========================================================================
  HOW CAN BELIEVERS DEEPEN THEIR INTIMACY WITH THE LORD？
  by Dean Taylor
========================================================================

Summary: This sermon emphasizes the importance of developing a real
relationship with Jesus Christ through prayer, despite the challenges of
busyness in life and ministry. It highlights the struggle and necessity
of maintaining a consistent and fervent prayer life, as prayer serves as
a vital connection to God and a safeguard against sin. The speaker
stresses the significance of accountability within the local church
community to encourage and support each other in prioritizing time with
God, drawing inspiration from the testimonies and writings of prayer
warriors like Ian Bounds and Praying Hyde.

Topics: "Prayer Life", "Accountability in Faith"
Scripture References: Matthew 6:6, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, James 5:16, Hebrews 10:24, Colossians 4:2

------------------------------------------------------------------------
DESCRIPTION
------------------------------------------------------------------------

This sermon emphasizes the importance of developing a real relationship
with Jesus Christ through prayer, despite the challenges of busyness in
life and ministry. It highlights the struggle and necessity of
maintaining a consistent and fervent prayer life, as prayer serves as a
vital connection to God and a safeguard against sin. The speaker
stresses the significance of accountability within the local church
community to encourage and support each other in prioritizing time with
God, drawing inspiration from the testimonies and writings of prayer
warriors like Ian Bounds and Praying Hyde.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONTENT
------------------------------------------------------------------------

You know, primarily having a real relationship with Jesus Christ makes
you want to talk with Him. It makes you want to spend time with the
Lord. But you know, in our busyness of our life with raising families,
the business of ministry, this is truly the hardest battle that we face.

Going through my life, I've talked to many men of God and I've said to
them, okay, so tell me about your prayer life. How do you have a routine
and a solid prayer life? And those that are the most honest have told me
that it's very difficult. It is the fight, but it is a fight that we
must win because I think it was John Bunyan who said that prayer will
keep us from sin or sin will keep us from prayer.

And this idea is so important. I found it important enough that to have
accountability and many of the issues and growing in our lives and our
churches, we need to be able to get with brothers who are literally
asking us, are you spending time with God? And this kind of
accountability is what the local church is about. And we need to see
this as important.

It's good that we care about sins in our lives. It's good that we care
about our families and our different things with ministry, but let's get
real with each other and make sure we're holding each other accountable
with prayer. I've been very inspired by people's testimonies and
biographies of prayer.

That's always inspired me and reading writings like Ian Bounds and
praying Hyde and the different heroes of prayer has also just made an
impact in my life of having a deeper intimacy with God.

========================================================================
Video: https://sermonindex2.b-cdn.net/B4ocP9U0IEo.mp4
Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/dean-taylor/how-can-believers-deepen-their-intimacy-with-the-lord/
========================================================================