How You Can Have An Intimate Relationship With The Holy Spirit

By

You can have an intimate relationship with the Holy SpiritYou have to know someone intimately to be familiar with the desires of his or her heart.

And you have to be in close proximity to hear your friend express a quiet wish.

But it takes more than intimacy, and more than proximity, to move you to sacrifice your own priorities in favour of those of your friend.

Only love will move you to lay down your life.

Such was the love of three of David’s mighty men who were close enough to hear him say, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!”

Unbidden, the three warriors broke through enemy lines at risk of their lives to fulfil David’s wish. (2 Samuel 23:13-17)

How to Have Intimacy With The Holy Spirit

Those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. (Romans 8:5)

There is a lot of talk about the Holy Spirit in Christian circles today.

Many of us have a great longing to see the Holy Spirit move, or for His power to be released to bring healing, deliverance, signs and miracles.

Kathryn Kuhlman once said,

‘There are literally thousands and thousands in the great charismatic movement who have never become acquainted with the person of the Holy Spirit, only with His gifts.’ [1]

And sadly, that statement is as true today as it was then.

So the question I am asking of you and myself today in response to this statement is, ‘Are you one of the many—the ‘thousands and thousands’—or one of the few?’

Many times we talk about ‘using’ the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

But there is another way of life possible—where we allow the Holy Spirit to ‘use’ us.

This way of living is only going to happen when we give Him leadership of our lives.

  • When we so value His Presence with us, and the relationship that we have with Him, that we cannot bear for anything to come between us.
  • When we are listening, ready for the sound of His voice
  • When we have so become attuned to Him as a Person—to His desires and what grieves and pleases Him…

…that we will respond accordingly [2].

The Fellowship of the Spirit

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you. (2 Cor 13:14)

The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity—God living in and with us.

He is not merely an impersonal power. The New Testament reveals the Spirit to be a Person with will, mind and emotions.

As well as empowering us, the Holy Spirit communicates and fellowship with us. He guides, teaches, helps, assures and comforts us. [3]

The Holy Spirit is God up close and personal.

The Ungrieved Presence of the Holy Spirit

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Eph 4:30)

Many years ago I read the story of a Chinese scholar-turned-pastor called Hsi [4].  It made a lasting impression upon me.

Pastor Hsi ministered deliverance to a troubled young man called K’ong at a conference.

A missionary who saw Hsi minister in the power of the Spirit pressed a large sum of money into his hands, as a gift towards his ministry.

Hsi received the cash without praying as to whether or not he should accept it. Immediately he felt uncomfortable.

As he went to pray about the matter, Hsi heard cries as the demonised man became uncontrollable once more.

No longer fearing Hsi, the demons in K’ong taunted him, saying ‘You have no power to control me any more.’

Realising that his soul’s response to the money had affected his ability to minister in the Spirit, Hsi went to the donor and returned the cash. He confessed that the sudden possession of a large sum of money had ‘come between his soul and God.’

Immediately he went to where K’ong was causing the commotion and quietly commanded the demons to be quiet and leave—with immediate and effective results.

Pastor Hsi later summed up this painful lesson with the words,

‘The ungrieved presence of the Holy Spirit is more to be desired than abundance of gold and silver.’

7 Ways To Begin An Intimate Relationship With The Holy Spirit

Or do you suppose that the Scripture is speaking to no purpose that says, The Spirit Whom He has caused to dwell in us yearns over us and He yearns for the Spirit [to be welcome] with a jealous love? (James 4:5, AMP)

I want to have the kind of relationship with the Holy Spirit that Kathryn Kuhlman experienced—and that Hsi valued.

If this kind of relationship with the One who is God present with you, the Holy Spirit, is what you want, here are some steps to help you move closer to Him:

1. Realise that such a relationship—fellowship with the Holy Spirit—is possible

2. Hunger and thirst for intimacy with Him

3. Learn all you can about the Holy Spirit. Study His role, purpose, names, likes and dislikes from Scripture

4. Pray—ask to know Him more and for Him to fill you

5. Make a decision to go deeper in your relationship with God—to be more available to Him

6. Desire sensitivity to the Holy Spirit—and begin to practice it

7. Allow God to put His finger on anything in your life that displeases the Holy Spirit—and deal with it

He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. (2 Cor 1:21)

When I stand before the Father on that Day, He may ask me,

“What did you do with what I entrusted to you—your gifts and talents, your time, opportunities, relationships, and call?”

But there is another question He may ask that is currently challenging me:

“What did you do with the One I sent you?”

