| Recently a listener sent me an email inquiring as to | | | | experiences are automatically ascribed to God and |
| whether or not I thought "soaking prayer" was of the | | | | evidence of Him blessing us. However, the phenomena |
| Lord. | | | | experienced during these periods of soaking are |
| In order to gauge whether or not soaking prayer is a | | | | identical to those experienced in Kundalini Yoga, New |
| valid form of prayer or communication to God, we | | | | Age, and Eastern Religions. |
| must first look to God's word. Prayer in its purest form | | | | "Some of these phenomena are obvious: weeping, |
| is calling on the name of God and in every scriptural | | | | cries, exuberant and prolonged expressions of praise, |
| example is a done as a form of communication with | | | | shaking, trembling, calmness, bodily writhing and |
| the Lord. Although at first glance soaking prayer may | | | | distortions, falling over (sometimes referred to as 'being |
| seem that it follows this model of prayer it does not. | | | | slain in the Spirit'), laughter and jumping. Other |
| Like most lies of the enemy a closer look will reveal a | | | | phenomena are more subtle: slight trembling, fluttering |
| different picture. Soaking prayer involves a trance like | | | | of the eyelids, faint perspiring, a sheen on the face, |
| meditative or contemplative state in which the | | | | ripples on the skin, deep breathing..." Wimber also said |
| adherent is encouraged to empty their mind. This type | | | | that people sometimes experience a sense of |
| of prayer seeks to experience God's presence | | | | heaviness or tiredness, weeping or drunkenness." |
| through mystical exercises which teeters dangerously | | | | Roger Harper, Soaking Prayer |
| on the edge of the esoteric. As believers we | | | | Random house dictionary defines Magic as "The art of |
| understand that God's presence is ever with us and | | | | producing a desired effect or result through the use of |
| when we come to prayer it is with His will in mind not | | | | various techniques, as incantation, that presumably |
| ours. | | | | assure human control of supernatural agencies or the |
| Christians can often mistakenly believe that everything | | | | forces of nature." When we presume to gain |
| supernatural is of God. Tingling sensations, being pinned | | | | experiences of God through various disciplines of |
| to the floor, feelings of heat or a power moving | | | | contemplation and soaking we are in essence |
| through their body are not uncommon experiences in | | | | engaging in white magic and are presuming control |
| soaking prayer adherents. These sensations and | | | | over God. |