©March 15, 2013 Revive Israel Ministries

Triangle Intimacy

By Asher Intrater

My favorite prayer in the Bible is John 17. There is a flow of logic and priorities in this prayer:

1. Oneness - intimacy with God
2. Holiness – separation from the world
3. Glory – manifest power of God in the saints
4. Unity – fullness of the Church (Ecclesia)
5. Witness - world evangelism.

The first and foremost is intimacy. Yeshua prayed that we would be one with Him as He is one with the Father. He is in the Father and the Father is in Him. We are in Yeshua and He is in us. Oneness is perfection of intimacy.

John 17:21-23
May they all be one as You Father are in Me and I am in You, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. I have given them the glory that You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are one. I in them, and You in Me, so that they may be perfected in being one, in order that the world will know that You have sent Me and loved them as You loved Me.

Intimacy with God is an experience on the inside of knowing the presence and nearness of God. This experience is available 24/7 but is heightened in times of prayer, worship, Scripture meditation and simple communion, such as a walk in nature or resting quietly, directing our thoughts toward God.

Yeshua had perfect intimacy with the Father. His prayer in John 17 was to share that intimacy with us.  Intimacy seeks another person, since it is an experience of a shared personal relationship.  It is the opposite of loneliness.

Yeshua desires to share His intimacy with us. All intimacy starts with God. When we know intimacy with God, we also desire to share it with others. That is why we pray according to John 17 along with Yeshua.

When looking for a wife years ago, I sought a woman who on her own experienced intimacy with God. When I met Betty, I watched to see if she was sincere or was just putting on a show to appear spiritual.

Since I saw that she did have an intimate relationship with God, we could then share that intimacy together. This is the base for a successful marriage.  To this day, the center of our marriage is praying, worshiping and studying Scriptures together in an atmosphere of love and intimacy.   The shared spiritual intimacy between us spreads into our romantic relations, family, financial decisions and congregational life.

There is a triangle of intimacy: First individually with God; then experiencing God together with others; then horizontal unity between us. In simpler words: First, you and God alone; then you and God with others; then you and others.

This principle holds true for building a ministry team.  Yeshua did so with His disciples; and prayed for them to continue, until their shared intimacy touched the whole world. Intimacy is alive and grows.

We base our ministry team at Revive Israel on this model. We spend 3 hours on weekdays in prayer, praise, prophecy, scriptures and sharing.  This spirit of team intimacy creates an environment for healing, trust, revelation and anointing.  People come from around Israel and around the world to experience the presence of God in this way with us. It is life changing; and ultimately (John 17:21) world changing.

On Wednesday night, after two months of political struggles, a new government coalition was formed. During the announcement on Israeli television, the program was interrupted to announce that white smoke arose from the Sistine Chapel announcing the choice of a new Pope.

Coincidence?  No. There is a deep spiritual connection between what happens in Israel, the Church and the Nations.

Pope Francesco was known to have shown sympathy for the victims of the Hezbollah suicide terrorist attack on the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires in 1994, which killed 85 people. Yesterday he wrote a note to Shmuel De Seni, the chief rabbi of Rome, stating, "I hope to improve relations between Jews and Catholics in a new spirit of cooperation and harmony."

The choice of an Argentinian, the first South American Pope, is likely a positive development in moving the Catholic Church from a strictly European to a more worldwide community.  Francesco is also known for his humble lifestyle (riding the public bus to work as Archbishop), sparking hope for cleansing corruption from the Church and working for social justice.   

Pray for wisdom for the new Pope to promote spiritual renewal in the Catholic Church, Scripture study, support for Israel and the Body of Christ, adherence to family values, and resistance to Islamic Jihad.

The new coalition in Israel appears to be one of the most mainstream and balanced governments we have ever seen. Pray for Netanyahu, Lapid and Bennett to lead our country into a season of health and sanity.  Lapid's position as Treasury minister could encourage economic reform. Bennett, a modern orthodox Zionist, is demanding much needed reform in the religious establishment. While Liberman is still the Foreign minister, Livni will be the "face" on negotiations with the Palestinians and the US.

Daniel chapters 9 and 10 describe the connection between government leaders on earth and angelic powers in the heavens, some good and some evil.  A change of government leaders reflects a change of angelic principalities. The new coalition in Israel is the first in many years in which the ultra-Orthodox will not have disproportionate leverage. 

This reflects a weakening of the forces of religious blindness over our nation. If this spiritual veil is removed, a new door of revelation will be opened or "un-veiled." Pray for a wave of evangelism and congregational growth, hitherto not experienced in the Land. A time of harvest is at hand.