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      How Men Can Grow in Intimacy With God

      How Men Can Grow in Intimacy With God

      July 23, 2026
      Let’s be honest. When it comes to relationships, men can be a little dense. That includes their relationship with God. Believe it or not, man was created with that limitation even before sin entered the world. When God said, “It is not good for man to be alone,” He was speaking of Adam in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:18). Adam was unblemished by sin and enjoyed unhindered communion with God, yet he was isolated. That Scripture reveals that it’s possible for a man to stand in the very presence of God and still feel alone. I often hear men say they read the Bible and pray every day, yet they rarely sense that God is near. Why do men struggle so much with spiritual intimacy? Dr. James Dobson often wrote about the challenges men face in relationships, but he never described those struggles as an excuse. In his book, Complete Marriage and Family Home Reference Guide, he was asked: “There are times when I feel so close to the Lord, and I can sense His approval on my life. On other occasions, it seems like He is a million miles away. How can I have any stability in my spiritual life when the Lord's assurance and presence are so inconstant?” Dr. Dobson’s answer was direct: “His presence is not inconstant. It is your perception of Him that comes and goes. If your spiritual walk is dependent on the ebb and flow of emotion, your confidence as a believer will pitch and roll like a ship on a stormy sea. Very little in human experience is as undependable as the way we feel from day to day. That's why our faith must be grounded in a solid commitment of the will, in our prayer life, in the fellowship of believers, and in a careful study of Scripture.” Those four anchors give men a steady path toward real intimacy with God, but they are not a checklist for religious performance. They are pathways to knowing the God of the universe. Affection toward Him grows when these practices move beyond a scheduled time of prayer and Scripture reading to impact the way a man functions throughout his entire day. History gives us a powerful example of this struggle in the life of Martin Luther. Though he was a monk devoted to prayer and religious discipline, he often felt that God was angry with him. The more he fasted and confessed his sins, the more distant the Lord seemed to be. Luther later admitted that he feared God rather than loved Him, even while serving Him with all his heart. Yet Luther’s breakthrough did not come through more concentrated effort. It came when his understanding of God changed. As Dr. Dobson mentioned, our faith must first rest on a solid commitment of the will. That means choosing obedience even when our feelings are flat. It requires humility because pride resists surrender to God. A man grows closer to Him when he submits himself to the Holy Spirit and to the authority of God’s Word. A man does not argue with Scripture, ignore it, or interpret it to fit his preferences. Devotion deepens when he says, “Lord, not my will, but Yours be done,” and then follows through with that decision in daily life. That statement of surrender appears when he chooses integrity at work, apologizes first at home, or turns away from private temptation. Don’t think of obedience as cold duty; see it as adoration of God in action. This is how Jesus spoke of it in John 15:10 (ESV): “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” Obeying Christ does not diminish affection for Him; it strengthens it. As a man aligns himself with God’s truth, his heart begins to warm toward the One he follows. Second, Dr. Dobson said our prayer life must become more than a quick list of requests. Prayer is regular communion with our Heavenly Father. Just as a strong marriage depends on consistent conversation, so does a rich prayer life. Men need daily, honest time with the Lord—bringing their worries, temptations, gratitude, and questions before Him. Over time, that steady rhythm of prayer builds trust and relationship. It reminds us that God is near, even when emotions suggest otherwise. Prayer also stretches beyond a quiet room. It can be a whispered request before a meeting, a pause before responding in anger, or a quiet thank you to God after success. Communion deepens when dependence becomes continuous. Third, we need the fellowship of other believers. The Christian life was never meant to be lived alone. Weekly worship anchors us in truth and reminds us that we belong to Jesus. Beyond that, men need meaningful relationships with other godly men. We need brothers who will pray with us, challenge us, and encourage us to stay faithful. Isolation weakens faith, but fellowship strengthens it. Many men try to live for God without others, but spiritual independence is often a form of pride. Honest friendships create space to confess struggles and receive encouragement, and that shared pursuit of Christ strengthens intimacy with Him. Finally, careful study of Scripture is essential. Reading the Bible is not just about gathering information. It is about knowing the Word of God so well that it reshapes how we think about work, marriage, money, leadership, and temptation. As His truth fills our minds, it corrects our thinking and steadies our hearts. The more we understand His Word, the more we recognize His voice and trust His promises. The studying of Scripture also teaches us to think differently about success, suffering, and love. As our minds are reshaped by truth, our daily decisions begin to reflect the character of God. For Luther, his life changed when he began studying the book of Romans. As he wrestled with Romans 1:17—“The righteous shall live by faith”—he realized that righteousness was a gift received, not a standard he had to achieve. He later described that moment as if the gates of paradise had opened. God had not been distant at all. Luther’s understanding had been clouded. Scripture corrected his thinking, and peace followed. The God he had feared became the Father he trusted. Feelings may rise and fall, but these four foundations hold firm. When a man humbly commits his will to God, practices continual prayer, regularly worships and meets with other believers, and studies Scripture carefully, his intimacy with the Lord grows stronger. Over time, that steady obedience and dependence upon the Lord softens a man’s heart, and his affection grows. What once felt distant becomes familiar. A man may not always sense the warmth of God’s presence, but he will be grounded and confident in knowing the Lord is always near.

