Q1: Lesson 4 Lunatic or Lord?

Transcription

1 INSTRUCTIONS How To Use This Digging Deeper Exercise STEP 1 Download the PDF You ve probably already done this, but just in case you haven t, download this PDF to your computer. You ll need a PDF reader on your computer or device. We recommend Adobe Reader (it s free). STEP 2 Read Through the Entire Exercise First Before engaging in this Digging Deeper Exercise, read through it first, at least once. Make sure that you understand everything before beginning. STEP 2 Write it Down As always, journal the things you are hearing from God. Remember, you can journal electronically, in a journal, or however you want. The point is to make sure that you write things down. STEP 3 Trust You Are Hearing God The goal of the Digging Deeper Exercises is to strengthen your relationship with God and improve your ability to communicate with him. Sometimes you may wonder if what you are writing in your journal or what you are experiencing or thinking about during these exercises is really God. Don t overthink it. Trust that Holy Spirit is communing with and speaking to you. Don t get stuck wondering if you re really experiencing God. Just trust the process and follow the instructions. Answer the questions, engage your imagination, and do your best. God is with you every step of the way! STEP 4 - Ask for Help if Needed If you are having trouble or get stuck, us at admin@emergesot.com before you get too far down the path. We want you spending your time hearing God and discovering awesome things about him, no struggling with techie stuff.

2 INTRODUCTION The Power of Your Imagination Your imagination is your preview of life s coming attractions. Albert Einstein The imagination is literally the workshop wherein are fashioned all plans created by man. Napoleon Hill A healthy, vibrant imagination is crucial to a healthy, vibrant spiritual life. Not only are our imaginations God given, they are an integral part of the way God created us to think and connect with him, his promises, and the realm of the Spirit. Webster s dictionary defines imagination as the power of the mind to recreate or reconstruct a visual representation of what has been or could be experienced; a mental picture of physical or spiritual reality. As children, most of us had active, if not over active, imaginations. So much so, that some kids have imaginary friends and get scolded in school for daydreaming. But, as we mature, most of us out grow using our imaginations. Plus, most of us have never been taught or learned how to use our imaginations the way God intended. Instead, we are taught that our imaginary world isn t real, that it s just make believe. This is especially true in the Western world. However, in the Kingdom of God, nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus said in Matthew 18:3 that unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. People who lived in biblical times generally understood that the imagination was a primary way that God communicated with people, both asleep and awake. They fully embraced the idea that God inspired their imaginations and frequently experienced inner visions, or imaginations, that were God given. Throughout the Bible, God encourages the use of our imaginations as a means to receive his promises. He instructed Abraham to look at the stars and imagine the innumerable offspring that were going to be a part of his lineage. In 2 Corinthians 4:18, we are instructed to, look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. How can we look at things that are not seen? By looking through our eyes of faith, or our imaginations, which enable us to see the unseen. This is why the Apostle Paul prayed for the Church at Ephesus to have enlightened eyes. In modern times, the reality of the power of the imagination is evident everywhere we look. Things that we see and use everyday were initially the product of someone s imagination - skyscrapers, airplanes, plastic bottles, toothbrushes, works of art, furniture, cell phones, etc. were all birthed in the mind of someone before they became material objects. God, as Creator of the seen realm, created mankind in his image with minds to create things through the power of imagination. Using Our Imagination to Engage with God Sometimes people are fearful of seeking to use their imagination for personal or spiritual guidance because they associate this practice with Eastern religions, secular psychology, hypnosis or New Age spirituality or meditation practices.

