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Drawing Near: A Life of Intimacy with God
Drawing Near: A Life of Intimacy with God
Drawing Near: A Life of Intimacy with God
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Drawing Near: A Life of Intimacy with God

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In Drawing Near, John Bevere invites readers to explore a life of intimacy with God. Emphasizing the need for obedience, he urges us to practice-just as we would practice anything we hope to improve-our communication with the Holy Spirit. Understanding that prayer is a dialogue, not a monologue, Bevere encourages us to listen at the Father's feet. Study questions in each chapter offer opportunity for reflection, and a "How to draw near to God" section offers practical steps toward developing true intimacy with Him.
LanguageEnglish
PublisherThomas Nelson
Release dateFeb 5, 2006
ISBN9781418513498
Author

John Bevere

John Bevere is a minister known for his bold, uncompromising approach to God's Word. He is also an international bestselling author who has written more than 20 books that have, collectively, sold millions of copies and been translated into 129 languages. Along with his wife, Lisa, John is the co-founder of Messenger International—a ministry committed to revolutionizing global discipleship. Driven by a passion to develop uncompromising followers of Christ, Messenger has given over 50 million translated resources to leaders across the globe, and to extend these efforts, the MessengerX app was developed, providing translated, digital discipleship resources at no cost to users in 120 languages and counting. MessengerX currently has users in over 19,000 cities and 228 nations. When John is home in Franklin, Tennessee, you’ll find him loving on his g-babies, playing pickleball, or trying to convince Lisa to take up golf.

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
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    Amazing! Truly a treasure map to finding the Lord and truly knowing Him. This book allowed me to breakthrough and to discover the secrets of finding His presence. Just being in His presence makes my spirit ecstatic and full of joy. What a Precious and Amazing Father we have in heaven! Hallelujah! Yours is the kingdom, the glory and Power Father forevermore!

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Drawing Near - John Bevere

INTRODUCTION

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In 1991 God spoke a very clear word to my heart, Son, I want you to write.

The days following were filled with mixed emotions. On the one hand, fear gripped me and bombarded my mind with thoughts of certain failure; on the other hand, I felt as if I should laugh. I hated writing! In school I stared for hours at blank pages of paper when I was assigned any creative writing. Then I flunked the verbal portion of the SAT tests. My extreme dislike for anything of a literary nature drove me to an engineering major in college.

Now God was telling me to write. No way! I could not have heard correctly, I reasoned. So I hedged, but after ten months of doing nothing, God sent two women to me from two different states within two weeks of each other, who repeated identical messages. They both kindly, but firmly warned, John, if you don’t write the books the Lord has given you, He will give them to someone else but you will be judged for it.

When the second woman spoke, the fear of God hit me, and outweighed both my fear and dislike of writing. I began. I remember what happened when I made the decision to obey; thoughts rapidly came together as I typed, which I had never contemplated or heard before. I quickly realized these weren’t my messages—they were His. Twelve years have passed since that day; now the messages He gave in book form are in twenty-five languages and number well over a million.

After writing the first, I made a personal promise to God that I would never write a book just to write. I would only write if He told me to do so. This vow was tested; each year from 1992 to 1999 He gave me the message I was to write, but after writing Under Cover, I went three years without a word from God to write. Publishers frequently approached me to ask what my next book would be and if they could publish it, but I wouldn’t make a move. I didn’t have a word from God yet.

Finally after three years, God again gave the word to write—the message you now hold in your hands. I believe one reason for the delay had to do with what the Holy Spirit needed to do in me before this book could be properly brought forth. I have been a believer for twenty-five years, yet I have never been so hungry to be near Him. I have found a deeper intimacy with the Lord in the last year and a half than I have ever known before. I have never wept as much in all my life as I have in the last eighteen months. I’ve been overwhelmed in hotel rooms, airplanes, my office, car, home, and in the great outdoors as I spend time in focused prayer. The reality of His presence has never been so real and tangible.

