we embracing and loving?
   4. These questions are for the purpose, as they were for Adam and Eve, to come back to where we are walking with God in intimacy and where He walks with us, and talks with us.

Some Of The Leaves We Hide Behind

1. 1. Guilt and Shame
      The Lord will cleanse us from this (Jn. 16:8-11) through the power
      of the Cross and the blood of Jesus shed for us.
   2. Hurts
      Hurts are barriers to intimacy. One of the tips to healing of hurts is forgiveness and re-entering into trusted, vulnerable relationships.
   3. Fears of Authority and Rejection. Intimidating fears…
      I John 4:18 says  “Perfect love cast out fear, because fear involves punishment, and he one who fears is not perfected in love.”
      We need to ask for a revelation of the Father’s heart of grace and mercy towards us to overcome fear.
   4. Ignorance…
      Hosea 4:6 “My people perish for lack of knowledge”
      Move from out of the shadows of ignorance, cultivate hunger, and sit under teaching and study to show yourself approved.
   5. Self Imposed Ceilings and Barriers
      This is where we come into alignment with the devil’s thoughts and planes. We need to break these curses and powers of darkness in Jesus name.
   6. Molds or Yokes
      A mind set, typecasts, stronghold of thinking, putting us in box. We must learn the lessons of casting down these strongholds and taking these into obedience to Christ. (II Cor.10:3-5)

Keys to receiving from the Lord

1. Rest Around the Ark
   Where did the voice of God come to Samuel? It came around the Ark, the place of His presence. It will be the same for us. We must learn the value and necessity of rest!

   I Samuel 3:3-4 “And the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God was, and the Lord called Samuel…..”

2. Love Mercy
   Mercy is a reality of the heart. If we don’t have it, we will judge by the externals and opinions, rather than by the Spirit. (Tit. 3:4-7; I Sam.16:7). Let Micah 6:8 be your goal “He has told you O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.
3. Pray in the Spirit
   Fresh revelation will be released as you edify yourself and charge up your battery of faith in the Holy Spirit
4. Learning and Listening
   The key to learning is asking. The key to receiving is listening. Beware of revelation fixation. Daniel 7:1-14 shows a vital principle of the prophetic. One must keep looking and asking, searching and inquiring of the Lord to reveal all truth and not get caught with a particular revelation.
5. Hold a Secret
   Everything you receive as revelation doesn’t give you license to share it. God reveals the secrets to his servants (Amos 3:7). But ask for permission to whether you are to give the revelation or not. God is looking for some close friends whom He can share His secrets.
6. Love the Anointing
   Love the manifested presence of the Lord (I Jn. 2:27). Cultivate His presence by being around people of His presence.
7. Risk!
   Fruit is born out on the limb – We must step out of our comfort zones and step out in faith! Remember, faith is always spelled RISK. (Rom10:17; Heb.4:2; 11:6)

Conclusion:

I trust that this prophetic teaching outline has been helpful for you. It is an excerpt from my first study guide in the Equipping in the Prophetic series on Prophetic Foundations. There is a great single CD called Invitation to Intimacy that has an instrumental music background track where I teach through some of this message. It is a powerful experience. Many have listened to it over and over to bring them into greater intimacy and communion with God. After all, isn’t that what this is all about?

Blessings to You on Your Journey!
James W. Goll