INTRODUCTION
In December 2023, my Senior Pastor, Reverend Stephen Alexis, asked me to prepare a sermon based on our church’s theme for 2024, “Transitioning to a New Dimension in God", a theme the Holy Spirit had laid on his heart. As I sought the Lord during one of my evening devotion times, praying, listening, and waiting quietly before Him, I asked what He wanted me to share with the congregation. His response came with unmistakable clarity and simplicity, “Do you know Me?”
I sat in stillness, almost stunned. It was a question I had heard from Him once before, years ago, one that had stirred my heart and compelled me into a deeper, more intentional pursuit of His presence. And now, here He was asking again, inviting me once more into a greater dimension of knowing Him.
I answered Him, “Lord, I know some of Your ways, but I do not know all of You. I’m learning day by day.” And He responded, “Talk about Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.” I was filled with joy, yet I also wept, because this is what the Lord wants for all of us, to truly know Him. This journey is lifelong, unfolding as long as we walk this earth. After the Lord confirmed this word to me, I shared it with the congregation on March 17, 2024. As you read this study, take your time, search the Scriptures, and be intentional in practicing the keys outlined.
The foundational scripture for this teaching is John 17:3 (KJV):
“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
So what does knowing Jesus Christ have to do with “Transitioning to a New Dimension in God”?
My fellow saints, everything begins and ends with Him. Without Christ, and more importantly, without truly knowing Him, we cannot move into a deeper dimension in God. All that we long to become and all that we desire to do for His glory, whether it is speaking in tongues, performing miracles, ministering healing, interceding with power, walking in deliverance, or making meaningful spiritual impact, is rooted in having a personal relationship with Jesus through the Holy Spirit.
John 17:3 reminds us that eternal life is not simply living forever but knowing God intimately. The Greek word ginōskō refers to deep, experiential knowledge, the kind of closeness found in a covenant relationship, much like the intimate bond shared between husband and wife. Eternal life is not defined by identifying as a Christian or merely saying, “I am born again.” It is defined by knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ personally and relationally.
We can attend church regularly, serve faithfully, worship passionately, and still miss intimacy with Him. Many of us have heard sermons on consecration, prayer, spiritual trajectory, walking with the Holy Spirit, and growing strong in the Lord. Yet beneath all these topics lies one core truth. Transitioning to new dimensions in God must be built on knowing Him deeply.
When you take a moment to reflect, you may realize that although you know about Jesus, through sermons, devotionals, or Christian media, you may not truly know Him as a friend, a companion, or the deepest love of your life. Hearing His voice, whether audibly, in your spirit, through dreams, visions, or Scripture, flows out of relationship.
For many believers, our walk with Christ becomes one-sided. We pray, but often it is us doing all the talking. We speak at God rather than with Him. This is not to condemn anyone, because I have also walked through seasons of prayer that felt more like monologues than conversations. We are repeatedly taught to spend quality time with the Lord, but many simply do not know how to begin.
So take a moment and honestly consider this. How much of your prayer time is truly intimate? How much is simply you being with the Lord as you would be with a close friend, bringing your real, unfiltered self before Him? How much goes beyond routine worship phrases, beyond warfare prayers, and into resting at His feet with your insecurities, fears, and imperfections?
As we transition into a new dimension in God, this closeness becomes even more vital. If we desire to walk in the supernatural, miracles, breakthrough, revival, and manifestations of God’s glory, we must stay near to Him with hearts that are holy, yielded, and fully surrendered.
THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS
Jesus declared in John 15:5, “I am the vine, ye are the branches… without Me ye can do nothing”. As you study this week, take time to read the entire chapter of John 15. Notice how often Jesus emphasizes the importance of abiding, remaining, dwelling, and staying connected to Him.
There is a profound difference between knowing Jesus and merely knowing about Him,and Matthew 7:21–23 presents a sobering reality. Many will stand before Him declaring how they prophesied, cast out demons, and performed mighty works in His name. Yet He will say, “I never knew you”. Gifts and ministry activities are not replacements for intimacy. If we are not abiding in Him and allowing Him to know us deeply, then all our efforts profit nothing.
It is not enough to learn facts about Jesus. What we know about Him must become a lived, personal reality. He is a real Person with emotion, personality, and a heart that feels. Walking with Him is a daily journey. We will never fully understand Him on this dimension of time, but we must continually pursue Him. He is awesome and multidimensional, fully God, fully Man, and fully Spirit.
