Intimacy has been a huge struggle for me my entire life in various forms. Don't get me wrong, I've had great relationships and friendships but have always had an internal struggle between God and human. I want so badly to be a godly woman and show that to everyone in my life but I find myself shying away from having both God and a relationship with others at the same time.
The third chapter of Woman of Influence talks about intimacy and connecting with our creator. It talks about spiritual emptiness and how we need to have an actual relationship with God. My women's bible study group aka 'women's support group' met last week regarding spiritual dryness and how we can cope with it, react to it and grow from it. We talked a lot about how we all experience it and what God does in that space to break us and make us stronger women for Him.
It's hard being in an empty place. It feels very lonely and ends up making us feeling like we're completely alone when we have such strong women around us to support us - we just have to go talk to them! We need to be intimate with our girlfriends and if we don't have them, we need to actively find some. Humans weren't built to do things alone - we were meant to be coupled - not only in marriages but in friendships.
God is sometimes a figure we feel we can't touch. A guy in the sky without feelings and too far away to hold you. He's not - He feels... deeply. He wept even when He knew He would raise His friend from the dead. It touched Him. The things you got through touch Him.
Carol Kent's book When I Lay Me Down is quoted saying 'when the unthinkable circumstances enter your life, there comes a point when you either stand by what you believe or you walk away from it.' "Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" (Job 2:10) People always quote 'God said He'd never give you anything you can't handle' when in reality He said 'I'll be with you even in the times you feel you can't handle things.' He's there. He walks with you - He holds you. He carries you through the roughest stuff. He's so gentle that it's hard to feel Him when He's wrapped around you deflecting all of it.
God wants you to spend time with Him. He yearns for you to find time to be quiet with Him. In this chapter, Pam says that a woman of influence is wise to protect her quiet connections with God. Each woman will find her own intimacy rhythm. The goal is intimacy, not legalistic ritual.
I know I need to pray relentlessly, especially when big decisions need to be made, I just don't seem to pray like other people do. I pray through singing and worship through music. CS Lewis is quoted 'I pray because the need flows out of me all the time... it [prayer] doesn't change God, it changes me.' The way I connect with God is through singing - it just flows out of me. I surround myself with Christian music when at work, in the car, running, at the gym, everywhere. It feels like we're connected - intimate. 'Intimacy means being with Jesus... God knows your life and will meet you there,' says Pam.
Don't forget to encourage each other while God is nurturing you. A simple touch is all you need to stay connected and have power over the things going on in your life. It can influence your heart and then influence others. Pam lists 30 ways to live out the intimacy. I chose a few that fit my life and how I commune with Him.
1. Make your prayers more concrete by writing them out as a letter to Jesus.
2. Go on a prayer walk, talking to the Lord as you walk along.
7. Sing during your entire time with God. You may want to try your hand at songwriting too.
11. Write out a Philippians 4:8 list. What is lovely to you, worthy of praise, excellent and so on.
18. Make a promise notebook. List areas of hurt or need in your life. As you come to a verse that shows how God can meet the need, write it down. You're creating your own book of promises.
26. Write and thank people who helped you grow in your walk with God this year. Or write to mentors from the past.
29. Exercise to Christian music!!!
I will find 5 minutes to spend with Christ every day - it's not hard. Just find a little quiet time - His smile seems to grow brighter when you fit Him into your hectic day. It will help you be a woman of influence when you're relaxed in Him.
The third chapter of Woman of Influence talks about intimacy and connecting with our creator. It talks about spiritual emptiness and how we need to have an actual relationship with God. My women's bible study group aka 'women's support group' met last week regarding spiritual dryness and how we can cope with it, react to it and grow from it. We talked a lot about how we all experience it and what God does in that space to break us and make us stronger women for Him.
It's hard being in an empty place. It feels very lonely and ends up making us feeling like we're completely alone when we have such strong women around us to support us - we just have to go talk to them! We need to be intimate with our girlfriends and if we don't have them, we need to actively find some. Humans weren't built to do things alone - we were meant to be coupled - not only in marriages but in friendships.
God is sometimes a figure we feel we can't touch. A guy in the sky without feelings and too far away to hold you. He's not - He feels... deeply. He wept even when He knew He would raise His friend from the dead. It touched Him. The things you got through touch Him.
Carol Kent's book When I Lay Me Down is quoted saying 'when the unthinkable circumstances enter your life, there comes a point when you either stand by what you believe or you walk away from it.' "Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" (Job 2:10) People always quote 'God said He'd never give you anything you can't handle' when in reality He said 'I'll be with you even in the times you feel you can't handle things.' He's there. He walks with you - He holds you. He carries you through the roughest stuff. He's so gentle that it's hard to feel Him when He's wrapped around you deflecting all of it.
God wants you to spend time with Him. He yearns for you to find time to be quiet with Him. In this chapter, Pam says that a woman of influence is wise to protect her quiet connections with God. Each woman will find her own intimacy rhythm. The goal is intimacy, not legalistic ritual.
I know I need to pray relentlessly, especially when big decisions need to be made, I just don't seem to pray like other people do. I pray through singing and worship through music. CS Lewis is quoted 'I pray because the need flows out of me all the time... it [prayer] doesn't change God, it changes me.' The way I connect with God is through singing - it just flows out of me. I surround myself with Christian music when at work, in the car, running, at the gym, everywhere. It feels like we're connected - intimate. 'Intimacy means being with Jesus... God knows your life and will meet you there,' says Pam.
Don't forget to encourage each other while God is nurturing you. A simple touch is all you need to stay connected and have power over the things going on in your life. It can influence your heart and then influence others. Pam lists 30 ways to live out the intimacy. I chose a few that fit my life and how I commune with Him.
1. Make your prayers more concrete by writing them out as a letter to Jesus.
2. Go on a prayer walk, talking to the Lord as you walk along.
7. Sing during your entire time with God. You may want to try your hand at songwriting too.
11. Write out a Philippians 4:8 list. What is lovely to you, worthy of praise, excellent and so on.
18. Make a promise notebook. List areas of hurt or need in your life. As you come to a verse that shows how God can meet the need, write it down. You're creating your own book of promises.
26. Write and thank people who helped you grow in your walk with God this year. Or write to mentors from the past.
29. Exercise to Christian music!!!
I will find 5 minutes to spend with Christ every day - it's not hard. Just find a little quiet time - His smile seems to grow brighter when you fit Him into your hectic day. It will help you be a woman of influence when you're relaxed in Him.