3 As with all spiritual issues, we can discern the difference between the proper use of our imaginations and New Age or occult rituals by looking to the Scriptures. As we do, we ll find that engaging our imaginations as we read the Bible, meditate on God s promises, and as a means to communicate with God (i.e. prayer) is absolutely biblical. In Joshua 1:8, God told Joshua to meditate on the words of God day and night. In Joshua 6:2, he told Joshua to see that he had given him the city. In Psalms 1, we are told that those that delight and meditate on God s word are like trees planted by streams of living water. In Jeremiah 1:11, God asks Jeremiah to tell him what he sees. And of course, Jesus frequently used parables or metaphors to help people visualize and understand spiritual principles. In reality, most likely, you are already engaging your imagination in your relationship with God. Every time we read the Bible, like any other book we read or story we tell, we use our imaginations. It would be hard, for example, to read the 23rd Psalm and not visualize the green pastures or the still waters. Your imagination is a gift from God that enables you to experience him, his Word, and a future filled with hope and faith. Imaginative Prayer Communing with God is foundational in spiritual transformation. There is much more to renewing our minds (Romans 12:2) than repeating Scripture over and over to ourselves or trying to believe the truth about who God is and who we are in Christ. Memorizing passages and telling ourselves the truth from Scripture is obviously helpful and even necessary. But, engaging our imaginations in our relationship with God allows us to experience the truth internally in a much more transformative manner. In Psalm 27, David describes his desire to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord in his temple. Sometimes we don t take the time to really think about it, but is David talking about gazing upon the Lord in a physical or spiritual sense? It s in a spiritual sense of course. In Hebrews 12:2, we are told to fix our eyes on Jesus, who is the author and finisher of our faith. This is once again referring to a spiritual seeing not a physical gaze. Two of my favorite books, which revolutionized my life and my understanding of how God engages with us in the realm of our imagination, are The 4th Dimension, by David Yonggi Cho and Seeing is Believing, by Dr. Gregory Boyd. I highly recommend that you pick these books up and add them to your library. They will greatly impact your relationship with God, your prayer life, and the way that you perceive the natural and spiritual realms. In our digging deeper exercises and awakenings thus far, we ve been engaging our imaginations as we commune with God. This week, we re going to continue to do so in an even greater way. We re going to be returning to our inner secret place to meet with Jesus, spending some time in soaking prayer, experiencing Jesus through the Scriptures, and meditating on biblical truths in front of a mirror. Think of each of the exercises as a personal invitation from God to get to know him better and experience him in new and profound ways through the power of your imagination.

4 EXERCISE 1 Experiencing Jesus In this exercise the goal is to simply visualize Jesus being with you, wherever you happen to be. STEP 1 Open with Prayer Let s begin in prayer by asking the Holy Spirit to sanctify our imaginations and use them help us move beyond knowledge about him into experiences with him. Recite the following prayer out loud. Holy Spirit, I come to you now offering myself as a living sacrifice as described in Romans 12:1. I give you my imagination and my mental faculties. Think through my mind, enlighten the eyes of my understanding, and flood my heart with light so that I can hear your thoughts and see your imaginations. Lead and guide me into all truth. Show me things that I do not know. Illuminate Scripture and restore the childlike freedom that you want me to have. Use my imagination. Bring to my remembrance the things that I need to remember from my past so that you can shatter wrong beliefs and ways of relating to you and myself. I give you full permission to speak and communicate to me through my inner thought life. I trust you to keep me safe as we journey through my past and confront whatever needs to be confronted. In Jesus name, AMEN! STEP 2 Imagine Jesus Ok, now that you ve prayed that prayer, take a moment to imagine Jesus. See him sitting in the same room as you right now. Where is Jesus sitting? What is he wearing? What is he doing? What is he saying? Take a look around; is there anything else that catches your eye in the spirit realm? STEP 3 Journal Write down your answers to these questions in your journal. Then, ask Holy Spirit to explain to you why you saw Jesus in this way and what He wants you to know about it. Allow yourself to imagine freely. The Holy Spirit is with you.

