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The Ten Virgin - Seven Keys to an Intimate Relationship with Jesus
1. Make time to sit at the Lord’s feet and dine with Him in His presence.
As Jesus relaxed at Martha’s house, her sister Mary was “seated at His feet, listening to His word” (Luke 10:39).
When Martha complained that Mary was not helping her with dinner preparations, Jesus told her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:38-42).
Jesus said that the one necessary thing is to push away the distractions in our busy lives and make time to sit at His feet.
2. Develop a lifestyle of meditating upon the Word.
The psalmist wrote, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees....I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word” (Psalm 119:11-16).
As Jesus was teaching His disciples about the importance of intimacy, He said, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7).
Throughout the Scriptures, God stresses the importance of abiding in, studying, meditating, and hiding the Word in our heart.
Knowing Jesus through the Word is a critical dimension to a life of intimacy.
3. Meet with God in the secret place through prayer and fasting.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Matt 6:6).
He says the same thing about fasting (Matt. 6:18).
In essence, the Lord is saying that we can meet with the heavenly Father in the secret place of intimacy through prayer and fasting.
Jesus also said, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast” (Matt. 9:15-16).
Fasting and prayer are important disciplines that help us develop a greater intimacy with our Bridegroom.
4. Learn to hear God’s voice.
Throughout the Scriptures, as God’s people heard His voice, they were drawn closer to Him.
Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27).
What a powerful verse! Not only does hearing His voice position us to follow Him, it also positions us to be known by Him. This is exactly what Jesus taught in the parable of the ten virgins.
As we learn to hear the Lord’s voice, we are known by Jesus.
5. Develop a lifestyle of obedience.
Knowing His Word and hearing His voice won’t automatically lead to intimacy, however, unless we also obey what we know and hear.
Jesus told His disciples, “You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you” (John 15:14-15)
Notice that we are only Jesus’ friends if we do what He commands us.
Jesus also said, “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him” (John 14:21).
Obedience proves that we really love God, and it draws us closer to the Father.
6. Develop a heart of worship.
The Lord loves those who press in to His presence in worship.
Revelation 4-5 offers us a glimpse of God’s throne room, where we see that worship is the predominant activity of heaven. Those who are closest to the Lord’s throne worship Him the most.
As we worship the Lord, we draw close to Him. A lifestyle of worship helps us cultivate an intimate relationship with our Bridegroom.
7. Walk in humility.
God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.
Moses, who was the most humble man on the earth, communicated with God to face to face (Ex. 33:11; Num. 12:3).
Those who walk in humility will have deep intimacy with the Bridegroom.
Let’s strive to be wise virgins. Let’s stay alert and make ourselves ready for the eternal wedding feast. Let’s check our lamps often, and, if it’s running dry, not delay in purchasing more oil.
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