The Invitation

Our fellowship with the Lord is like a dance - a grand ballroom dance. The heart of this message is to explain what that means and extend an invitation to join the dance.

In (Fundamentals), I mentioned the importance of mastering the fundamentals, or rudimentary skills, of dance (or any other sport, hobby, craft, etc.). A dance student spends time and energy establishing the foundational skills of dance and then builds on those to create amazing works of art through movement. The creative possibilities are limitless as long as the foundation remains in tact. The fundamental skills must be practiced, honed and maintained continually in order for the dancer to successfully grow in their art. 

So what fundamental skills must we as believers establish as a foundation to build our "dance" (fellowship) with God? The Cornerstone is Jesus (Eph 2:20). Nothing that will last can be built apart from Him (John 15:5). With Jesus set as our chief Cornerstone, key building blocks for our foundation include:

• Reading His Word
• Praise and worship
• Practicing giving thanks and finding joy in all circumstances
• Gathering with other believers regularly to hear the Word and edify one another
• Prayer - private, shared and corporate

It is important that we learn and practice all of these skills but there is one that I have found in my personal experience that unlocks and powerfully activates the others. This is the regular engagement of private prayer and that will be the focus of the remainder of this post.

First, I want to clarify what I mean by private prayer. I am not referring to a time focused on bringing a list of requests to God. As His sons and daughters, we are invited to come boldly before His throne to make our requests known and we are encouraged to do so - for ourselves and on behalf of others. This is intercessory prayer, and it is a vital function of the Body of Christ, but it is not what I am referring to when I speak of private prayer. The spiritual discipline I am pointing to is often referred to today as "soaking". The term may be new to some, but the practice of it is not. Soaking is the recovery of a lifestyle of intimacy with God practiced for generations by countless heroes of faith. It is also known as "waiting upon the Lord", "tarrying", "being still before Him", and "meditative or contemplative prayer". 

Soaking is intentionally focusing all of our attention to be in fellowship with God while our body is at rest, remaining in that place of His presence and allowing the Holy Spirit to fill us with more of Him. This is a time devoted to looking intently at our Father through the eyes of our spirit so we may see His face, hear His voice and enjoy the wonder of who He is.

Intercessory prayer takes up audience with the King. Soaking delves deep into fellowship with the Father. 

As soaking is intentionally practiced over time, it becomes less something we do and more someone we are. As we grow and mature in this practice, we transition from taking dance lessons, to being a dancer and we find ourselves moving in time with God throughout the course of our day, not just in those times of private prayer.

So, how exactly does one soak? 

• Begin with finding/creating a quiet, comfortable place and time that offers privacy and freedom from distractions. This can be any place (home, outside, etc.) as long as the focus is not on the place or an activity there, but completely on God.
• Create an atmosphere of rest (this might be silence or soft music, soft lighting, a comfortable place to sit or lie down, etc.)
• Quiet the heart and mind. Free them of the "to-do's" and the laundry list of prayer requests. I often find it helps to write these things down and then set them aside for attention later.
• Focus on the character of God (His love, goodness, faithfulness, etc.) and, with anticipation and excitement, expect Him to meet with you.
• Let your heart go deeper in longing for God - He already longs for you! (Ps 23:6 MSG, 1 John 4:19, Jer 31:3, Zeph 3:17, more on His great love for us at "God's Relentless Pursuit of us in Love"). 

What should we expect to happen as we do this? Waiting on the Lord in this manner is like a dry sponge being dipped in a pail of water - over time, it soaks up all the water it can. Similarly, as we are immersed in this quiet time with God, we soak up His presence. The deeper we go, the longer we tarry, the more saturated we become. As we do, all the "noise" and concerns around us fade as we allow ourselves to focus on Him. We become completely captivated by His great goodness and the veil over our spiritual eyes is lifted so we can see who He is to us and who we are in Him. It is in His presence we begin to get a clearer picture of our true identity.

So why do this? What's the purpose? We were created for intimate relationship with our Father. The purpose of our creation is to be filled with and host the very presence of God and live in union with the Godhead. It is out of the reality of this relationship that we shine with His glory in all we are and do. The purpose of our salvation is not simply to receive an all expenses paid ticket to heaven. We are destined to bring the reality of the culture of the Kingdom of heaven to earth (1 Peter 2:9, 2 Cor 5:20, 2 Cor 4:7, Ps 24:3-10). The Kingdom of God is the total answer to the total needs of man. Everything in the Kingdom is to be received, not achieved. We can't release what we haven't received. 

The measure in which we receive from Him in the secret place is the same measure in which we are able to release the things of Him to the world. 

Ephesians 2:10 says, "We are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago" (NLT). One of the definitions for "created" in this verse is "given new rank and appointment". There is purpose, destiny and assignment to our lives. God has our "job description" and will reveal it to us as we spend time in His presence. 

This is where the dance comes in. First we lean back, resting in Him, soaking up His presence. As we do, we receive of His very nature - we become like the One who first laid hold of us as we are now beholding Him (Phil 3:12, 2 Cor 3:18). It is also in this place where we receive the Kingdom assignments, intel, equipment/tools, and strategies that will be needed in our everyday lives. It is in the position of leaning back into Him that we line up who He is to us in all situations, who we are in Him and what He desires to do in and through us. Then, at His lead, we lean forward and release His goodness to others in the ways He has equipped us to do. The "choreography" of each dance is created uniquely for us and timed perfectly with His good plans and purposes. 

Our activity for God is meant to flow rhythmically out of our intimacy with Him. This is the rhythm of Heaven. 

This fundamental spiritual discipline of waiting on the Lord in the secret place is practiced and honed over the course of a lifetime. It is the fuel that ignites and sustains every other discipline and creative outpouring. What begins as a discipline becomes an absolute delight! It is a lifestyle. It is unpredictable and exciting and the Lord satisfies us every step of the way, even as we long for more of Him. He is the treasure!

If you are already a believer but have never pursued the presence of God in this way, I invite you to join the dance. If you have not yet accepted Jesus as your Savior, I encourage you today to accept His invitation to be restored into relationship with our Father. It is a fully paid gift waiting to be received. There is no better time than now to begin your amazing journey with Him! The following is a prayer to guide you in receiving this gift:

"God, I acknowledge that I am a sinner and that my sin has separated me from You. I recognize I am powerless to save myself. I believe that Jesus Christ is Your Son and the one true Savior. I believe His death on the Cross fully paid the penalty of my sin and that You raised Him from the dead. I ask you Jesus to come into my life and be my Lord and Savior. I receive You to live in me and, by the power of Your presence, enable me to turn from my old sinful nature and live as a new, thriving creation in You. Thank you Lord Jesus for saving me with Your precious blood! In Jesus' name. Amen." 

Welcome to the family of God! So glad you accepted the Invitation. Rejoicing with you! You are now set free from the power of sin and death and set free to abundant, thriving life in Christ! (Rom 6:7-11, John 10:7-10) Now, begin growing in your relationship with God by reading the Bible and praying (talking and listening) to God daily with the help of the Holy Spirit. Find a Bible believing church and get planted there. Please see the post "Purpose" for more information regarding how to do this.  Your journey with God has just begun. Let's start with a celebration! (Open The Clouds)

“Or imagine a woman who has ten coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and scour the house, looking in every nook and cranny until she finds it? And when she finds it you can be sure she’ll call her friends and neighbors: ‘Celebrate with me! I found my lost coin!’ Count on it—that’s the kind of party God’s angels throw every time one lost soul turns to God.” (Luke 15:8-10 MSG)

Enjoy the Dance!