5 EXERCISE 2 Soaking Prayer One of the best ways to develop greater intimacy with God is to spend quality time simply enjoying his presence. In this exercise, we are going to engage our imaginations in a type of prayer called soaking prayer. Soaking prayer is all about experiencing intimacy with God. It s a type of prayer known as contemplative prayer, where you set aside time to exclusively rest in God s presence. It is a time dedicated to getting to know God, without any other agenda except spending time with him, and to just be with him, allowing him to reveal his love for you to you and for you to love him back. According to the Miriam-Webster Dictionary, the word contemplate means, To view or consider with continued attention. To meditate on. The word meditate means, A definite focusing of one s thoughts on something so as to understand it deeply. Intimacy comes from relationship. Bible reading and prayer are not enough to fulfill the longing in our soul for a real relationship with God. Through soaking prayer we spend time alone with the God, not asking for anything, but merely enjoying him. Jim Goll explains, "Contemplative prayer immerses us into the silence of God and helps us let go of control of our own life that leans on the props of this world for fulfillment." Many times we can struggle between the Mary side of our devotion to God and the Martha side of wanting to do the will of God. Like Martha, we often feel like we should be doing something for God. We want to pursue the call of God on our lives and fulfill our destiny -- and that's a good thing. But like Martha, we often get caught up in the busyness of serving Jesus rather than loving him like Mary. Soaking prayer helps combat this tendency. It helps us focus on our relationship with God and the simplicity of being with him and experiencing his love. Our relationship with God, like any other person we love and are in relationship with, is not about how much we can do for him. It's about getting to know him better, spending quality time with him, enjoying each other, and placing him at the center of our lives. The History of Soaking Prayer Throughout history, believers have sought the face of God through contemplative prayer. Recently, the term Soaking Prayer was coined to describe this practice. Soaking prayer is often referred to as an inward journey in the Spirit. In simple terms, it s just hanging out with Jesus, and letting him do whatever he wants to do in our lives. In previous periods of revival, people referred to this intimate communion with God as waiting on the Lord, or tarrying in God s presence. Although soaking includes waiting on the Lord, the focus is much more about resting and abiding in His love rather than striving to get something from God through prayer or other spiritual disciplines. Regarding contemplative or soaking prayer, Andrew Murray wrote, "Here is the secret of a life of prayer. Take time in the inner chamber to bow down and worship; and wait on Him until He unveils Himself, and takes possession of you, and goes out with you to show how a man can live and walk in abiding fellowship with an unseen Lord." But, soaking prayer is nothing new. In a Seventeenth Century monastery, a cook named Brother Lawrence gave his life to the art of practicing the presence of God in one single act that does not

6 end. He learned to cultivate the deep presence of God so thoroughly in his own heart that he was able to joyfully proclaim, I am doing now what I will do for all eternity. I am blessing God, praising Him, adoring Him, and loving Him with all my heart. As we rest and soak expectantly in God s presence, the Holy Spirit will often hover over us to reveal more of God s love or to renew and repair areas of brokenness in our lives. He takes control and begins to draw our attention to the things God is doing in our lives. This includes revelation of the Scriptures, or impressions or pictures that God shows. The whole point of is to get into the presence of God and let him have his way. Is Soaking Prayer in the Bible? In the same way some people are nervous about engaging their imaginations in prayer, some also get anxious at the mention of words like soaking prayer, contemplative prayer, meditation, or quietness because of their modern association with New Age or occult practices. So, it is important to distinguish between the biblical concept of soaking prayer and the pagan counterfeits. Once again, we can discern between Spirit empowered prayer and New Age or occult rituals by looking to the Scriptures. While the term soaking is a new way of referring to contemplative prayer, the Bible has much to say about spending intimate time communing with God. Many of King David s psalms are focused on communion with God such as: Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. (Psalm 131:2, NKJV) Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. (Psalm 4:4, NKJV) Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him. (Psalm 37:7, NKJV) Isaiah described the strength that comes from waiting on the Lord (another name for soaking): 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. (Isaiah 40:31, NKJV) Jesus also invites us into a place of rest and abiding in many Scriptures such as: Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30, NKJV) I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. (John 15:5, NKJV) How to Engage in Soaking Prayer Soaking prayer is really very simple. All you really need to do is find a place to be alone with God. When you soak, you might want to listen to some quiet instrumental or worship music. Some people prefer music with no words so that they can focus on interacting with God. Others like music with