I believe this book is a compilation of years of training by the Holy Spirit and contains an invitation from the heart of God to a place of intimacy with you, His child. Before you begin I would like to pray together. Speak these words from your heart and know I have prayed them for you aloud in my study. We have the promise of Jesus that when we agree on earth concerning anything that they [we] ask, it will be done for them [us] by My Father in heaven (Matt. 18:19). Let’s petition together:

Father, in the name of Jesus, I ask that as I read the message of this book that You will open my eyes to see, my ears to hear, and give me a heart to perceive and understand. I desire to walk in intimacy with You, and to do it on a continual basis. I desire to know Your counsel, will, secrets, and passions, as well as to abide in Your presence. Let this message not only bring understanding, but the power to transform my life into the image of Your dear Son, and my Lord Jesus. For when He walked this earth He perfectly displayed Your glory by how near He was to You. Even so may I display Jesus’ glory by how near I become to Him through the person of the Holy Spirit. I commit this to You now, and thank You in advance for the transforming work You will do in me as I hear and heed the words You’ve inspired in this work. Thank You that my life will never be the same again. I ask this in agreement with Your servant John Bevere. Amen.

Now believe and thank God for fulfilling your earnest prayer. I rejoice in knowing even now the Holy Spirit has begun to position you for greater intimacy by lifting your prayer to the holy throne of the only One who can truly satisfy your every longing. May the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit become more real to you than ever before!

Most sincerely,

John Bevere

November 2003

CHAPTER ONE

THE GREATEST

INVITATION OF

ALL TIME

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Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

J

AMES

4:8

There is a call—no, a cry—coming from the heart of God and with each passing day its intensity increases: Why are you satisfied without My presence; why do you remain distant when you could have intimacy with Me?

All of us have friends or people we admire and want to be closer with. They hold a special place in our hearts, and spending time with them is a treat, especially when it comes at their invitation. Such a request to share their company fills us with anticipation, joy, and excitement. We happily do whatever it takes to clear our calendar and accept their request.

Within the book of James we find the greatest invitation ever issued, Draw near to God and He will draw near to you (4:8). Stop a moment and ponder this: the Creator of the universe, the earth, and all its inhabitants, requests your presence. Not only your presence, but He desires to be intimately close, for we are told he is a God who is passionate about his relationship with you (Ex. 34:14 NLT).

This is God’s unwavering desire. He is the One who has issued the invitation, for He longs to be known by His children. Since the fall of man it has taken thousands of years, intricate preparations, and a huge price to open the way for this kind of close relationship. John, one of Jesus’ closest friends, reported,

No man has ever seen God at any time; the only unique Son, or the only begotten God, Who is in the bosom [in the intimate presence] of the Father, He has declared Him [He has revealed Him and brought Him out where He can be seen; He has interpreted Him and He has made Him known]. (John 1:18 AMP)

Adam knew the Lord openly; but because of sin, or disobedience, was separated from His glorious presence, and his fate extended to all mankind. Men and women could no longer see or know God as Adam once had. However, the Father yearned with great passion and compassion to redeem our fellowship from this terrible separation. In answer He sent Jesus, who’d been with the Father from the beginning, God manifested in the flesh, to pay the price that would liberate us from darkness in order to reconcile us to God, if we receive Him as our Lord.

However, this reunion of God and man has not been preached nor experienced in its fullest extent. We’ve emphasized the liberation from sin and death, but neglected to declare the intimate fellowship awaiting all who’ve been made free. This neglect is costly and even disastrous, as so many miss the beauty of knowing God intimately. A parallel of this tragedy was played out in the Old Testament with the descendants of Abraham.

TWO TOTALLY DIFFERENT MOTIVES

I have always been amazed by the contrast of attitudes and behavioral patterns of Moses and his kinsmen, the children of Israel. The book of Exodus opens with Abraham’s descendants suffering under harsh captivity. They had been in Egypt for almost four hundred years. In the beginning they enjoyed favor, but it was not long before they were enslaved and cruelly mistreated. In their agony they began to cry out to God for deliverance.

