An intimate relationship with God is the best gift God could have given us next to his son. Knowing God deeply is usually what separates those who have religion from those who are in relationship. This relationship with God will be your compass, comfort and your refuge.

Moses had a great relationship with God, he understood the importance of having one on one time. He prayed about everything.  If Moses had a dispute among his people he immediately sought God’s wisdom. Often times Moses would go up on the mountain to talk to God and stay for days at a time. He knew the value of those precious uninterrupted moments with God. Moses had mastered the art of prayer because he understood that prayer is a conversation. Often times when we pray to God about our issues we don’t stay around long enough to hear his response. The most important part of prayer is when God speaks to us, that is where we find the answers we need. In Exodus 33:11, the Bible states that the lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. What an awesome way to describe his relationship with God.  A friend is defined as a person whom one knows, and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection. This definition of a friend would suggest that the way Moses felt about God, God also felt about Moses. However, the biblical definition of a friend takes it a step further. Jesus said in John 15:13, “Greater Love have no man than to lay down his life for a friend.” That is exactly what God sent Jesus to do for us. Jesus was and is the ultimate friend and God wants us to know Him as our friend. If you desire a more intimate relationship with God, you have to be willing to pursue him and make him your number one priority.  Here are some suggestions:

1.       Pray and ask God to give you a greater desire for him. Pray that you would know him intimately like Moses did.

2.       Read your bible, pray, worship and wait for him to speak to you.

3.       Try to be aware of what God is doing in your life as you go through your day.

4.       Do this daily.

This will not be easy, but it will be worth it. You must be diligent about cultivating a deeper relationship with God. I can always tell when I haven’t given God enough time because everything goes awry. This time spent with God will not only bring you closer but it will give you guidance for life and direction for your day. It will help you prepare for all that Satan plans to send you way. Commit to spending this time with God regularly and you will begin to see that God will keep the promise that he made in Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”

There are times when I sit and imagine what my life will be like. I imagine how happy I will be and all the great things that will happen to me. I think about how elated I will feel when all the hopes and desires I have are finally realized. I know if I follow God that my life will be infinitely better than if I go my own way. However, following God is going to require my sacrifice. It's going to cost me something.

If you are like me then you have prayed about a long list of things you would like to see God do in your life. I believe that God will do them as long as they are in line with his will. I know that God loves us and desires to give us good things. God is willing to do what we have asked of him, but are we willing to do what he has asked of us? Are we willing to make him Lord of our life? Are we willing to serve him, to suffer as he suffered and to die to our flesh daily?

It cost a lot to have an extraordinary life with God. He wants to show us his favor and bless us beyond measure, but we have to walk in obedience. Walking in obedience may mean giving up someone or something that you wanted. It may be waiting on God when you don’t want to. It may require you to endure something painful, however, you can find your hope in God’s presence. God will never leave or forsake you so whatever the cross you carry, God will help you. Don’t focus on what you’re giving up or how difficult it is, focus on what you are gaining. In 2 Corinthians 4:17, the Bible states, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” God has promised us that the trouble won’t last forever. Everything that God has ever asked you to do is working for your good. God’s rewards will always outweigh the sacrifice you made for it.

Life with God will cost you. It will require you to sacrifice many things. You must remember that your sacrifice will never outweigh God’s reward. Your sacrifice is temporary and God’s reward is eternal. Whatever the sacrifice God is calling you to make, know that he will give you the grace to do it.

 Preparation is a process, it can sometimes be difficult and you will never fully arrive. Preparing to be  a suitable helpmate for marriage is even more difficult because it requires you to dedicate your life to supporting the purpose of your spouse. Part of being prepared to be a suitable helpmate to your husband requires you to know God and yourself.  Once you are clear on 1) who God is and 2) Who you are in God, then you can begin to discover who you are in the life of someone else.

In Genesis 2:18 the Lord God said, "it is not good for man to be alone I will make a helper suitable for him." How do we become a helper suitable for someone? We would have to look at that person’s need and then we could determine whether or not we were a good fit. This is the way companies hire employee’s. They decide what the overall vision and purpose of the company is and hire a person in line with that. It is important in this process that you are totally honest with yourself about who you are and what your purpose is. If you are not, then both you and your future spouse will have a difficult time.

 If you are currently dating then look at your relationship. Does your life purpose complement your significant other? Will it complement them in the future?  For example (in its most simplistic form), if you are dating a person who wants to open a chain of barbecue restaurants but you are a staunch supporter of animal rights, and  a vegetarian,  you all will probably not be a great fit for one another.  If you all get married there is a high probability that you will find it difficult to support one another’s vision. If you cannot fully support your significant other’s purpose in life then can you truly be a suitable helpmate?

If you are not dating anyone then identifying his qualities will be very difficult so look at what you feel you are called to. Pray about why God placed you here. If you feel called to be a missionary and travel the world you would likely be well suited to a person who wants to do the same thing, or do something that does not compete with the constant travel of a missionary. Thus, a person who wants to start a community center in their local hometown might find the nomadic lifestyle of a missionary difficult because their purpose may require them to be in the same location consistently.

In Amos 2:2, the bible states, "can two walk together unless they agree." It is very difficult for two people to be united as one but work to advance two different agendas, they must be on the same page working toward the same cause.

When you make your list I suggest jotting down what your purpose and vision is for your life and pray about what type of man you would best compliment. Be specific when creating the list but do not become married to it. More importantly be led by God when you make the list and allow him to change your heart if that is his will. What type of person are you best suited for?