7 words. It doesn t matter; it s really what works best for you. You might want to grab a pillow and blanket and lie down on the floor. Or alternatively, you might want to find a comfy chair or recliner. Even lying on your bed is fine. But you don t have to lie down. The idea is to be in a quiet, comfortable place where you can still your soul, focus on the Lord, open your heart, listen to his voice, and engage the Holy Spirit in your imagination. When you start, don t be alarmed if your mind is filled with thoughts. Don t fight your mind. Instead, just wait for your mind to settle, yielding your thoughts to the Holy Spirit. You may want to bring your journal with you. You can use it to jot down your thoughts or help empty your mind of things that arise. As you quiet yourself, you want to focus on breathing deeply imagining you are breathing in the presence of God that is all around you and breathing out the Spirit of Christ within. If you get distracted don't get frustrated. Just simply turn your attention back to the Lord. Try reflecting on the cross and all that Jesus has lovingly purchased for you. If there are things bothering you or you want to ask for forgiveness, then tell Jesus about these things. Receive forgiveness and relax in God s presence. As you soak in the presence of God you may want to turn to the Scripture and ask the Holy Spirit to help you choose a passage to meditate upon. This is not for the purpose of study, but for experiencing God. Read a small portion of the passage slowly and meditate upon it until the Lord gives you revelation. After a few moments, you will start to become aware of the Holy Spirit s presence. You may want to just worship the Lord for a while and take some time to imagine his beauty. Then become quiet and listen for His voice. You may hear His still, small voice speaking to you at this point. Or you may have a vision or some other supernatural experience. During these soaking times you position yourself to receive impressions, pictures, angelic visitations, and other supernatural revelations. The Benefits of Soaking Prayer Experiencing the intimate presence of Jesus, your Heavenly Father, and his Holy Spirit will radically change your life. As people have made soaking prayer a part of their lives they have experienced God's manifested presence and power in various ways. For example you may experience: A greater sense of God s love and/or peace. An infusion of hope, joy, and faith. An increase in your love for God and compassion for others. Holy Spirit inspired words, pictures, and images. Healing for emotional wounds and memories. Freedom from fear, shame, and unforgiveness. Spontaneous physical healing. Empowerment for ministry or the revealing of a ministry calling.

8 A releasing of his power in you through signs, wonders, and miracles. Bodily sensations of heat, electricity, or shaking as you experience the Holy Spirit. Feelings of lightness, or abundant joy that brings on weeping and laughter. Additionally, the Bible is clear that all sorts of supernatural experiences can happen to people as they experience God s manifest presence and learn to abide in Christ, such as: Dreams (Genesis 28:10-16, 37:5-11; Daniel 2; Matthew 1:20, 2:12; Acts 2:17) Visions (Genesis 15:1; Numbers 12:6; 2 Samuel 7:4-17; Daniel 7:1-3, 9; Acts 9:10-16, 10:3, 16:9-10) Trances (Acts 10:9-17, 11:5) Out of body experiences (2 Corinthians 12:2-4) Angelic visitations (Luke 1:11-17, 1:57; Acts 12:7-10) Transportation in the Spirit (Acts 8:39-40) But don t be alarmed or afraid of these biblical by-products of experiencing the manifest presence of God. It is a beautiful thing to encounter God and his glory. Also, don t be alarmed if you don t experience all of these things. Remember, the focus and point is greater intimacy with God. The key is really learning to patiently wait on the Lord until you experience His manifest presence. This is something that you can do daily. STEP 1 Set the Atmosphere Find a quiet, comfortable place where you can be alone without interruptions or distractions. Set aside enough time. You want to give God your full attention so that you can experience him. Set the atmosphere. Dim the lights, light a candle, fill the room with flowers, play soothing music. Lie down on the floor or recline in a chair. Settle your mind and open your heart to God. STEP 2 Open with Prayer Pray this prayer out loud. Holy Spirit, I want to experience you and your presence. I want to know Jesus more intimately. I want to receive your love. So, as I soak today, I invite you to come. I offer my spirit, soul, and body to you as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). Have your way in my heart. Do what you do best. Reveal the Father s heart for me. In Jesus name, AMEN!

