To Soak and Wait upon God's Presence

How To Soak and Wait upon God's Presence...

A very practical lesson this time...

1. Find a comfortable place to lie down.
2. Allow the busyness of your thoughts to quieten down (don't fight them).
3. Invite the Holy Spirit to soak you in His presence.
4. Pray and surrender yourself to the Holy Spirit ... mind, body and soul.
5. Focus on the lord's presence within you.
6. Rest in faith, believing He is working in you.
7. Take as much time as you can.
   (Try to give at least 20 mins to start to relax and receive.)
8. Get up refreshed and full of the Holy Spirit.
   Watch as God changes you and the world around you!

As we wait on God a settled faith and abiding presence allows us to accomplish the works God has already prepared for us:

"There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience." (Heb 4:9-11 NKJV)

Other Scriptures: Psalm 23:1-3; Psalm 4:4; Matthew 11:28-30; Hebrews 4:9-11; Psalm 46:10; Isaiah 40:29-31; Psalm 27:14; Isaiah 55:1-3; Luke 10:39 Prayer that changes things
All prayer changes things in one way or another, but we next consider two kinds of prayer specifically given to change situations, and turn things around.

waiting on God

The Prayer of waiting on God more and more...

As we still ourselves before Him and wait in His presence we are filled and prepared for obedience when He does call upon us to act.

The purpose of waiting is to be equipped for service. Even the disciples, who had walked for three years with Jesus, and who had enjoyed 40 days of post-resurrection teaching concerning the Kingdom of God, were warned not to try anything until they had tarried (waited) for the infilling of the Holy Spirit which would equip them for the work (Luke 24:49).

Abiding in God
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 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."

The Prayer of waiting on God

The Prayer of waiting on God (Practicing His Presence/Soaking)

Closely associated with the prayer of praise and worship is the prayer of waiting upon God.

Like praise and worship, there are many layers to this prayer. In the busy world we live in it is easy to fail to practice this kind of prayer.We have grown so accustomed to 'microwave' results that often we fail to understand that God's schedule is often less hurried than our own. We get busy with the work of ministry, whether in the church or marketplace, the demands of family life etc, yet fail to stop and listen.

We then wonder why we feel so tired?!

Isaiah says:

"But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint."
(Is 40:31 NKJV)

In this form of prayer we cease from our own works and wait upon God. 

The Prayer of Praise and Worship

Praise and worship are a subject all of their own, and the Bible record abounds with testimonies of praise and worship playing an integral part in warfare, intimacy, overcoming difficulty, releasing God's presence and many other manifestations of God's power.
Praise and worship also form an integral part of the child of God's prayer life.Because prayer is essentially communication with God, and as a born again child such communication is as natural to our spirit man as breathing is to our natural man, the believer does not have to manufacture elegant or spiritual-sounding prayers to impress God. The simple heartfelt overflow of the heart constitutes true prayer.

The New Testament encourages the believer that thanksgiving is a natural and integral part of our prayer life:
"Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God." (Phil 4:6 AMP)

"Be earnest and unwearied and steadfast in your prayer [life], being [both] alert and intent in [your praying] with thanksgiving." (Col 4:2 AMP)
The prayer of praise and worship are part of our new priestly duty before God. Revelation 1:6 says we have been made kings and priests before God. As such we are called to offer up spiritual sacrifices unto God our Father. Such sacrifices of praise are acceptable and pleasing unto God:

"Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name." (Heb 13:15)

In the prayer of praise and worship the focus moves from us, our needs, our requests and intercessions for others, and falls upon God. We exalt Him not only for what He has done, but who He is. In the light of His presence and Person, other things fade to insignificance, even our most pressing request, and we are caught up into the eternal realm.
With angels and tens of thousands of witnesses we join a chorus that will ring from age to age; Praise to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the thrice holy God of gods. From such a standpoint the challenges we face diminish in size, and the faithfulness and power of God fills our vision.

God truly is worthy of our praise,

Prayer

Deepening our Relationship with God through prayer

Our prayer time determine our relationship with God.

They help us keep the pipes of intimacy unclogged with cares and other negative influences that would prevent us enjoying full fellowship with our wondrous God and Saviour.

Prayers that deepen and develop relationship include:

1. The prayer of praise and worship Luk 24:52-53; Acts 13:1-4
2. Soaking/Waiting on God (Practicing His presence) Mat 11:28-30; Ps 27:14
3. Prayer in the Spirit (Praying in tongues) 1 Cor 14:14-15

These kinds of prayer are also used in other ways, and their purposes are manifold.
No other privilege can be greater than the privilege of knowing our Creator.