What is Practical Faith that Builds Intimacy With God?

I have no weight, yet I can move the world. I make no sound, yet I’m often heard. Born in silence but louder than speech, I start in the mind and end within reach. What am I?

🧠 Answer: At the bottom of the page.

Ideas can be powerful—yet not all ideas change lives. John teaches that there is one idea in scripture that, while not complex, can have a radical effect on your life: God is love.

“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” —1 John 4:8 (NKJV)

Notice that the verse doesn’t say, “He who doesn’t study the Bible…” or “He who doesn’t volunteer at church…" No, the focus is on love as a test of intimacy with God.

Let that sink in: The test of God's presence or absence in your life is equal to the love you have for others.

🧭 Why Love Is the Evidence of Practical Faith

People often confuse the concepts of doing and knowing in our culture. And, while this may work for YouTube tutorials, it does not always apply to our relationships with people, let alone our walk with God. It's easy to compile a spiritual checklist—Bible knowledge, mission trips, ministries. But accumulating knowledge is not the same thing as building a purposeful connection with an all-powerful, all-knowing being who sees us in our best and worst moments. In fact, Christ warned that activity without relationship leads to separation.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven…” —Matthew 7:21–23 (NKJV)

These weren’t lukewarm people. They cast out demons. They prophesied. They did wonders in His name.

And yet? “I never knew you.”

That’s not a rejection of effort. Instead, it's a call to a genuine relationship. Without love—real, Jesus-shaped, sacrificial love—our efforts mean nothing. (Listen here for our song about love and the nature of God).

💡 Building Intimacy With the Unseen

How do we move from spiritual performance to spiritual intimacy with Christ? How do we take love-based actions and not just emotional highlights?

Here are five practical ways to make that shift:

1. Daily Quiet Time That Listens

First, be honest with yourself about what you want in life and why. Is a relationship with Christ really a priority for you? In the morning, do you find yourself reaching for your phone before your Bible? Do you find yourself more updated on the latest news or trends before quickly reading through a brief devotional on your commute to work? Stop. Declare to God your willingness to let Him change your priorities and your aspirations, and verbally surrender your heart to Him so that He may reside there. Then listen to the silence until you are comfortable with it.

Psalm 46:10—"Be still, and know that I am God.”

2. Do Unseen Acts of Kindness

When no one is watching, serve. This rewires your motives and, through repeated action, helps shape you into someone who loves like Jesus. The happiness of Christ was found in His mission. To take the burdens of others as His own, without complaint, complansaion or applause. Happiness is a mindset that one chooses in the face of struggle, rather than something discovered through random events; it is a developed state of mind achieved through careful and repeated actions.

Matthew 11:29—Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

3. Keep Short Accounts with God

Whispering in someone's ear shows intimacy, connection and vulnerability, but we rarely confess to God when we deviate from His plans. Confess often. Don’t let small sins or frustrations build walls between you and God. Make a point of whispering your honest thoughts to God as you are having them. Rather than days later, when you're lost and struggling to find your way back to Him. Remember, transparency deepens relationships.

Proverbs 28:13—'Whoever confesses...will have mercy.'

4. Ask Before Acting

As you get used to listening for God in the morning, it will be easier to do throughout the day. Before responding to a conflict, a post, or a person—learn to pause and pray, "Lord, what would You have me do here?” The ability to connect to the Father is one we often overlook. The angels must grieve seeing our trials, which we could have avoided if we had let the Lord fill us with His will.

2 Chronicles 16:9—"For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong."

5. Speak Love, and When Necessary, Use Words

In every conversation, every post, every opportunity to speak—ask, what is the greatest form of love I can express in this moment? The choice to speak love first, last, and always begins with daily exposing the mind to the source of love itself. Don't read the Bible to find some secret truth. Instead, read it to get so used to hearing God talk that your voice sounds like His. This kind of love is one of the best ways to show that you are close to God.

Galatians 5:22–23—The first fruit of the Spirit is love.

🔍 Reflective Questions to Deepen Your Walk With God

• Who is someone in my life I know well? How does my trust in God compare?

• What are three intimate moments I can choose to spend with God today?

• Why is love the proof of knowing God (1 John 4:8)? How can I increase this?

• What might emotional emptiness look like in a religious life (Matthew 7)?

• What’s one sign you’re drifting away from intimacy? How can I choose to turn back?

🙏 Closing Prayer

Jesus, I don’t want to stand before You and hear, “I never knew you.” Teach me to walk with You—not just work for You. Fill me with Your love so deeply that it flows into every part of my life. Let that love be the evidence that I am Yours. Amen.

Final Thought: Like an idea that changes everything, love—real love—starts in the mind, grows in the heart, and shows in the hands. May your life reflect the One who is the embodiment of love itself. This is not just a theoretical concept but a practical one. It's not just about words, but also about the person you choose to become.

So, what’s one step you need to take today that will bring you closer to Him?

🧠 Answer: At the top of the page. 😉