Before we explore the keys to knowing Jesus intimately, it is important to understand the stages many believers pass through in their walk with God.
i. For the new believers, who have now been saved you are at the new believers' stage: You believe that Jesus was sent from God, He was born of a virgin, He died on the cross for your sins, and He died and rose again. And because you believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
ii. Some are at the discipling stage: You are a follower of Jesus Christ, you go forth and tell others about Jesus. At this stage, you develop a life of discipline where you exercise self-control and faithfulness to the work and things of God.
iii. Some are at the bondservant stage: As you progress in your Christian walk, you begin to experience trials, sufferings, and circumstances that can be difficult to accept or understand. But you are still obedient and devoted and submitted to God’s will.
You will find yourself wanting to please God more than pleasing people. Ephesians 6:6 says, “Not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart”. And when you think about a bondservant, it speaks to someone who is a slave or a servant. Jesus when He came to the earth had to learn to be a bondservant, even at the point of death. No matter what stage you are at, our daily walk with Christ requires us to die daily in the flesh,
iv. And there are those who are at the Friend stage:
John 15: 14-17 reads:
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.
What marks a true friend of Jesus is when you develop that love for one another, and notice verse 14 are linked with verse 17.
When you are a friend of Jesus, you can intercede for others, for peoples, and nations. Just like how Abraham, who was known as a friend of God, could reason with Him to save the righteous souls that were in Sodom and Gomorrah. Just imagine that you can reason with God. For God Himself in Isaiah 1:18-20 says to Israel, “Come let us reason together”.
v. Then there are those who are Sons and Daughters of God, or as you may hear the term Sonship. Even God in Matthew 3:17, after Jesus was baptized said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”. God called Jesus His Beloved Son. And if we are called sons and daughters of God, guess what, that makes us not only heirs and joint heirs with Christ Jesus but also the Bride of Christ.
We are transitioning to a new dimension in God. I am saying all this because some of us, as we grow in this walk with the Lord over the years, we transition from one level of our relationship with the Lord to another level. But it must be progressive. There are those, sadly enough, after many years, are in the believer’s stage, or discipleship stage, and have never entered into the friendship or sonship stage in their Christian walk. The good news is, no matter what stage you are at in your Christian walk, you can know the Lord intimately through the Holy Spirit. Hallelujah!
However, a relationship with the Lord takes time to build, just like with any person in any relationship. And you know what, it's all a matter of choice. The onus is on us to want it and pursue it relentlessly.
This is not a passive decision but requires dedication, zeal, and discipline, for the enemy will fight you tooth and nail to keep you from entering that place and level in God. No one says that it will be easy, but you must choose to pursue Jesus. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.
Do you want to transition to a new dimension in God?
THE KEYS TO KNOWING JESUS INTIMATELY
1. Become Well-Acquainted With the Holy Spirit
The first key to cultivating intimacy with Jesus is becoming familiar with the Holy Spirit. He lives inside of us, closer than our own breath, and yet many believers still expect to encounter God somewhere outside themselves. Until we truly embrace the reality that the Spirit of God dwells within us, we will continue to pray, search, and strive as though He is far away.
We must also break old mindsets about prayer. Some pray as if God is distant, believing they must pray long and hard before He hears them. But the Holy Spirit, our Comforter, Teacher, and Friend, is within us. He is with you when you lie down and rise, in your joy and in your pain, in every breath and every tear.
My earliest encounters with the Holy Spirit came through conviction, and that was when I first accepted Christ as my Lord and Saviour. At other times it would be whenever I did or said something wrong. Sometimes He impressed things on my conscience. That is often how it begins, before we learn to discern His voice clearly.
As you grow in hearing His voice, learn to wait in prayer. Be still. After praying, many rushed away without pausing to listen. But intimacy develops when we sit quietly before Him.
Some believers struggle to discern whether it’s their own thoughts speaking, the enemy, or the Holy Spirit. In moments like that, it helps to remember an unchanging truth. The Holy Spirit will never contradict the Word of God. Jesus Himself said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” John 10:27.
Engage in ongoing conversation with the Holy Spirit throughout your day. Even with a busy schedule, you can talk with Him while you work, cook, clean, commute, or rest. It may feel unusual at first, but if you desire to experience the reality of His presence, include Him in everything you do.
2. Study the Word of God
To know Jesus intimately, immerse yourself in the Scriptures, especially the words of Jesus in the New Testament. Before reading, pray and ask the Lord to open the eyes of your understanding.
Through the Word, you will discover the character and personality of Jesus. For instance, when Jesus told me in prayer that He is meek and lowly in heart, I later saw this confirmed in Matthew 11:29. Jesus Himself tells us He is gentle, humble, tender, compassionate, yet also bold and full of authority.
