what is soaking?

Hi everyone. I was wondering if you could explain soaking to me. I have come across this term and was wondering if you could explain what it's about. I'm just curious how it compares to the ancient practice of resting in God's presence.

Thank you.

I heard this term used in the Vineyard, I think. The idea is soaking in the presence of God. Let's say you pray for someone and they fall down. In some of these churches, they just follow you to the ground and keep on praying. You'll hear the term used for someone just laying there receiving something from the Lord.

I don't know if it is always used in connection with falling down like that, but that was where I heard it.

I've never heard it n connection with falling down.

When I've heard it, it is referring to spending time focusing on Yahweh worshiping Him either in a group setting or just individually.

The term itself has caused some problems and so the practice has been opposed by some, but I believe it is the valid, Biblical, ancient practice of simply "being" in the presence of God.

I actually kind of discovered it on my own, apart from any group setting. (In fact, I'm yet to do it with other believers - and I'm not sure I could find people where I'm at with enough time and patience to spend that length of time with God!) I had read a number of passages in the Bible about waiting on the Lord until He comes, and on delighting yourself in the Lord. So I simply started praying and waiting - and kept doing that until I encountered Him. Since my encounter with Him over summer, I've realised that often, the longer I wait - expectantly, like a child - the stronger His manifest presence becomes. Or the more aware of Him I become...(I'm not sure which yet.) So, instead of simply praying and worshiping and sensing something of His presence and moving on to do other things, I've started to try and re-arrange those routines so that I can wait for much longer and "soak" (for want of a better word) or bask or delight myself in His presence.

I imagine that's what those who organise "soaking" events are trying to do - to make time for people to corporately delight themselves in the presence of God. Sometimes they might use relaxing Christian "soaking" music to make it easier for people to focus on the Lord, though I really don't think that's needed (I don't personally play any background music when spending time with Him - but if others want to, that's fine.)

I haven't been terribly good at doing this so far, as the distractions of every day life (and occasional bouts of insomnia) tend to steal this time, BUT I can say that when I've made the time for Him, He has honoured that time greatly - and I can say I have enjoyed "soaking" in His presence very much. His holiness is astounding! And, as Paul stated, the energy the Lord gives us to do His work is better than anything the world offers!

That's a wonderful testimony, AudioArtist.

One suggestion to deal with distractions is making a list as they come up and getting to the point where there's not any hindrances.

Jared R said:

Hi everyone. I was wondering if you could explain soaking to me. I have come across this term and was wondering if you could explain what it's about. I'm just curious how it compares to the ancient practice of resting in God's presence.

Thank you.

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"ancient practice of resting in God's presence"

It's an adaptation of easten meditation practices with christian terminology mingled around it.

There is no promise in scriptures that any such tecniques get us any closer to God, at all.

Faulty said:

It's an adaptation of easten meditation practices with christian terminology mingled around it.

There is no promise in scriptures that any such tecniques get us any closer to God, at all.

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I would say that those Eastern meditation practices are demonic counterfeits of genuine Christian meditation on God and a genuine practice of waiting on the Lord, and that unfortunate phraseology has been used in some circles for a genuinely Biblical practice.

Also, I know the experiences of other Christians aren't authoritative in the way the Bible is, but I wasn't lying about my own experience of delighting myself in the Lord's presence. I know this to be God, not only because we are promised that He won't give us a snake or scorpion when we ask for the Holy Spirit, and not only because He revealed Himself as Holy, but because of the fruits of those encounters.

Be blessed!

Soaking is a term that came out of some of the modern revivals ( moves of the Holy Spirit). It is softening someone up to receive from the Holy Spirit by their spending extended times in His presence worshiping.

I suppose it is the same thinking behind playing music during altar calls and opening the worship services with extended times of worship.

So when you soak, are you waiting for the sensible presence of God (manifest you called it, and I think we are talking about the same thing)?

SpiritPsalmist - I'm referring to practices originating from the Church Fathers, especially the old guys who lived in the desert.

AudioArtist said:

I would say that those Eastern meditation practices are demonic counterfeits of genuine Christian meditation on God and a genuine practice of waiting on the Lord, and that unfortunate phraseology has been used in some circles for a genuinely Biblical practice.

Also, I know the experiences of other Christians aren't authoritative in the way the Bible is, but I wasn't lying about my own experience of delighting myself in the Lord's presence. I know this to be God, not only because we are promised that He won't give us a snake or scorpion when we ask for the Holy Spirit, and not only because He revealed Himself as Holy, but because of the fruits of those encounters.

Be blessed!

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And I would say that "christan" meditation techniques are a knock off of the real demonic counterparts practiced by easten religions, since that is the source. Demon worship repackaged as it were.

