From the emails and responses I’ve received, there’s a lot of worry and discouragement in the Body of Christ. Many are concerned their hearts are not ready for what they already know is coming. So, I’m going to share something that I believe will help us get ready. It’s something very personal, but the Lord has shown me it greatly affects the Body of Christ. This post is a little longer than normal, because several things needed to be brought out. Please pray before proceeding, and read to the end.
Many are asking, “How can I experience greater intimacy with God? I want a close and personal relationship with Him, but I don’t know what to do. I’ve studied and prayed, but it seems He doesn’t hear my prayers, and I feel so lonely…” Let me now share what the Lord’s shown about this:
Several years ago, God woke me up in the middle of the night and told me to sit up in the bed. After a while, He asked, “What do you want?”
I was stunned and had no idea what to say. He asked me the question three times before I finally uttered, “I just want to know You, and be known by You.”
I’ve pondered His question many times, knowing there must be more than I was able to understand at the time. Recently, God led me through a series of events to show the significance of what was asked.
A few weeks ago, I was praying over the phone with a friend. She regularly receives words of knowledge and understanding as she prays in the Spirit. Out of the blue she began telling me what she’d received while praying.
She saw me dressed in a beautiful white garment. But then she saw my heart, and there was a small black “dot” in the middle of it. As she was telling me this, she said, “As I see this black dot, I’m also getting the words “fear” and “intimacy.” Diana, could it be you’re afraid of intimacy?”
At first, I was shocked that my friend was basically telling me my heart was flawed, containing some kind of dark spot. But the Holy Spirit immediately bore witness that it was true! The words fear and intimacy then pointed me in the direction of my past, where various traumas – from childhood into my adult life – had caused much pain and sorrow.
It’s obvious how these things could cause one to have a fear of intimacy. I realized it must be a well-hidden fear for me, because I hadn’t even been aware of it. So I prayed, asking the Lord to show me whatever else I needed to understand about the matter. Then I filed it away thinking, “Everyone has hurt and pain to one degree or another from the past. God knows all this and will heal us – even down to removing the scars that remain in our hearts.” Little did I know this was just the tip of the iceberg!
About a week later, I was praying with another friend who operates in various gifts of the Spirit. We were standing in the gap, interceding on behalf of Saints who’d asked for prayer. On this particular occasion I was led high into the sky (in the spirit) where I was flying over the surface of the earth. I watched from a bird’s eye view as the Lord sent light, peace, and encouragement to His people.
After praying, my friend asked, “Where did you go?” Then I explained how, at a particular point during the prayer, I’d “stopped” or “held back,” and that the Holy Spirit wanted to do more, but that’s as far as I could go.
A couple days later, this same individual said God showed it to be something in my heart holding me back. I was really shaken, as this was the second time in two weeks I’d been told by individuals who I knew were mighty Spirit-led warriors of God that something in my heart was hindering and holding me back in some way! At that point, I began to weep.
With tears flowing, I began repenting to God for holding back anything from Him and asked to be shown what it was. Suddenly, I heard my friend ask, (transcript of conversation)
Friend: “Diana, What do you want?”
Me: “Oh, my! That’s the same question God asked me a few years ago! My answer is still the same, ‘I only want to know Him and to be known by Him.”
Friend: “Stop – Wait! Do not answer this question from your head. Go to the depths of your being, your heart and soul for the answer.”
I got really quiet, and then it was as if a candle lit inside me, exposing the contents of my heart. The following words began to pour forth:
“My entire life, my greatest desire has been for someone to care enough about me that they would want to get to know me – to really know me; and they would open up and allow me to really know them.
As soon as the words were spoken, the Holy Spirit said, “This is also God’s desire!”
Then I saw it! The black dot was a blockage in my heart, only allowing God so far. From what was already revealed I knew it contained pain and trauma. But what was puzzling was how could all this still be in my heart at all? After all these years, hadn’t I already given these things to God? What the Lord showed next completely shocked me.
To have intimacy with God requires we enter into the “secret place” to commune with Him. This place is the inner chamber – a bridal chamber – which was represented in the physical temple as the Holy of Holies (see Come to the Garden). As we know, Satan counterfeits the things of God, and the Lord has shown he also has a secret chamber!
From the time you were born, the devil has worked to construct a secret place in your heart. It’s a well hidden fortress with impenetrable walls – the devil’s hiding place – from which he seeks to commune with you. In this place dwell all your secrets: trauma, pain, guilt, shame, etc. Even though we may not be mentally conscious of this place, it acts as a barrier to the intimacy with God (and other humans) we so desperately desire. It’s hidden so well only the Holy Spirit can lead you to it.
