God has spoken and told me to invite the saints into my usual personal soaking hour/time-
instead of being in my personal space of worship, I am opening my personal soak to those who want to learn how tonight- in the sanctuary-
1. wear comfortable clothing
2. bring a blanket
3. bring your oil to be blessed (or oil can be purchased from the book table)
4. be prepared to soak
5. bring your prayer lists
WHAT IS SOAKING?
To "soak" in God's presence is to rest in His love rather than to "strive" in prayer. As the person who is soaking connects with the Holy Spirit (receiving a touch from God begins to connect you with the reality of the Holy Spirit's presence), they often respond by falling or simply lying on the floor. As they rest expectantly waiting in God's presence, the Holy Spirit hovers over them to reveal more of God's love. God will also use these times to renew and repair areas of a person's life.
As the believer soaks God takes control and begins to draw their attention to His word either in the bible or through internal audible impressions or pictures they see in their mind's eye.
Another analogy commonly used is the concept of a sponge being soaking in water. Think of a dry sponge and how it looks when it is completely dried out. Imagine that same sponge being soaked and completely immersed in a bowl of water. That's the concept of soaking, to be full and overflowing with the presence of God.
HOW TO SOAK — A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE
- Relax — Make yourself comfortable.
- Focus — Put on some worship music, maybe read one or two passages of Scripture to help you focus on God.
- Receive — Wait in God's presence and expect to meet Him.
While there's no formula for Soaking there are some general guidelines. You'll want to make sure that you are in a relaxed environment, a place where you won't be distracted or interrupted. Sometimes it's difficult to relax if you have a lot on your mind. A good way to deal with this is to write down your thoughts or things to do on a piece of paper and then you can deal with them later after your 'soaking' time.
In order to fully relax, it's a good idea to put your body in a comfortable position, whether that's sitting, lying down etc… You can even use a blanket and/or pillow to makes yourself more comfortable. Although you don't have to lie down, a lot of people prefer it for soaking.
Once you are comfortable, focus on God. You might try listening to worship music, as it can help to focus your attention on Him. In order to focus on God, you might want to take a few moments to confess your sins and thank Him for who He is and what He has done for you. Worship is a great way to start.
After a few moments, you might become aware of a weight upon your body, a tingling feeling on your hands or face or a sense of love and acceptance in your heart. This is what happens when you experience the presence of the Holy Spirit and encounter God. You also may feel nothing physically, which does not mean that you are not meeting with God. Our relationship with Him is by faith (Gal 3:26, The MSG) and relationships are built by regular encounters/meetings that bond us together, that is how we fall in love. It is not only a rational process; your heart must be engaged.
Experiencing God's presence is what will cause you to love Him (Matt 22:3, The MSG). Humble yourself before Him. Talk to God about all your worries and cares and give them over to Him.
You can pray a prayer like this. "I open my heart to you Father, come and say what you want to speak to me, and refresh me with your Holy Spirit". If you become distracted, then re-focus on Jesus. Remind yourself why you are soaking and listen to the worship music.
It's not about striving in prayer, but instead resting. The longer you spend in His presence the more you will receive from Him, so take more than 15 minutes at a time. This can take several sessions as the cares of life have weighed us down, we may not have realized of full of the world we have become- dont get frustrated if you are not a 'first timer' and do not get surprised when you witness healings befor your eyes or hear about the testimonies.