The Lord was moved by their prayers and sent a deliverer by the name of Moses. Though born a Hebrew, he’d escaped slavery and was raised as a grandson to Pharaoh in his household. As a prince of Egypt, he was moved by the plight of his brethren but had to flee for his life to the wilderness only to return years later and deliver Israel from their bondage by God’s Word and power.

Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage parallels our deliverance from the slavery of sin. Egypt represents the world’s system just as Israel is a type of the church. When we’re born again, we’re set free from the world’s system of tyranny and oppression.

It is not hard to imagine how cruelly the children of Israel were used and abused by the citizens of Egypt. Their backs were scarred by the whips of Pharaoh’s taskmasters; their homes were the slums, and their food was leftovers. They had no hope of inheritance as they slaved to build the prosperity of their Egyptian masters. They wept as thousands of their infant sons were put to death by the order of Pharaoh.

Though they suffered all this cruelty they were quick to forget. For even after their deliverance from Egypt, whenever things went wrong they would regret their flight from Egypt and mock their prayers for deliverance with comments like "it was better for us back in Egypt. They would even be so bold as to suggest, Let us select a leader and return to Egypt" (Num. 14:4, author’s emphasis).

But not Moses; he was the only one for whom the conditions had been better in Egypt; in fact, no one in the world had it better. He was raised by the wealthiest man on earth, lived in the best, ate the best, wore the best, and was taught by the best. Servants took care of his every need and desire as his inheritance was great in both wealth and promise. He willingly left all this behind, and, unlike the children of Israel, he never looked back nor longed for what was behind.

What made the difference? The answer is Moses had encountered God. He saw the fire and drew near. He met the living God in a burning bush on Sinai; Israel did not! When the Lord called him aside he drew near. Later when the children of Israel were presented with an even more wonderful invitation, they drew back (see Ex. 20:18–21).

I very frequently ask congregations, Where was Moses bringing the children of Israel when they left Egypt? The normal response is the promised land. Yet that’s not true. He was headed for Mount Horeb, or Sinai. Remember God’s words to Pharaoh, through Moses, Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the desert (Ex. 7:16 NIV). It was not Let My people go, so they can inherit a land. Why would Moses take them to their promised land before first introducing them to the Promiser—the desire of the ages? If he first brought them to the promised land they would end up loving the promises more than the Promiser, God Himself. Moses couldn’t wait to bring them to the very place where he’d met with God.

To a large extent, we have done this in our churches as well; we’ve preached more of what Jesus will do for us rather than who He really is! As a result we have cultivated many who serve God primarily for benefit rather than in joyful response to who He is. It could be compared to a woman who marries a man for money; her motive is not to know her husband for who he is, but rather for what he can do for her. Oh, she may love him on some level, but for all the wrong reasons.

People who emphasize the blessings of God to the neglect of a relationship with Him create disciples who come to God to get something, rather than those who respond to Him for who He is. He is like no other and none compare to the wonder of Him. Once God is encountered, as Moses experienced, the promises all fall into perspective. He is so much more wonderful than anything—even His blessings.

God’s main purpose in delivering Israel was so they could know and love Him. He desired to make Himself known to them. He said, I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself (Ex. 19:4). Yet they missed their destiny.

God’s longing for intimacy with His people has never decreased or changed, for this very desire is continually revealed in His Word, and reflected in Paul’s passionate prayer,

[For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him. (Eph. 1:17 AMP, author’s emphasis)

He has made His passion known. God desires every born-again child to know Him deeply and intimately! Wow, does this excite you? If not, reflect a moment and allow the wonder of it to overwhelm you.

We serve a living God, the original Father whose heart aches for His children. He is a Communicator, who desires interaction. Paul was quick to point this out to the struggling believers of Corinth: "You will remember that before you became Christians you went around from one idol to another, not one of which could speak a single word" (1 Cor. 12:2–3 TLB). From Paul’s exhortation we see one of the primary characteristics that differentiates God, our Father, from all false gods and idols—He speaks!

"PULL OFF THE ROAD"

Recently while I was driving, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart, I have something to say. Pull off the road.

