When the School of Ministry in Toronto included soaking as a regular part of the student’s routine, they saw a dramatic difference. Sometimes you won’t even know it happened. When you spend time soaking, it allows God to work on your heart. You receive inner transformation without noticing it. If there’s one thing we need in our kinda hectic lives it’s his real peace that creates calm in the storms of life: “The Lord will fight for you you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:4, NIV)
Here are some of the outcomes that people report As John and Carol Arnott say in Preparing for the Glory, “This takes practice we have very busy minds and very busy lives, and it takes some practice to learn to get quiet.” (p153)įor every person who spends time in the presence of God, there is a different result. Soaking is probably not something you’re going to nail overnight. It will take time to build up stamina, but practice always helps! In the School of Ministry, Toronto, the weekly soaking session is just shy of two hours long. How long should I soak? Some experienced soakers suggest that your mind won’t fully switch off until you’ve been resting for 15 minutes. Listen to what God has to say - God might speak to you through words, pictures, memories, or Bible verses. Carol Arnott keeps a notepad next to her and makes a list of everything that comes into her head - that way she’s got a note of anything she might need to remember for later. You’ll know what distracts you, and you’ll get better at removing those distractions the more you soak. Put your phone on silent, close your laptop, go to a room where there’s not a pile of laundry to fold. In Matthew 7, Jesus reminds us that God is a kind father who gives good gifts! He’s ready and waiting to give you what you need. Simply pray, “I welcome you Holy Spirit.” It doesn’t need to be longer or fancier than that. There’s even a whole genre of soaking music to pick from.
Music without words is ideal because it’ll allow you more freedom to focus on what the Holy Spirit is saying. Put on some worship music that is relaxing for you. Some people soak on the floor with a pillow or on a couch. Soaking is about resting, so it makes no sense to be too hot, too cold, or stuck in a crowded room. Here are some simple steps to help you get started.
Out of that experience, people began to lie down and welcome God’s presence in public meetings and at home, and realized that they continued to receive in a powerful way. They were more transformed as they waited in God’s presence. But the people that stayed on the floor for more time received more. Some people would get up and walk away after lying down for three minutes. In Manifestations and Prophetic Symbolism, John Arnott talks about his experience as a leader in those meetings, “one thing that God made clear to us right from the beginning was that we shouldn’t try to get people up or move them, we were simply to let them stay on the floor and ‘soak’ in His presence because that is where He would meet with them and minister to them.” (p16-17). But the specific idea of soaking that we’re talking about here came out of the Toronto Blessing in 1994.Īs people received prayer in the revival meetings, most of them would fall to the ground under the power of God’s presence. Christians have been waiting on the presence of the Holy Spirit for thousands of years.
Resting in God’s presence isn’t a new concept. When we spend time with Him, we find a place of rest. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28, NIV). It’s about taking the focus off yourself and what you can do in your God time (like praying and Bible reading) and letting Him move how He wants to. In their book, Preparing for the Glory, John and Carol Arnott, founding pastors of Catch The Fire, describe soaking as, “.intentionally getting into the presence of God by faith, and just being with Him.” (p155) If you’re new to the idea of soaking, or you’re looking for a refresher, here’s a soaking 101: What Is Soaking? Put simply: Soaking in the presence of God completely transforms us. Resting in God’s presence softens your heart, it makes you more like Jesus, and it changes you in a way that you can’t un-change. When you marinate a steak, the marinade gets right into the fibres of the meat, tenderizing and flavouring it.
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