After the revealing of the black “dot” in my heart, I cried out to God, asking what I was to do. I received that I needed to spend much time before the Lord asking to be shown this place. I was to allow the Holy Spirit to shine light into it, that the hidden things found there be brought out and laid bare before Him. Although I didn’t fully understand what I was seeing at the time, God reminded me He’s already shown what’s being asked of His people in a series of dreams given back in 2016. Please read ‘Final Acts of the Church’ in light of what’s being shared here.
Only God can tear down and destroy the fortress of the enemy within our heart. Our part is to willingly bring everything before Him. We must hammer our prayers into fine powder, leaving nothing out. Don’t try to hide, dress up, or disguise your sin. Don’t be vague when repenting, saying things like, “Father, please forgive me for my sinful thoughts and actions this afternoon.” WHAT WERE THEY? Call it what it is and discuss them with your Father! Ask Him to show you what you need to see. Plead the BLOOD of JESUS over them! Ask the GRACE of God be extended and applied to you – to be set free of the chains of bondage!
The Lord wants us to understand our deepest desire for intimacy with God – is also His desire. To fully know Him, and to be known by Him, we must become ONE with Him. Oneness is obtained through open communication with nothing standing between.
It’s only when we can appear naked and unashamed before our God that we are finally able to say, as Jesus did, “He has nothing in me!” Once the hiding place of the devil is destroyed, our prayers will no longer be hindered. We’ll be able to soar on the wings of the eagle as high as the Spirit desires to take us.
Saints, the Lord has impressed upon me the urgency of this message to His people. He’s giving glimpses of how, as each enters into communion with Him, we are then “connected,” becoming ONE in the Spirit with Him and each other. This is how the Body of Christ will do even greater works than Jesus. These are the ones who will be used as instruments of His Righteousness, sent forth to enter the mighty fortresses of the enemy and set captives free!
I ask each of you to please join me in prayer for more revelation and interpretation of how this may apply to each of us.
Related Posts:
You Will Be My Instruments of Righteousness!
Scripture References:
Genesis 2:25, “And the man and his wife were both naked, and they were not ashamed.”
Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, and let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
Luke 8:17, “For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, not anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.”
John 1:5, “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”
John 14:30, “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.”
Author: Diana Pulliam
Diana Pulliam has been a Christian since the age of 22, but it wasn’t until 2008, while going through an especially trying time, that she asked God what He intended for her life. She told Him she wanted her life to give Him glory, but didn’t see how it was making any difference at all for His kingdom. She asked Him to not hold anything back, she wanted everything He intended for her, and was willing to do whatever He told her to do.
Two weeks later, during her quiet time with the Lord, she heard the Holy Spirit say, “Clean your house and write.” The last few years, He has given her dreams and visions about the times in which we live. In 2011, she started the blog The Mighty Hand of God as a place to write whatever the Lord inspires.
© 2019, Z3 News. The first 200 words of Z3 News articles may be shared online in exchange for a clickable link to our site. Please include the author name and do not make any changes to text or titles. No image files from our site may be shared because we don’t own them. For permission to use our content in other formats, please contact us.
If you found this post helpful, please consider sharing it with others by emailing the link or posting it on social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, and Twitter.
Wow, this really hit home! I needed this. Thank you Diana. I always look forward to your posts.
Yes, for me also
Thank you for sharing
:/ I was asked that question a week or so ago. Must be a very common one to be asked.
Diana – What a powerful post to encourage all of us to dig deeper in our relationship with the Lord & allow anything that is obstructing or minimizing our relationship to be revealed by the Holy Spirit & revealed. What an amazing journey you are on. May we all learn from your experience & willingness to share your God given insights! Many blessings Sister. 🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻❤️
Yes, we are indeed on an amazing journey! What the Lord’s stressed to me is, as we grow in intimacy with Him, we also do the same with each other within the Body of Christ. Imagine the day just ahead when the Spirit can flow unhindered within His Body. This is when the mighty fortresses can be brought down and many set free! I feel the kingdom of darkness shaking in their boots to even hear this…. Blessings to you, Sister!
Just a fact, you are a beautiful woman of God. May God heal any brokenness, may you continue to be an effective encourager and intercessor.
This helped me greatly. Thank you Diana
Oh my goodness Diana! You are so on point with this message today. As I read all I could see was myself…thank you!