Notes:

[1] A Glimpse Into Glory, by Kathryn Kuhlman with Jamie Buckingham
[2] Recommended Reading: Romans 8
[3] Recommended Reading: John chapters 14-16
[4] From “One of China’s Scholars” by Howard Taylor

Related Post: 7 Ways to Grow in Intimacy with the Holy Spirit

Welcome to the School of Intimacy and Prayer

  • Would you like to grow in intimacy with the Holy Spirit in the context of prayer?
  • Does the thought of being empowered in prophetic prayer stir you?

A significant amount of the teaching on the School of Intimacy and Prayer is devoted to developing your relationship with the Holy Spirit.

The Enliven School of Intimacy and Prayer is an online video course that can be completed at your own pace, and you can find out more here.

© Helen Calder
Enliven Ministries:  in the David McCracken Ministries family

183 thoughts on “How You Can Have An Intimate Relationship With The Holy Spirit”

  1. Crystal

    I have a very personal intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit and I highly rec you get this book called Preparation of the Bride intimate encounters of the GOD kind by Mary Ann Bryant available at AMAZON.com it tells specifically how to have an intimate relationship with him as a Bride of Christ in his chambers. VERY GOOD read.

  2. Mary Ann

    Crystal, thanks for the plug for my book but the name of my book is Making Perfect LOVE Your Habitation (Intimate Bridal Love Encounters of the God Kind) It will be available on my e-store in about a week from today, and about 10 days from now available on Amazon. I prefer you buy from my e-store, just an FYI.

  3. Mary Ann

    I like this. I have been having intimate encounters with Holy Spirit for almost 4 years now. I have written a book, called Making Perfect LOVE Your Habitation. I share my experiences and there are many chapters where Holy Spirit or Father are speaking and I took what I believe I heard Them say down like a dictation. It is amazing and full of insight and things are revealed from Their hearts and thoughts about things that you never knew. I never knew I could experience such intimate love with Him, as a Bride being loved by her Husband. It has transformed my life. This kind of intimacy is hidden within the scriptures in the Hebrew and Greek words. But it is definitely in the scriptures. He longs and yearns for you to come to Him in His Chambers, pour out your love upon Him and He longs to pour out His love on you, to be joined with you and overshadow you and become totally ONE with you. I have a ministry called End of the Age Bridal Consultants and mentor those who have questions about their intimate encounters with Him.

  5. Mary Ann

    After reading all of the comments from all you hungry people,I seriously believe that His book I wrote would immensely answer most of your questions, and could help you achieve the intimacy you are desiring to have with Him. It is over 530 pages and is 7 inches by 10 inches and over an inch thick. It has whole chapters , some several pages of what I call downloads where Holy Spirit or Father are talking and I heard what They said and wrote it down like a dictation. They are prophetic words that will amaze you. I also share my own experiences and encounters
    He is yearning for you all to know Him this way so He can be joined with you and Overshadow you and become completely ONE with you. You never knew you could be so loved like this. or that this kind of relationship with Him is even possible. See comment 36 for my e-store website. It will be ready probably in about a week from now. I am going over it now and am about 3/5’s done with it. Then I just have to change the page numbers in the Table of Contents and it will be good to go. Blessings to you all. Mary Ann

  6. Mary Ann

    I forgot to say I introduce the Person of the Holy Spirit and He shows us how we are to relate with Him and with Yeshua (Jesus) and with the Father. I share about the two spiritual kingdoms, about our authority that Yeshua gave us and about being His Bride and taking your place in Sonship. I share about Father’s ultimate plan in His Story and taking your place and your part in it. I have had Him tell me, “1,000’s upon 1,000’s even myriads of people are going to come into My Kingdom by reading this book, Mary Ann.” You can get born again by reading it, receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, get several months of growth as a disciple of Christ, plus a treasure chest of a whole lot more, by reading it. I have had people tell me they have never seen another book quite like it. I am not meaning to plug the book but it has so much in it that you all are asking about. It will help you immensely. It is a reference manual you can refer to over and over again. I usually would not want to share what I have shared in it because it is personal, and was warned by several not to share but I heard Him sobbing while He was loving me. I asked Him what was wrong, why are You crying, Holy Spirit and He told me through the sobs, “I just so yearn and so long, and so desire for My people, My Highest Creation to come to Me and know Me and experience My Love as you are Mary Ann.” He sounded just like when you are crying really hard and try to talk through the sobs and you breath and talk funny, and sniffly, if you can understand what I am trying to say. I had to tell it. That is why I wrote the book. It is so amazing. OK, enuf said about the book. Sorry Helen. I will keep it to the subject matter intended, from here on out. I care and you all deserve to know what I know. With much LOVE and Blessings,Mary Ann

Comments are closed.