I’ve learned when God tells me to do something, I should obey instantly, no matter how trivial or inconvenient it appears at the time. Was not Moses on the back side of the desert tending his father-in-law’s flocks when the Lord got his attention (there are different ways God seeks our attention)? God came to a bush and caused it to burn without being consumed.

We read how Moses said to himself, I will now turn aside and see (Ex. 3:3). The words turn aside come from the Hebrew word cuwr. James Strong, an expert in the original languages of Scripture, defines this word as to turn off. Moses deliberately departed from his planned course of action to respond to the Holy One who beckoned him.

Once he responded we read, So when the LORD saw that he turned aside . . . God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, ‘Moses, Moses!’

It wasn’t until God saw Moses turn aside that He pursued him by calling him by name. I believe the Lord would have gone no further if Moses had not responded. God did not call him when the flocks were corralled at Jethro’s; it wasn’t the most convenient time. What if Moses had thought, If I get distracted from tending these flocks they’ll wander all over the place and it will take hours, possibly an entire day, to round them up. I’ll check this out later when things are under control and it won’t interrupt my day. Would the outcome have been the same?

Some may reason God would have done something even more dramatic, but is this consistent with His nature? Consider Samuel, when as a young man he served the high priest Eli and his sons (see 1 Sam. 3). One evening he lies down and hears a voice calling, Samuel! Samuel!

Samuel runs to Eli and says, Here I am, for you called me.

Eli responds, I didn’t call you, go back to bed.

Samuel again hears his name called a second time and runs to the priest only to get the same response. This occurs three times and finally the priest catches on and tells the boy how to respond. The fourth time when he hears, Samuel! Samuel! he knows how to respond, Speak, for Your servant hears. Then the Lord speaks and shows him His will and mysteries yet to be revealed.

God could have done something different. Perhaps the second time when He saw Samuel wasn’t getting it He could have said, Samuel, don’t run to Eli, it is I the Lord, your God, who is calling for you and I want to speak to you. But is this His way? He desires to be wanted and recognized, as well as to be known. He looks for those who are diligent in spirit, who will seek and pursue, even if it takes tenacious persistence.

Looking at the Gospels we see this similar pattern. Jesus finishes feeding the five thousand with five loaves and two fish. He then tells His disciples to get in a boat and go before Him to the other side of the sea. He departs to the mountain to spend time with His Father. Later that evening the disciples were still toiling against the wind to cross the sea when we read,

Now about the fourth watch of the night He [Jesus] came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by. (Mark 6:48, author’s emphasis)

Notice the words: "would have passed them by. The NASB version reads, and He intended to pass by them. However, when they saw Him they cried out, and He responded, Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." He got into the boat and the wind ceased. If they hadn’t cried out, He would have kept walking. He’d passed nearby, but if they hadn’t cried out He would not have forced Himself on their company.

It seems to be God’s pattern to make a step toward us, and if we respond, He takes another and draws close. If we don’t respond He does not push His way in, or cut in on our dance per se. Who knows, if Moses had not turned aside, would God just have waited as He did in the case of Samuel, and as Jesus did with His disciples? He often waits until we are hungry enough to respond.

To return to my driving experience, what if I hadn’t turned off the road when He spoke? Would I have missed His encounter? I am certain there have been times I have, but as it happened then, a half mile down the highway there was a rest stop. The moment I pulled off I heard the Spirit of God whisper to my heart, Did I not say to you, ‘pray without ceasing?’ (1 Thess. 5:17).

I responded, Yes Lord, you did.

He probed further, Is prayer a monologue or dialogue?

I responded, It’s a dialogue Lord, a two-way conversation.

His words came quick, Well if I said to pray without ceasing then that means I am willing to communicate with you without ceasing!

Needless to say I was excited. I realized the wonderful opportunity I’d been given and it is not extended to me alone, but to each and every one of His children.

