“Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him.” – Psalm 37:7

This verse is essentially what soaking is. When we soak in God’s presence, we are in a place of rest where we wait on Him. We allow ourselves to be completely saturated by His presence. Soaking in His presence creates a space which enables us to draw near to God and behold Him.

Some Tips for Effective Soaking:

• Find a quiet space where you are comfortable and can open yourself up to spend time with your Heavenly Father.
• Play some soaking worship. Some will find it easier to rest using instrumental music when beginning to do soaking sessions, other people are happier with words.

If you become distracted, don’t become frustrated, simply turn your attention back to the Lord. Try saying something simple, for example, “Father” or “Jesus” to focus your mind on Him again.

After a little while, you will begin to feel Holy Spirit’s presence.

You may find yourself praying words of adoration, praise, or maybe praying in tongues. Sometimes, no words are needed. Go with the flow of Holy Spirit’s leading.

Allow yourself to become overwhelmed by the beautiful, weighty presence of the Lord.

Resources:

Soaking in the Spirit by Carol Arnott is an excellent book to read.

Secret Place Ministries has a selection of soaking worship available on Youtube.

Bethel Worship have soaking instrumental worship available on Youtube.

Resources:

“For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.” – 1 Cor 14:2 ESV

What a stunning and beautiful thing to consider that when we speak in tongues, we are uttering mysteries to God. Equally amazing and wonderful is that speaking in tongues is not something we are conjuring up in our own minds. It is God’s own Spirit, God the Holy Spirit, who is communing with God the Father, through us, from the place where He has taken up residence within each one of us — in our spirit. Praying in tongues builds up our spirit. It’s like taking our spirit to the gym for a workout whilst we speak to God and praise Him.

Whether you start your day at 5am with two hours of praying in tongues (no, me neither!), or lose focus after two minutes, it’s all comers welcome. No competing, no judging, no measuring or comparing… just being His and growing, as individuals and as His body.

Many of the Psalms in our Bible were written by King David, and in them, David expresses his heart of worship and prayer towards God. In our times of ‘Prayer Room Worship’ in Washington Church, we will explore some of these expressions together. We will sing and worship with familiar songs and also with new songs from our hearts. We will pray and declare God’s Kingdom over our communities, our schools, our government and the nations. At times we will be quiet and contemplative, and at other times we will be noisy and exuberant! And we will laugh together!

Psalm 84 is a beautiful Psalm that expresses many aspects of prayer room worship. It was written by the sons of Korah who sang their songs as they worshipped with God’s people. The Psalm describes gathering in the tabernacle of God (v1), in the courts of the Lord (v2, v10), around His altars (v3) and in His house (v4, v11), so we have plenty of options! The Psalm expresses a longing for the Presence of the Lord which can be felt with our physical bodies, our emotions and our spirits (v2, v10) and it emphasises that God’s altars are a place of belonging for everyone, even the very young (v3). Verses 5-7 speak of journeying together, even when the path is difficult, and praying together in the knowledge that He hears our prayers (v8, v11). The Psalm declares that Lord Himself is our light and our protector. He gives us grace and His glory, and is the provider of all good things as we walk with Him (v11).

Together we will declare ‘O Lord of Hosts, Blessed is the man who trusts in You!’ (v12).