This Is Intimacy

I’m beginning a journey. It isn’t a journey the majority of the world pursues. I guess that I have always been on this journey but it has just become even more real to me. I am on a never-ending pursuit for the face, heart, and presence of God. As a worship leader, I understand that it can be extremely easy to fall away from intimacy with God. I believe the most dangerous place for a worship leader to be is at a place where he or she is not intimate with the Lord. I am writing this because I have been on both sides. I think everyone has. I have been at places of pursuing God with all my heart and also places in life where I have not pursued Him like I should. I realized that the source of everything that I am comes from intimacy with the Lord. I’ve learned that above everything else in life, I have to know Him. This is my journey of intimacy.

First, there is the process of knowing the person of God.

There must be a decision in a person’s life to move past friendship and to dive into the intimacy of God. For example, think about falling in love. When you first fall in love there’s so many different emotions. When you see that special person your heart sinks into the deepest part of your soul, and there are suddenly no words that can adequately describe the hurricane in your heart that is filled with passionate desire. There’s the excitement, the wonder, the passion, and the thrill of being with the person of your wildest dreams. Your heart can no longer contain just knowing about the person, but you then begin to pursue the person yourself. Intimacy with God looks and feels just like this. When you first have a face-to-face encounter with the presence of God, one thing is for sure: you leave transformed. Your heart feels as though it will explode out of your body, and you gently whisper to yourself over and over again “I want more.” You’ve tasted of the sweetest of loves, and there is a craving in your soul that desires to know this God more intimately. Sometimes you try to fill this craving with other things, but only the Lord Himself can overcome this void. You feel as though this God is an endless ocean that goes on forever, and you want nothing more than to sink into the depths of this bottomless sea.

As worship leaders, let’s get to the place where every worship service looks and feels like love at first sight with the presence of God. This is intimacy.

Next, there is eye contact.

It is extremely easy in this age to become adjusted to the routine of “church” and “ministry.” If we are not careful we can catch ourselves doing everything in our power to work at the things around Jesus when we never take the time to actually look into the eyes of Jesus Himself. So much communication happens when people lock eyes with each other. I don’t look down at my feet when I’m talking to my friends, but I look them in the eyes. It can be easy for us to communicate with Jesus while looking at His feet, when He desires for our hearts to lock eyes with Him. In the book of Revelation John has an encounter with Jesus. He exclaims in chapter 19 “His eyes are like blazing fire.” Picture yourself sitting in your living room with a fire going on in your fireplace. No matter who is in that room, all eyes will focus on the fire in that fireplace. Fire is mesmerizing and subtly draws attention. There is something about fire that captures the human mind and causes all attention to be focused on this blazing light.

This is a metaphor to the eyes of Jesus. Something supernatural happens when we take time out of our day to turn our phones off, be someplace alone, and gaze into the eyes of Jesus. Our culture fears silence. Many people cannot handle being alone and silent. When our world becomes silent, God’s voice becomes more clear. When we break our hearts open and pour ourselves on the feet of Jesus, it will become easier for us to have the confidence to stand in the secret place in front of His holy eyes of fire. Know the heart of God so well that each time we get on a platform, the church no longer sees us, but they are mesmerized by the eyes of Jesus. This is intimacy.

Imperfect Pursuit

Furthermore, King David wrote in Psalm 27:8 “My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, Lord I will seek.” I have recently made this the anthem of my life. It is our choice of how close we get to God. If this is true, then why not be as close as possible? I do not “have it all together” nor do I have life “figured out.” I have just decided to dedicate my life to hungering, thirsting, and seeking after the face and heart of God. Being face to face with God is necessary to a life of ministry and worship that everyone is called to. God has opened up this invitation to anyone and everyone. I hope this becomes contagious and inspires someone who feels burned out by a life of routine and hopelessness to pursue something greater. You can only give as much love as you allow yourself to receive from The Father. This happens only by sitting at His feet in and gazing at His beautiful eyes that are like fire. This is intimacy.

Tanner has a passion for leading worship, preaching, and writing. The vision for this ministry is to bring all of heaven down to earth. To release God’s healing power, prophetic word, and His holy presence all across the world. This vision is directed to people of all walks of life, and from every part of the world. Chains will be broken, prophecies will be spoken, and the world will be changed by the great love of God. Find out more at https://www.tannerdelano.com/home