9 STEP 3 Relax and Enjoy God s Presence Focus on the Lord's presence within you and around you. Breathe in the presence of God all around you. Breathe out the presence of God within you. Rest in his presence. Let the Lord to take you wherever he wants. If you mind wanders, gently bring your focus back onto the Lord. Take as much time as you can (try to give yourself at least 20 minutes to relax and receive). STEP 4 Journal Write about your experience in your in your journal! EXERCISE 3 Experience Jesus in the Scriptures In this exercise we are going to engage in another type of contemplative prayer called Lectio Divina. Lectio Divina (Latin for "Divine Reading") is a traditional Benedictine practice of scriptural reading, meditation and prayer intended to promote communion with God and to increase the knowledge of God's Word. It does not treat Scripture as texts to be studied, but as the Living Word. For many centuries God has used the spiritual discipline of Lectio Divina to help people open their hearts to God through his Word. The practice of Lectio Divina as a way of praying and meditating on the Scriptures has been around for many centuries and in our own day is being rediscovered by many individuals and groups. Remember the Word of God is alive and active. It contains the power to transform each of us as we open our hearts and minds to receive what the Holy Spirit is speaking and doing. STEP 1 Pray Begin by reciting the following prayer out loud. Holy Spirit, Today I want to experience Jesus as I read my Bible. Enlighten my eyes, open my ears, and empower me to move beyond merely reading the Bible to experiencing its life and power. Transform my heart and reveal Jesus to me. In Jesus name, AMEN!

10 STEP 2 Open Your Bible Read Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22, John 1:32-34 As you read, read slowly becoming aware of the sentences that Holy Spirit is highlighting to you. STEP 3 Meditate Reread the sentence(s) that Holy Spirit has highlighted to you. Is there a specific word or phrase that Holy Spirit impresses upon you? Stay with that phrase or word. Ask Holy Spirit to speak to you. Engage your imagination. What do you see? STEP 4 Step into the Bible Passage Enter into the Scripture passage. Imagine yourself as part of the scene. What do you see, sense, and hear? Walk up to Jesus and begin to interact with him. What is he saying, doing, asking you to do? Afterwards, take time to write down your experience in your journal. EXERCISE 4 Invite Jesus into the Inner Sanctuary In this next exercise we are going to revisit the inner sanctuary that we experienced in Lesson 3. STEP 1 Set the Atmosphere Find a quiet place where you can be alone without interruptions or distractions. Set aside enough time. You want to give God your full attention so that you can experience him. Take the time to set the atmosphere. Dim the lights, light a candle, fill the room with flowers, play soothing music.

11 STEP 2 Open with Prayer Pray this prayer out loud. Holy Spirit, I am here today to experience your presence and to get to know Jesus, my heavenly Father, and you better. Please help me experience as real what I intellectually know to be true. Sanctify my imagination and help me experience you with all of my five senses. In Jesus name, AMEN! STEP 3 Go Inward The next step is to go inward, into your secret place with God. This is the same place that you discovered and experienced in the Digging Deeper 3 exercise. Bring your secret place into focus using your imagination. Once you have the image in mind, engage your senses. Smell the air, feel the breeze, hear the sounds around you. Experience this inward place in all of its beauty. Spend as much time as necessary taking in your surroundings and feeling the solitude and serenity of the place. When you feel like you re really engaged, ask Jesus to join you. As he enters, stay focused and engaged. Continue to yield to the Holy Spirit. Then, just enjoy his presence. Talk with him, laugh with him, cry with him, and allow him to take you wherever he wants to go. STEP 4 Journal Write down what the Lord showed you in your journal! EXERCISE 5 Mirror Work In this next exercise we are going to be meditating on the truth of Colossians 1:27, Christ in you, the hope of glory in front of a mirror. The goal is to engage your imagination with the Holy Spirit and allow him to bring this Scripture to life giving you a personal revelation of the reality of your union with Christ.

12 STEP 1 Pray Begin by reciting the following prayer out loud. Holy Spirit, As I read, memorize, and meditate on Colossians 1:27 today, release your wisdom and revelation so that I experience Christ in me. As I stand in front of the mirror, show me Jesus inside of me and give me an understanding of how this changes everything. In Jesus name, AMEN! STEP 2 Open Your Bible Read Colossians 1:27 and jot it down on a 4x6 note card. STEP 3 Meditate Reread Colossians 1:27 on your 4X6 note card until you ve memorized it. Stand in front of the mirror and look into your natural eyes with the eyes of your spirit. Visualize Jesus within. Connect with the reality that Jesus is dwelling inside of your skin. Allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you or show you whatever else he would like. Be still and enjoy Jesus indwelling presence. STEP 4 Journal Write down what the Lord showed you in your journal!