Soaking

Worship is a lifestyle. I’ve heard this statement many times and numerous. In the church, I heard this phrase all my life. I heard that worship is not just a song or a sense of a moment. It took a few years until I understood what this lifestyle really is. It wasn’t that I did not understand worship, but I did not know the ways that my life could be praise and surrender.

I grew up in a Christian home, and always went and also served the local church. I went to many services, retreats, camps, and conferences. I had several profound experiences in the presence of God. Some of which created a lot of interest and a thirst for something inexplicable. I remember these moments of complete solitude, peace and rest in the spirit that left me longing for more. I remember being in my room with the sound of Ludmila Ferber, one of the spontaneous music albums, and I soaked myself in the Spirit. It was a new and different style of worship for me. In the Throne of spontaneous, I felt this river flowing in me. Little did I know that this practice of worship existed between the Levites and all over the world now known as Soaking (in Portuguese drenched, like a sponge).

Nic Billman prefers the term Marinate, the origin of the Biblical term. In the Scriptures it is a practice of the Levites when they cleaned the temple was soaked of presence. It was common among them spend this time meditating on the Word and the Presence of God.

In search on the internet on the subject, I found this story that illustrates perfectly. The author of the text tells of his parents. She says they had married recently and that financial conditions were very limited. So they decided to further invest and spend a little more to have a barbecue just the two. Then they bought a piece of meat, which was not very cheap and put to marinate in a bowl with spices and salt. As they worked full time, just failing to prepare that evening barbecue. They ended up having other schedules and for a few days that meat was immersed in salt and spices. After this many days they could not have the barbecue, they finally managed to do it at a dinner. They decided they could not just throw that flesh out and buy another one because of the price and financial conditions. And after all the meat looked good and the spice had maintained, I was immersed during all these days. The husband prepared the barbecue and put to bake.

After several minutes he realized that the meat not baked. This intrigued him. It stressed and for a long period of time in the fire nothing seemed to happen. Meat became impenetrable, as if pickled. It happens to vegetables that are preserved, among them the pickle is the most common origin of the expression in English ‘pickled’. The meat during that time in the salts and spices closed pores, and the heat did not allow that she could be achieved in some way by the heat and flames.

So we are. We must immerse, as the Greek term in the Bible ‘baptism’, totally drenched the Presence, so saturated oil of the Spirit that the flames of hell, the evil system can no longer affect us. It is at this time with God, only you and God, you are strengthened in the Lord, and becomes winner and full of Him. Among so many thing to hear His voice, Soaking is being filled, wet and overflowing of God’s Spirit.

If you want to try this, the steps are simple.

1. Find a quiet and peaceful place to relax and rest in presence. Make yourself comfortable, lie can be a good way.
2. Place a calm music Soaking or spontaneous worship. You can purchase one of our Soaking CDs in iTunes, or in our online store. Write contato@shoresofgrace.com and ask for Immersed album. There are many others, this is just a recommendation.
3. Quiet your mind, keep your eyes on Jesus, no distractions, let Him minister to your heart and spirit. Zephaniah 3:17 says that He sings over us with joy, happiness and love.
4. Listen to His voice and allow the Word to become life in you.
5. Spend the time necessary filling Him. Avoid pray often we pray much, or rather, we talk so much that I could not hear the voice of the Father. Listen and write down, record it in your diary or notebook. Do this always!

If you have questions and want to know more about Soaking, please write me an email: jonathan@shoresofgrace.com me also send testimony of his time and experience in Soaking, how God gave you, I’m curious as to how God is pouring over your life!

God bless. In Jesus,

Jonathan Costa