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      July 23, 2026
      Can someone truly find freedom from unwanted same-sex attraction?
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      Homosexuality and the 21st Century Church, Part 1

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      How Men Can Grow in Intimacy With God

      How Men Can Grow in Intimacy With God

      July 23, 2026
      Let’s be honest. When it comes to relationships, men can be a little dense. That includes their relationship with God. Believe it or not, man was created with that limitation even before sin entered the world. When God said, “It is not good for man to be alone,” He was speaking of Adam in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:18). Adam was unblemished by sin and enjoyed unhindered communion with God, yet he was isolated. That Scripture reveals that it’s possible for a man to stand in the very presence of God and still feel alone. I often hear men say they read the Bible and pray every day, yet they rarely sense that God is near. Why do men struggle so much with spiritual intimacy? Dr. James Dobson often wrote about the challenges men face in relationships, but he never described those struggles as an excuse. In his book, Complete Marriage and Family Home Reference Guide, he was asked: “There are times when I feel so close to the Lord, and I can sense His approval on my life. On other occasions, it seems like He is a million miles away. How can I have any stability in my spiritual life when the Lord's assurance and presence are so inconstant?” Dr. Dobson’s answer was direct: “His presence is not inconstant. It is your perception of Him that comes and goes. If your spiritual walk is dependent on the ebb and flow of emotion, your confidence as a believer will pitch and roll like a ship on a stormy sea. Very little in human experience is as undependable as the way we feel from day to day. That's why our faith must be grounded in a solid commitment of the will, in our prayer life, in the fellowship of believers, and in a careful study of Scripture.” Those four anchors give men a steady path toward real intimacy with God, but they are not a checklist for religious performance. They are pathways to knowing the God of the universe. Affection toward Him grows when these practices move beyond a scheduled time of prayer and Scripture reading to impact the way a man functions throughout his entire day. History gives us a powerful example of this struggle in the life of Martin Luther. Though he was a monk devoted to prayer and religious discipline, he often felt that God was angry with him. The more he fasted and confessed his sins, the more distant the Lord seemed to be. Luther later admitted that he feared God rather than loved Him, even while serving Him with all his heart. Yet Luther’s breakthrough did not come through more concentrated effort. It came when his understanding of God changed. As Dr. Dobson mentioned, our faith must first rest on a solid commitment of the will. That means choosing obedience even when our feelings are flat. It requires humility because pride resists surrender to God. A man grows closer to Him when he submits himself to the Holy Spirit and to the authority of God’s Word. A man does not argue with Scripture, ignore it, or interpret it to fit his preferences. Devotion deepens when he says, “Lord, not my will, but Yours be done,” and then follows through with that decision in daily life. That statement of surrender appears when he chooses integrity at work, apologizes first at home, or turns away from private temptation. Don’t think of obedience as cold duty; see it as adoration of God in action. This is how Jesus spoke of it in John 15:10 (ESV): “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” Obeying Christ does not diminish affection for Him; it strengthens it. As a man aligns himself with God’s truth, his heart begins to warm toward the One he follows. Second, Dr. Dobson said our prayer life must become more than a quick list of requests. Prayer is regular communion with our Heavenly Father. Just as a strong marriage depends on consistent conversation, so does a rich prayer life. Men need daily, honest time with the Lord—bringing their worries, temptations, gratitude, and questions before Him. Over time, that steady rhythm of prayer builds trust and relationship. It reminds us that God is near, even when emotions suggest otherwise. Prayer also stretches beyond a quiet room. It can be a whispered request before a meeting, a pause before responding in anger, or a quiet thank you to God after success. Communion deepens when dependence becomes continuous. Third, we need the fellowship of other believers. The Christian life was never meant to be lived alone. Weekly worship anchors us in truth and reminds us that we belong to Jesus. Beyond that, men need meaningful relationships with other godly men. We need brothers who will pray with us, challenge us, and encourage us to stay faithful. Isolation weakens faith, but fellowship strengthens it. Many men try to live for God without others, but spiritual independence is often a form of pride. Honest friendships create space to confess struggles and receive encouragement, and that shared pursuit of Christ strengthens intimacy with Him. Finally, careful study of Scripture is essential. Reading the Bible is not just about gathering information. It is about knowing the Word of God so well that it reshapes how we think about work, marriage, money, leadership, and temptation. As His truth fills our minds, it corrects our thinking and steadies our hearts. The more we understand His Word, the more we recognize His voice and trust His promises. The studying of Scripture also teaches us to think differently about success, suffering, and love. As our minds are reshaped by truth, our daily decisions begin to reflect the character of God. For Luther, his life changed when he began studying the book of Romans. As he wrestled with Romans 1:17—“The righteous shall live by faith”—he realized that righteousness was a gift received, not a standard he had to achieve. He later described that moment as if the gates of paradise had opened. God had not been distant at all. Luther’s understanding had been clouded. Scripture corrected his thinking, and peace followed. The God he had feared became the Father he trusted. Feelings may rise and fall, but these four foundations hold firm. When a man humbly commits his will to God, practices continual prayer, regularly worships and meets with other believers, and studies Scripture carefully, his intimacy with the Lord grows stronger. Over time, that steady obedience and dependence upon the Lord softens a man’s heart, and his affection grows. What once felt distant becomes familiar. A man may not always sense the warmth of God’s presence, but he will be grounded and confident in knowing the Lord is always near.

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      July 14, 2026

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      July 12, 2026
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What is Happening to America? Can We Stop It?

September 2022 Newsletter: What is Happening to America? Can We Stop It?

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