Expriences are not authoritative at all, our own or otherwise. The devil is a liar and a deceiver. He don't hand out snakes and scorpions either, at least not at first.

Did Jesus say, "When you pray, soak in my glory first"? No. "When you pray, SAY..." He taught us how to pray, not what to say, but rather technique and form. It's foolshness to think God is honored when we try to come to Him in a way He has not told us to come, and then just expect Him to honor it, as if we know better tn He does.

Faulty said:

And I would say that "christan" meditation techniques are a knock off of the real demonic counterparts practiced by easten religions, since that is the source. Demon worship repackaged as it were.

Expriences are not authoritative at all, our own or otherwise. The devil is a liar and a deceiver. He don't hand out snakes and scorpions either, at least not at first.

Did Jesus say, "When you pray, soak in my glory first"? No. "When you pray, SAY..." He taught us how to pray, not what to say, but rather technique and form. It's foolshness to think God is honored when we try to come to Him in a way He has not told us to come, and then just expect Him to honor it, as if we know better tn He does.

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I don't know that I have ever used the term soaking however I've heard it and simply understood that it meant quietly meditating on the Lord and His goodness. How would you know that the eastern religions did not copy it from the early church? What do you believe "delight thyself in the Lord" means? How do you know it's not the same thing, just a different terminology is being used?

The terms used for the same things differ from generation to generation. From generation to generation we have the older generation telling the newer generation their ways are demonic merely because the terminology is different. In my opinion, that's the real foolishness.

SpiritPsalmist said:

From generation to generation we have the older generation telling the newer generation their ways are demonic merely because the terminology is different. In my opinion, that's the real foolishness.

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Faulty said:

And I would say that "christan" meditation techniques are a knock off of the real demonic counterparts practiced by easten religions, since that is the source. Demon worship repackaged as it were.

Expriences are not authoritative at all, our own or otherwise. The devil is a liar and a deceiver. He don't hand out snakes and scorpions either, at least not at first.

Did Jesus say, "When you pray, soak in my glory first"? No. "When you pray, SAY..." He taught us how to pray, not what to say, but rather technique and form. It's foolshness to think God is honored when we try to come to Him in a way He has not told us to come, and then just expect Him to honor it, as if we know better tn He does.

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I understand your concern about deception. However, I do not believe my testimony contains anything that would advocate any unusual Eastern meditation techniques at all. In fact, no "techniques" were utilised during the period over the summer, other than praying, waiting on the Lord, delighting in His presence, and worshipping. Considering I was seeking the Lord with all my heart and wishing to delight myself in Him (and not any old esoteric experience), I believe it would be very wrong of me to doubt the source of the encounter. As James states, if we draw close to God, He will draw close to us. As Jesus stated:

“You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

I have no knowledge of any non-Christian religious techniques whatsoever, to be honest - all I relied on was the Bible and the stories of past men of God who have been used mightily by Him.

Love in Christ,

AA.

Faulty said:

And I would say that "christan" meditation techniques are a knock off of the real demonic counterparts practiced by easten religions, since that is the source. Demon worship repackaged as it were.

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you might say that, but you'd be wrong.

Christian meditation was practiced long before there was any exposure to eastern meditation. For that matter meditation was long practiced in Jewish religion prior to the birth of Christ.

The techniques of meditation, for the most part, are not religious at all. They are little different than mental jogging, or weight lifting. Meditation in terms of the techniques employed is simply a method of disciplining your mind. Nothing less, nothing more.

For this reason, people in virtually any religion, or even atheists can get some benefit from meditation, just like they could from physical exercise. Meditative techniques are not magical, nor are they a religious formula to achieving mystical truths etc.

However, they are useful, perhaps even necessary for many people simply because we need to discipline our minds and train ourselves to be able to focus and avoid distraction. There is a lot of benefit to be gained from training your mind as you would your body.


Now, when it comes to Christian meditation, there are a couple of different things that could be meant.

On the one hand there is active meditation on scripture or something like that where you are focusing on a given passage or idea, and turning it over in your mind, letting it kind of roll around etc.

On the other there is more passive meditation, often called contemplation or something like that where you simply sit and wait on God. Listening and keeping your mind focused on and attentive to God.

In most other philosophies and religions, meditation is more about technique... it is believed that the techniques themselves are what lead a person to enlightenment, or whatever other goal they are seeking.

In Christianity, the techniques of meditation are not really the point. The only real purpose they serve is to enable you to focus and discipline your mind, which in itself is very important. As with prayer, or bible reading or any other action... you can do it till you are blue in the face and if you don't have right intentions and if your heart is not right, it will be largely useless.

All forms of mysticism do have the inherent danger that they are subjective. Which is part of what Faulty was saying. Experiences can be deceptive. Thus mysticism must always be bounded by proper orthodox doctrine.