Even in the Old Testament, we see the same nature revealed: “The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.”
As you read, make what you discover about the Lord a personal reality. There were times when I experienced not only His compassion but also His firmness when correcting me. These were moments that humbled me deeply.
3. Love the Lord and Walk in Obedience
John 14:21 says, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me… and I will love him and manifest Myself to him”.
Obedience is one of the deepest expressions of love for Jesus. When we keep His Word, we position ourselves for intimacy with Him. He promises that He will reveal Himself to us and make His home within us. Just as Mary carried Jesus physically, the Spirit of Jesus now dwells in you.
4. Practice Intimate Prayer and Fasting
There are many expressions of prayer, including intercession, supplication, thanksgiving, confession, consecration, adoration, praise, and faith. But nothing replaces personal, one-on-one communion with the Lord. The Holy Spirit never forces Himself on us. Intimacy requires desire and pursuit on our part.
Psalm 27:4 captures this longing, “One thing have I asked of the LORD… to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD…”.
As a teenager, I carried a deep longing to know God the way Moses and Elijah did. That desire led me to begin setting aside intentional time just to be with Him. Later on, when I started working in Port of Spain, I kept that practice. After work, I would sit on my bed and place an empty stool in front of me. I knew the Holy Spirit lived within me, but imagining the Lord sitting there helped me quiet my mind and focus my heart during prayer. It made those moments feel personal, real, and deeply intimate.
Keys for Intimate Prayer:
- Set aside intentional time.
- Remove distractions.
- Pray in the Spirit.
- Treat this time as a sacred appointment with God.
Whether early morning, late at night, or during your commute, create space for Him daily.
ABOUT FASTING
I vividly remember September 30, 2008. I attended a crusade at my former church where an evangelist, who had ministered in over 120 nations, taught powerfully on intimacy with God. He prayed for four hours a day and studied the Word for at least three. His messages pierced my heart.
He challenged us to pray at least one hour daily and read the Word of God for at least twenty minutes to one hour. I was struggling spiritually at that time, and battling tiredness, inconsistency, and shallow prayers, but I deeply desired intimacy with God.
After three days of prayer and fasting, seeking God to reveal Himself to me, I had my first life-changing encounter with the Lord. His audible voice filled my spirit as the Holy Spirit overtook me. I sang in tongues on a pitch I could never reach naturally. I felt my body tremble as the Lord touched my spirit. I smelled sweet oil. Then I heard Him say, “I am yours, and you are Mine”.
It felt like a spiritual betrothal, a marking and a setting apart deep within my heart. That encounter stayed with me for days, until trials soon followed. But that is a story for another time.
What matters most is this. Do not live on yesterday’s encounter. Seek fresh oil every single day. Intimacy with God is not meant to be occasional or remembered only in past moments. It is meant to be continual, renewed daily as we choose to meet with Him again and again.
And remember, fasting requires consecration. Seek forgiveness before you begin and know what you are fasting for. A purposeful fast draws God’s response.
5. Trust Him Completely
Intimacy is impossible without trust. Proverbs 3:5-6 remind us to trust the Lord with all our hearts, and not leaning on our own understanding. Do you trust Him with your life, your future, your decisions, your trials?
Trust is the foundation of intimacy.
6. Worship Him From the Heart
Worship is a powerful way to draw near to God. Psalm 145:1 says, “I will exalt You, my God, the King.” Let your worship rise from your heart rather than from routine, and keep a quiet melody of praise within you throughout the day as a way of staying close to His presence.
7. Know Who You Are in Him
This final key brings everything together. Know your identity in Christ. ou are God’s dwelling place. This earthen vessel carries the Holy Spirit, holding within it the living presence of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. When you truly grasp this, it changes how you live, how you pray, and how you walk each day with holy awareness and confidence.
THINGS TO BE AWARE OF: DEVICES THE ENEMY USES TO HINDER YOUR INTIMACY WITH GOD
1. Distractions
Romans 12:2 warned us not to be conformed to this world. Distractions arise when we become overwhelmed by life, work, school, family, responsibilities, and our conversation with the Lord becomes less frequent. I experienced this when my schedule became full, and before long, my spirit felt empty.
One evening, when I finally paused to pray, the Lord asked, “Where have you been?” Neglecting God is a form of spiritual drifting. Do not wait until you feel as though you must start over again.
2. The Battleground of the Mind
We often hear the phrase “the battleground of the mind,” and it truly captures how the enemy likes to work. Many of his attacks come through our thoughts, planting fear, distraction, suspicion, judgment, and temptation. This is why Scripture urges us "to be sober and vigilant", reminding us in 1 Peter 5:8 to stay alert and watchful, knowing that what happens in our minds can shape how we live and respond.
