As you begin soaking in God's presence, ask Him to forgive you for being so busy and distant. Ask Him to help you silence your heart and mind so you can hear His voice. Covenant with God to seek Him and enter into the secret place. Now is the time to be marinated in God and to be saturated with the Holy Spirit.
Here are some steps you can take to start a new incredible journey of sweet fellowship with God:
1. Wait in a position of receiving, not giving. Lie on the floor in an attitude of total surrender or wait in a private place without distractions. It's usually difficult to soak at church because there's too much going on around you.
2. Quiet your mind. You must overcome the busyness of your mind to enter into the spirit realm. The mind is the biggest hindrance to fellowship with God. When your mind wanders (and it will), just pull it back in.
3. Focus your attention on Jesus. Your spiritual eyes live in your imagination. Just relax and think Jesus, Jesus. If you feel you aren't connected, then pray just enough to get focused and then be quiet again. When we stop praying, God is still with us.
4. Worship and adore Him. Just worship Him for a short while, or occasionally with little phrases such as: "You're beautiful. I love You. I welcome Your presence."
Repeat steps 1-4 for the rest of your life. Don't give up. Don't get discouraged. Keep pressing in. Your intimacy with the Lord depends on it!
Where Does Jesus Dwell?
According to Paul in Colossians, Christ dwells in you. "The mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints... Christ in you, the hope of glory (Col. 1:26-27). The Kingdom of Heaven is within you. How close is the Kingdom? Jesus said, "Repent for it is at hand (Mark 1:14-15 paraphrased). Where does Jesus sit? In heavenly places. Where does Christ dwell? Christ in you, the hope of glory. Where is Heaven? It's within you. Think about that!
Do you want to go to the throne? Close your eyes and go to the throne of grace.Before you try to get God to take you up or get Heaven to come down, develop a consciousness of Heaven within you. Change your worldview. Start thinking: I am carrying Heaven with me when I walk into the coffee shop. I am carrying Heaven with me on the airplane. I am in heavenly places right now. Hallelujah!
You may find that you're in the presence of God and then something distracts you. The telephone rings and suddenly the presence is gone. Does God really leave that quickly? No, we leave. The door into and out of the present in our minds. Are you ready to ascend Jacob's ladder? Jesus is the ladder and He gives you an invitation to come boldly. Just close your eyes and focus on Him. There He is...He lives inside you. It's time to think like a spiritual being: Heaven is within me. There I am on the throne. I carry heavenly places and I rule and reign from here. I can access every spiritual blessing from here.
Tasting the Power of the World to Come
If Heaven (the Kingdom of God) is within us, perhaps we should further examine the characteristics of this Kingdom. Scripture clearly defines our Kingdom inheritance: "But if I cast out demons with the finger O God, surely the Kingdom of God has come upon you" (Luke 11:20). According to this verse, the Kingdom of God is casting out devils and setting the captives free. Wherever Jesus went, He told people that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand; wherever Jesus went, God's Kingdom rule touched the earth.
What did that look like? The Kingdom of God, through Jesus, turned sinfulness into holiness, poverty into wealth, sickness into health, and darkness into light. Christ in us wants to manifest the Kingdom in power in the same way.
The Lord also tells us that His Kingdom isn't of this world. "Jesus answered, 'My Kingdom is not of this world. If My Kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My Kingdom is not from here'" (John 18:36).
As a Christian I am a citizen of Heaven; I am not subject to the laws and limitations of the world in which I dwell. Though I live in my body I am really an alien. I'm from "planet Heaven" and I live by another law and another order. The restrictions of a natural body don't limit me. God has made me a representative of His government and His world. The Kingdom of Heaven is with me and the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. And remember, God's Kingdom is not in Word only, but the Kingdom of God is in power. Because of that, I can taste the power of the world to come.
God wants us to become still and quiet, turn our hearts inward, and use our spiritual eyes. Since the Kingdom of God is within every Believer, entering into the Spirit can happen as quickly as we can turn our hearts to the Lord and allow faith to speak to us through promptings, word impressions, our sanctified imaginations, visions, dreams, and spiritual experience. We are God's children and He wants to speak to us; it is His will. He will give us heavenly encounters when we access and receive them by faith.
Replies
I thank God for the knowledge of how to present myself to him, I think when you develop that place it's like no other. Above list a great place to be in, having to be in a quiet place to focus, being in position to receive all that God has for us; direction, correction, encouragement...
There was a time in my life that I would often wonder "do God really hear me"? And answering myself, after all that you've done how can a God as majestic as He is want you at his throne. But Nevertheless; just cause of your way, there is a Majestic, Mighty, Forgiving, and Loving God that has made a way for you in no matter what state you are in. then as I was in our intimate place, God Himself told me Now I can approach the Throne of Grace. What a powerful statement that was for me, and it shifted my whole life. I take ownership of this scripture; Christ in you, the hope of glory (Col. 1:26-27). The Kingdom of Heaven is within you.
Thank God for these teaching and for the word to come to cause a changed mindset to shift and to launch us out; right into the divine place; God has it all set up for us to tap into, to receive and grasp hold to.
Heaven Encounters this what I needed thank you LORD AMEN.
Praise God for this particular teaching I remember also well maybe about 4 or 5 years ago when I was attending my home Church in Rancho Cordova California for many many many many years I will take all of my children in the early morning hours 12 in the morning through three and four in the morning during the week day on the weekends and going to the church and lay at the altar and play some intermenstrual soaking music and lay on the floor face down crying out to God praying for my family praying for the church and I had gotten my children involved in this lifestyle and I really miss those days I really really miss those days so I know personally intimately what this text is talking about I understand for the degree of experiencing it in my own life and my children's life and seeing how God Holy Spirit touch my children's life as a result of God using me and drawing me into his presence into that secret intimate place and I praise God that Everywhere I Go, I carry heaven with me...
Yes INDEED LORD still our racing minds and our busy lives may we carve out special times in our busy days just for you. We realize LORD that you desire quality time with us help Jesus to be ever mindful of the gifts and talents you have given to us for your glory. Every day is a miracle that we live move and have our being may we never lose focus of that or of you AMEN
Blessing Pastor Robert, I am just beginning to read Heaven's Encounter. Can you explain specifically what you mean by "This is just what I needed" or how this particular study ministered to you?
Pastor Robert Napper said:
Heaven Encounters
I am posting this one on my wall.
This is just what I needed!
Lord You are my Rock and I thank You for allowing me to bask in Your presence. Please forgive me for the times when I have allowed the business and/or distractions interfere with our time.
Awesome reading material. Waiting on Jesus at times can become very demanding on our faith but we have to remain focus on Jesus. We have to walk in the authority we have been given by God. We have to be open to hearing the voice of God.