Now you may ask: Do you mean God will speak nonstop? That is not what He spoke to my heart. He said He is willing to communicate ceaselessly. Words are but one of the many and varied forms of communication. My wife can give me a look and I know what she is saying though no word has been spoken, and can sometimes write up to three pages from what she just said through that one look. Why? I’ve lived with her more than twenty years and learned the ways and mannerisms by which she communicates. You could be in the room when one of these looks is given and it would mean nothing to you. Why? Because you don’t know her like I know her. In fact, the first few years we were married I might not have picked up the message either. Now after twenty-one years with her I’ve learned a bit more about the way she communicates.

THE CALLTO DRAW NEAR

It is important for you to know this book is not a how to manual, but could be more likened to a trail guide or map that gives directions toward our ultimate destination—the heart of God. If I had access to a treasure map showing the way to buried treasure on a deserted island, it would be of no use to me until I traveled to the island destination and familiarized myself with the terrain in order to get my bearings; and then I would need to exert some effort as I walked the paths, climbed cliffs, and traversed valleys to get to the hidden treasure. There would need to be some cost, energy, and effort on my part. The map would only tell me the way and keep me from wasting my time with futile efforts and explorations, as well as protect me from some of the hidden traps. This book is like that map; it is an invitation for you to join me on a wonderful and exciting journey—the journey to the heart of God. The Word of God contained on these pages will guard you from pits, traps, and dangers that would try to sidetrack you. It should keep you from unnecessary trouble and vain expenditure of energy.

So if you’re ready, let’s begin!

STUDY QUESTIONS

1. What event or experience in your life initiated your desire to read this book?

2. Consider these examples of God’s invitation to draw near:

Bullet Moses saw a burning bush and turned aside to investigate. In doing so, God called out to him.

Bullet The young boy Samuel heard a voice four times before he responded, Speak, for Your servant hears.

Bullet When the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water—walking as if he would pass them by—they cried out.

      Which of these examples best describes God’s invitation to you? Have you responded? If so, what was the nature of your response?

3. As you contemplate prayer being a dialogue, a two-way conversation, what has God been communicating to you, both verbally and nonverbally?

CHAPTER TWO

GOD’S PURSUIT

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The Lord said, I esteemed you better than Myself.

The Bible communicates major themes; these truths run throughout the course of Genesis through Revelation. One such theme is God’s passionate desire for and pursuit of man. It is a fact, God wants to draw near to us even more than we desire to draw near to Him!

He actually yearns for us (see James 4:5). The word yearn means to long for intensely. This has been His deepest heart cry since the beginning of time. After Adam sinned, God’s first words were not a proclamation of judgment; rather, Adam, where are you? Can you hear His earnest heart cry, Why are you hiding from Me? Let’s trace His longing for us through the course of history.

ADAM’S GREAT, GREAT, GREAT, GREAT GRANDSON

Adam’s great, great, great, great grandson was named Enoch. I believe the day came when Enoch went to Adam and asked him to tell of his time in the garden. He wanted to know what it was like to actually walk with the living God. You may wonder, how could Enoch speak with his great, great, great, great grandfather? In answer: when you live to be 930 years old, you will see your great, great, great . . . grandchildren. Adam was only 622 years old when Enoch was born.

Mathematically the Bible tells us Adam was 687 years of age when Enoch approached him at the age of 65. This is deduced from the Genesis account of Enoch’s walk with God lasting three hundred years though he lived to be 365.

Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. (Gen. 5:22–23)

It is probable therefore, that at 65 years of age is when it all changed for Enoch, when he drew the blessing and heartache from the lips of the patriarch Adam.

I can only imagine, and I have no writings to back this, that it took Enoch years to muster up the courage to go to his renowned ancestor to inquire of the garden, because Adam was not one to freely talk about it. All of Adam’s descendents knew this, and more than likely warned Enoch from a young age not to discuss it with Adam.

Historic Jewish writings tell of the depression Adam suffered after being driven from the garden. The weight of it was almost unbearable. Some writings tell how Adam and Eve sat in darkened caves unable to look at one another for the shame of what had happened. Adam had lost his splendor. It is one thing to hear of the promise of walking with God, but quite another to have lost the tangible actuality of dwelling in His glory. Adam had suffered an unspeakable loss, but Enoch pressed in

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