E. DEEPENING YOUR WALK WITH GOD / INTIMACY WITH GOD

Sally had just finished her discipleship study. She looked perplexed as she pondered the request in the study book. The study used words like contemplative and deeper and suggested how to set time up. She felt it was a little contrived. She wanted to understand the path to go deeper. Often, we invite people into this pathway but they need helpful tools to plan this into their schedule. But first, let us look at a story from the Bible and see if we can gain insight into how a person goes deeper with God.

Let’s look at I Kings 19:5-13:

Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” ⁶ He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. ⁷ The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” ⁸ So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. ⁹ There he went into a cave and spent the night.

And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” ¹⁰ He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” ¹¹ The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.¹² After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. ¹³ When Elijah

heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

1. What can we learn from this story?

2. What did Elijah feel when facing a difficult ministry and life situation?

3. How did God speak to Elijah?

4. How long did you think it took for God to speak?

1. What is the question you want to ask God?

2. How much time will you need to answer this question?

3. How long will you wait to hear what God might say to you?

4. What should you do in action in response to God? What did Elijah do?

5. How will solitude and silence help you?

6. When will you schedule this time?

7. How could you pray Ephesians 1:16-17 for yourself as you pursue this direction?

1. What is the most important part of this lesson to you? Explain.

2. How do you see applying aspects of this lesson to your life?

3. When do you feel would be the best time to make that application?

4. What do you hear the Lord speaking to you about this right now?