Paula,
Praise God! The message is for all of us. These dark places in each of us are what’s hindering the free flow of the Spirit within the Body of Christ. The Lord’s shown, when we become ONE in Him – She begins to walk in the Fullness of His Glory!
Great insight Diana. Exactly what I need.
Wow. I just read this carefully along with the ‘Final Acts’ post. So timely for me.
My husband and I were involved in full time volunteer ministry and were badly hurt (beginning when we took a stand for biblical marriage) resulting in a lot of broken relationships. In many ways, I think I have let go of a lot through prayer. However, someone connected to the situation set up a meeting with me tomorrow, and I have felt like an emotional mess this week, making prayer more difficult. I have no idea what to say during this meeting, but my desire is to honor God. I know all this has magnified my l trust issues with others, but am not aware of how it affects my relationship with God.
The Lord has provided some extended alone time for me in the next several days. I had already planned on extended prayer time, but now I think your revelation could be my
specific assignment.
Jean,
Perfect description of how the hidden fortress of the enemy can blindside us – basically paralyzing us for days! I’m praying over this with you, dear sister!
Thank you!!
I needed that and I’m praying. Thank you.
When you say God tells you stuff what do you mean? Do you audibly hear something or is it something internal? How can I learn to hear God?
God rarely speaks to us audibly because He is training us to look to Him in the realm where He resides, which is the realm of the spirit. So He speaks to us on the inside, in our inner man, in our spirit, as part of our preparation to live more in that unseen realm than in the seen physical realm. This requires faith on our part to believe and receive what He reveals to us, but He imparts this faith to everyone who comes to Him sincerely, seeking Him wholeheartedly. To those He has promised, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (John 10:27 NKJV)
Hi James, Ive been reading a lot of the Old Testament lately as I havnt read much of it previously. I am amazed at how God spoke to Moses, Joshua, etc and how God did so many amazing miracles. It seems to me that this should be the normal.
Hi Young Believer, it’s true what James said. Just to add something that might be helpful, as it was for me. I followed the advice of Mark Virkler (he’s got several videos on YouTube). Hearing the voice of God is as easy as: 1. Be still and quiet. Set aside time when you can be alone and sit quietly to wait on the Lord. Turn off all distractions and play some nice instrumental or spa-like nature music. Nothing with words or a tune that you might know the lyrics to. 2. Focus on Jesus. Close your eyes. Think of Him and see Him in your mind. Anytime you lose your focus, just gently turn your attention back to Him. 3. Tune into flow. You will have thoughts that effortlessly flow into your consciousness. I call it thought-form communication. This is how He speaks to you (in your spirit). 4. Journal. Write down what you “hear”… without analyzing or judging the flow of what you hear. Just write it down. Many, many times when you come back later and read it you’ll be amazed. I usually don’t remember what I receive unless it’s written down. You can always ask for confirmations if you want to be sure that something you receive is from the Lord or that you were hearing it right. Patricia Green also has a good video on her YouTube channel about this topic. She recommended casting out the spirits of doubt, fear, and unbelief. I encourage you to put forth the effort and spend time daily to wait before Him and let Him speak to you. With time you will begin to recognize His voice. His words are such a treasure. You can grow into a place of deeper intimacy. Transformation happens on many levels. His sheep can… Read more »
Hi, Young Believer, I agree with Paloma and James. It’s a quiet, inner still loving voice that is like a whisper of your thoughts. As you walk with Him, as your best friend and Beloved, it becomes like constant dialogue. For me, it will be like “don’t DO that” or “Yes, DO that!” If I’m caught in sin, I become hard of hearing. If I am surrendered, I do or don’t do what He instructs me to do or refrain from dong.
Thanks all. Will try to spend some time daily. The ‘be still’ aspect has definitely been impressed upon me a lot lately – will begin to try this 🙂
I echo exactly what James said about hearing the audible voice of God, which I have heard only 3 times in all these years. But oftentimes it’s spoken so loud and clear it seems audible. Most of the times I receive what I call “downloads” in the Spirit, or hear a clear voice in my spirit speaking to me.
It’s important to seek God, asking Him to teach you to hear and discern His voice. He is faithful to do so. And He will speak to you in various ways that YOU will understand. The number one way will always be His Word – it will come alive!
God bless you!
I didn’t see your thoughts on this, Diana, so I’m sorry if I didn’t recognize your insight. It was midnight, i am not at my best, lol. Yes, you are so right that everything we hear from Him must align with His Word. A great article, too. I love your writing style and especially the dialogue with your friend. Blessings. 🌷