Prayer is both the means to and expression of intimacy with God. In other words, we attain intimacy with God through prayer and also demonstrate our intimacy with Him through prayer. Prayer is the heart and soul of intimacy with God. In prayer, we identify God as our Father, thereby emphasizing the bond between us.
THE MEANING OF PRAYER
Prayer can be defined, simply, as: communication with God. It means that to pray is to commune with God – both speaking and listening to Him.
THE MEANING OF INTIMACY
Intimacy with God on the other hand, is a concept whose essence is captured in the meaning of the Greek word “koinonia”, which is defined as, the close association between persons, emphasizing what is common between them. It also means participation, sharing etc. Therefore, intimacy with God is a close personal friendship and association with God, characterized by communion, participation and sharing.
THE IMPORTANCE OF INTIMACY TO GOD
God’s primary and ultimate purposes of creating man was for mankind to revel in intimacy with Him. His first words in Genesis, as they pertain to His intention of creating humanity were, “…Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…” Looking at those words closely, reveals that the most important reason why God made man was for fellowship. He wanted a being with whom He could share His essence – His image and His likeness. Man is that being, because he is essentially a spirit that has a soul and lives in a body. By delineating man’s essence before talking about his assignment, God intentionally revealed His eternal order for humanity’s relationship with Himself, on the one hand, and humanity’s relationship with the the earth, on the other hand – man must first relate with God in fellowship, through communication (prayer ) before relating with the earth through dominion.
The instruction which God gave Adam to tend the garden of Eden, was his assignment and not his purpose of living. This means that for man to carry out his assignment on earth effectively, he has to be in touch with God constantly, through prayer. This, of course, does not mean people have to be in the act of prayer ceaselessly, without doing anything else. What it signifies is that God wants His people to be in an attitude of prayer constantly(1Th 5 :17).
CONCLUSION
“Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,”(Lk 18:1). The scripture reference above is God’s passionate call for His masterpiece (mankind ) to commune with Him always. We would do well to heed the call. Shalom.
