Soaking

Soaking in the Bible

• Psalms 23: 1-3- “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me besides the still waters. He restores my soul…”

• Psalms 37:7- “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him.”

• Psalms 27:14- “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord!”

Other passages: 4:4; 131:2, Matthew 11:28-30, Hebrews 4:19-11; Isaiah 40:29-31; Proverbs 1:33; Luke 10:39: Hosea 2:14.

What is soaking?

To “soak” in God’s presence is to rest in His love rather than to “strive” in prayer… As the believer soaks in God’s presence, the Lord takes control and begins to draw his attention to God‘s word either in the scriptures or through internal audible impressions or pictures the believer sees in his mind’s eye.

Why do I need to soak?

There is a deep need in every one of us to be close to God. Experiencing God is something to be sought after and not avoided. While we base our theology on God’s word, our experience with God make it all come alive. The Bible is a book of experiences of men and women of God throughout history, whose lives were changed through divine encounter. Your life will be changed as well as you encounter Him.

Where can I soak?

At the local church in Toronto, they conclude every meeting with a time of soaking prayer. Soaking prayer is something you can also do in your own home. You can be alone or just with your spouse or children, or you can invite several friends over, who can take turns praying for one another.

How do I soak?

Although you don’t have to lie down, you may sit in a chair or lie on your bed, the main thing is to be in a safe place so you can be vulnerable. Set your affection on Jesus. You might want to soak while listening to intimate worship music with meaningful words that quiet your soul and help you draw near to God. As you reflect on the cross and all that Jesus has lovingly purchased for you, begin confessing your sins to Him and longing to be close to Him. After a few moments, you will become aware of the Holy Spirit’s unseen presence.

How long do I continue soaking?

It usually takes about fifteen minutes to quiet the business of life and enter into rest. But Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath, and He wants you to enter into His rest. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy and peace, so we need to take quality time with Him. You cannot force or hurry this. The idea is not to “get” something but to “be” with someone. Take time just to be with him; to love Him and let Him love you.

Occasionally people can become quite emotional during the soaking prayer. God may want to touch deep places in the heart. There are often areas of past wounding where we are reluctant to go. That is often the very place that the Lord wants you to revisit so that He can bring freedom and healing to areas of fear and pain. It is helpful to have friends and even experienced ministry people in the room so they can love you through this and help to reassure you to go ahead in faith in order to, so as to bring closure to these areas.