Sedona Verde Valley Soaking Sessions
Every Thursday Morning at 8:00
You are always welcome. Give us a call for directions or assistance. > Contact Us.
>Watch Video on What is Soaking
Introduction to
Soaking
Intimacy with God -
Getting to know Him
The Other Half of the Conversation -
Listening
Jesus says,
“Ask and you will receive”. We’re very good at the asking part…but
how about the ‘receiving’? If we are the ones who are doing all the
talking, it’s really a one-way conversation. Soaking is the
listening
part of our conversation with Him. It’s setting aside time to lie
down and receive from Him.
Just Relax - Be Still
One of the main
barriers to encountering God is that we are simply trying too hard.
God’s top tip to us is ‘just relax’’ In Psalm 46:10, He put it this
way, “Be still and know that I am God”. Literally translated this
means,
“Cease striving and know that I am God”. The way to know God is
through peace and stillness.
Quiet Times - Submitting
A peaceful
environment on the outside helps us to come to peace on the inside.
When we soak we simply put on some quiet instrumental or worship
music and lie down. At first our minds will be whirring with
thoughts, but we don’t try and wrestle them. We just wait for them
to settle, submitting our mind to the Holy Spirit. Meditating on the
fact that the Lord is in our spirits, we believe He is right there
with us. If we get distracted we don’t become frustrated, we just
simply turn our attention back to the Lord.
Lying Down - Surrender
We have found
that lying down is the best posture. It helps us physically relax
and focus on the Lord. As we lie down it’s a statement to God that
we are laying down our agendas. We are surrendering control.
We surrender ourselves to the Holy Spirit. It may feel foolish and
offend our pride. Soaking is an act of humility.
Human Beings (not Doings) - Let God Do
At first we may
have an internal Mary/Martha struggle. We feel, like Martha, that we
should be “doing” something. But this is Mary time. Martha got
caught up in the busyness of serving Jesus. Mary got caught up in
Him. Soaking is not about how much we can accomplish by our own
efforts. It’s about God’s action in us.
Child-like Faith - Gifts For His Children
Soaking is a
dedication: “God this is time just for you.”
Soaking is an invitation: “God do what you want to in me.”
Soaking is an expectation: “Thank you Father for what you are
accomplishing as I rest in you.” We come to Him like little children
believing that He has good things for us. “If you then…know how to
give good gifts
to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give the
Holy Spirit to those that ask Him.” Mat 7:11
Rest and Restoration - He's Working In Our
Spirit
Soaking is a
Psalm 23 experience. He makes us to lie down in green pastures and
He leads us by still waters. He restores our soul. As part of the
restoration process we may find ourselves responding physically or
emotionally. We might laugh, cry, or shake as the Holy Spirit works
in us.
The Holy Spirit might give us a vision or bring a memory to our mind
that He wants to heal. Often we enter into a deep rest. Perhaps we
may fall asleep. Even if we don’t feel anything happening, by faith
we believe that the Lord
is working in our spirit.
Abide in the Vine - His Presence In Us
Intimacy with
God is the key to fruitfulness in every area of our lives.
As we become more aware of His presence in us...so do other people.
As we become more affected by His presence in us...so do those
around us. By taking time in the secret place with God, we start to
walk by the Holy Spirit in everyday life. We find that, rather than
striving to achieve things for God, He is building His kingdom
through us. “Not by might, not by power,
but by His Spirit.”