Also, this would be a good place to point out that mysticism IS NOT about experiences, or seeking experiences. Christian mysticism is about knowing God and loving God.

Faulty said:

It's an adaptation of easten meditation practices with christian terminology mingled around it.

There is no promise in scriptures that any such tecniques get us any closer to God, at all.

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Exactly.

Our Christian greats had no need for it, they moved in the power of GOD. It's just another distraction packaged as a teaching for people who don't want to die to the flesh.

ARBITER01 said:

Exactly.

Our Christian greats had no need for it, they moved in the power of GOD. It's just another distraction packaged as a teaching for people who don't want to die to the flesh.

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Spending hours in prayer and in the presence of God and delighting yourself in His glory is one sure way to die to the flesh. In the thickness of His presence, every idle word you've spoken seems all the more filthy, and your sensitivity to sin grows. It's difficult to desire the things of this world when you have spent time encountering God's glory and power. The temptations of the flesh are not appealing when you have been meditating on the things of God.

What's all the more amazing is that, in spite of all the filth, you are loved.

AudioArtist said:

Spending hours in prayer and in the presence of God and delighting yourself in His glory is one sure way to die to the flesh. In the thickness of His presence, every idle word you've spoken seems all the more filthy, and your sensitivity to sin grows. It's difficult to desire the things of this world when you have spent time encountering God's glory and power. The temptations of the flesh are not appealing when you have been meditating on the things of God.

What's all the more amazing is that, in spite of all the filth, you are loved.

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Sorry, you're not gaining a convert here. Wigglesworth, Etter, Lake, all of our Christian greats never needed this soaking thing, as well as none of the apostles.

ARBITER01 said:

Sorry, you're not gaining a convert here. Wigglesworth, Etter, Lake, all of our Christian greats never needed this soaking thing, as well as none of the apostles.

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Where have I tried to "convert" anyone to any "technique"? I have never been to a soaking meeting myself. But I do think spending hours in the presence of God and yielding one's thoughts to Him in a place of intimacy will only result in good things. I think the term "soaking" is not such a bad descriptor of that practice, but perhaps "burning" would be a more accurate one. Jesus does baptise us in the Spirit and in fire, after all. I am not particularly concerned with the words used, so as long as the focus is on spending time in the presence of our Heavenly Father.

I am speaking of the glory of God and beauty of His presence to edify others. It is exciting to share on the forum how good and pure God is, and how wonderful it is to delight oneself in His presence - especially as someone who had a rather extended desert period preceding this intimacy.

It is easy to argue and dissect and accidentally speak at cross purposes on a forum. Their very nature can unfortunately encourage that. But, even if you are wiser and more mature in the faith than I, I am worried that your response to my testimony should be as curt a response as "sorry, you're not gaining a convert here." If indeed I were demonically deceived or a fool sucking up every and any new Christian fad (and promoting those new-fangled methods on here), people responding to me in that way might be justified. If, however, what I've shared IS simply a precious account of God's work in my life - and I have every reason to believe it is - then it is those doing the accusing who are on dangerous ground.

AudioArtist said:

Where have I tried to "convert" anyone to any "technique"? I have never been to a soaking meeting myself. But I do think spending hours in the presence of God and yielding one's thoughts to Him in a place of intimacy will only result in good things. I think the term "soaking" is not such a bad descriptor of that practice, but perhaps "burning" would be a more accurate one. Jesus does baptise us in the Spirit and in fire, after all. I am not particularly concerned with the words used, so as long as the focus is on spending time in the presence of our Heavenly Father.

I am speaking of the glory of God and beauty of His presence to edify others. It is exciting to share on the forum how good and pure God is, and how wonderful it is to delight oneself in His presence - especially as someone who had a rather extended desert period preceding this intimacy.

It is easy to argue and dissect and accidentally speak at cross purposes on a forum. Their very nature can unfortunately encourage that. But, even if you are wiser and more mature in the faith than I, I am worried that your response to my testimony should be as curt a response as "sorry, you're not gaining a convert here." If indeed I were demonically deceived or a fool sucking up every and any new Christian fad (and promoting those new-fangled methods on here), people responding to me in that way might be justified. If, however, what I've shared IS simply a precious account of God's work in my life - and I have every reason to believe it is - then it is those doing the accusing who are on dangerous ground.

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I think you have the wrong idea about what this soaking prayer thing is, here is an example,..

YouTube - Deceptive New Age Soaking Prayer

There used to be more on youtube, but this was the only immediate one I found.

Communion and fellowship with The Lord is of the utmost importance, but this is not it. Turning our churches into a bunch of flop houses is not the vision that GOD has for His bride. This stuff does not increase the works of Jesus through people.

And please stop reading things into everything I post, I don't feel like trying to explain myself twice.