Sometimes, even innocent thoughts that turn into a prolonged fantasy can steal our focus. When I become distracted, I often hear the Lord whisper, “Focus on Me”.
3. Growing Cold Spiritually
Even after we have had an encounter with the Lord, we can be in danger of becoming cold. But how can this be?
a) When you miss praying and spending time with the Lord and in His Word as you should. Whether it’s through busyness, our schooling, or our jobs, if it continues in this manner over a period of time, you can become cold. We wake up and offer a quick prayer before rushing into the day, say a quick grace before meals, and a sleepy prayer before bedtime, know that your prayers have become mechanical and void of touching the heart of God.
b) When you fall ill, and it becomes difficult to be close to the Lord because of the constant pain and suffering.
c) There can be seasons in life when weariness settles in and everything begins to feel heavy. You find yourself just going through the motions, growing tired of people, tired of situations, tired of your job, and sometimes even tired of church and life itself.
d) Have you fallen in love with the approval of men or even with the ministry God has called you to serve in?
For those who have gone through this, getting back to that place can feel incredibly difficult. Prayer starts to feel empty, as if your words are not touching the heart of God. You may even feel as though God’s presence is distant, or worse, that the Holy Spirit has left you. It’s a tormenting feeling. And the thing is, it doesn’t happen overnight; it occurs gradually over time until you realize you have just lost the zeal to spend time in prayer.
If this happens or is already happening, as hard as it may feel or seem, come before the Lord, repent, and cry out to the Holy Spirit to bring you back to that place. It will also take commitment and discipline on your part to meet with the Lord. Always be alert to the warning signs of an approaching cold heart and watch diligently for them. And you know what happens when we are intimate with the Lord every day? We will not feel like we are a stranger to Him.
Do not wait until Sunday when you come to church to pause and reflect on your heart. Start today by taking a moment now to be honest before God and allow Him to gently show you where renewal is needed.
CONCLUSION:
Ask yourself today, what are the forces in your life deliberately distracting you from Jesus? What are they? How long has it been this way, some days, a couple of months, some years? Think about your current pace of life. Is it harming your intimate walk with the Lord? Life is so busy, and it can quickly be filled with activities. My prayer for everyone today and even myself is that the Lord will grant us the strength and desire to pursue Him relentlessly and intimately. To know the Lord and to be known by Him.
There may be some of us who desire to take that step in your Christian walk to know the Lord intimately. You have not accepted Him as Your Lord and Saviour, and you want to know the King of kings and Lord of Lords. Now is the time to receive Him as Lord and Saviour in your Heart.
And there are those who have been in church. Yes you are hearing about the Lord, you read about the Him in the Word, and see Him in the movies, but you don’t know Him on a personal level through the Holy Spirit. For others, you have re-evaluated your life and see that your busyness and the cares of this life have consumed you. And there are others, you were once on fire, you have had encounters with the Lord, but for some reason or the other, over time, your prayer life has grown cold. You want that passion for Christ to be reignited.
Today, make the bold decision to return. Ask the Lord to reignite the fire within you. He is near. He is listening. And He is ready to restore your heart.
Pray this prayer:
Father God,
Today I come before You with an open and honest heart. I pause to examine my life and acknowledge that there are distractions and pressures that have slowly pulled my attention away from You. I confess that busyness, responsibilities, and the cares of this life have at times weakened my intimacy with You.
Lord, search my heart and reveal anything that has taken Your place. If my pace of life has harmed my walk with You, slow me down. If my passion has faded, breathe fresh fire into my spirit. Give me both the strength and the desire to pursue You wholeheartedly and relentlessly. My deepest longing is to truly know You and to be known by You.
Jesus, today I choose You. If there are areas of my heart I have held back, I surrender them now. I receive You as my Lord and Savior, not just in words, but in truth and in spirit. Forgive me, cleanse me, and make me new. I invite You to reign fully in my heart and life.
Where I have known about You but not walked closely with You, I ask for a deeper relationship through Your Holy Spirit. Lead me beyond routine and religion into genuine intimacy with You.
And Lord, if I have grown cold or distant, I choose today to return. Reignite the fire within me. Restore my prayer life, renew my hunger for Your Word, and awaken my love for Your presence. Bring me back to my first love.
Thank You that You are near, that You hear me, and that You are faithful to restore what has been lost. I place my life back into Your hands and trust You to lead me into deeper intimacy and lasting transformation.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Author: Kimberly A.S. Williams