Filled With the Spirit (Saturation) Prayer:

[Aquila]

In an earlier post of mine I discussed a conversation that I had with God. God seemed to speak to me as with a friend, it was exhilarating and wonderful. Yet it was also challenging in that my mind was trying to discount the experience. In that conversation God strongly impressed upon me saying, “I am the vine and you are the branches”. I immediately understood that God was speaking about John 15. Let’s take a look at that passage to be mindful of the Scripture:

John 15:1-14 (ESV)
15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.

Since then God has emphasized to me that a branch and its vines are a single organism. That we are to realize our spiritual “oneness” with God and how His Spirit and His Life flows through us to produce spiritual fruit in our walk with God, our witness, and with regards to our power. The term that keeps coming to me in the Spirit is that we are to live, “incarnationally”, realizing that we are, in a very real sense, vessels in which God is incarnating Himself. God’s ultimate goal in this spiritual process is to conform us into the very image and likeness of Jesus Himself. In my conversations with God, God seems to not be very pleased with “religion” or what He calls, “lists” (lists of standards, traditions, and legalisms). His primary concern regarding these things is that we become conformed into the image and likeness of the list. And therefore if we are conformed into the image of our “lists” we become conformed into an “interpretation” of Scripture, the likeness of a pastor, a church, a denomination, or movement. Our growth is more carnal and outward, reflecting the religions of this world, and not inward transformation into the very image of Christ Himself.

And so began a conversation between me and God regarding what it means to be “holy” and what He desires of us. God’s answer to me was rather simple. Being “holy” means to be like Jesus. Nothing more. Nothing less. What God desires is a single action… love. Not just a frilly emotional love, but the pouring out of “divine love”… His love. God brought these Scriptures to mind to drive the point home….

Matthew 22:37-40
King James Version (KJV)
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.


Romans 13:9
For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.


Galatians 5:14
For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Thus all God truly desires of us is that we do two things:

1.) Love Him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.
2.) Demonstrate our love for Him by loving others as ourselves.

God emphasized how divine love will never bring harm to the object of its affection. Therefore divine love will never murder, commit adultery, lie, steal, blaspheme, etc. Thus loving with divine love… fulfills the heart of the law in one single action. It divorces keeping the law from individual actions (works) and elevates fulfilling the law to being a “state of being”, being loving. Since God is love itself, being loving is essentially being… like God.

TO BE CONTINUED...

[Aquila]

CONTINUED...

Since then God has shown me how this is impossible to do without truly being a, “branch”, or a “living extension”, of God Himself, through Christ, by the Holy Spirit. And so I asked how can we better attain this reality? God’s answer was rather simple, in fact, it was something that I’ve heard many times, and yet… I’ve only now begun to realize it’s meaning and reality. God said,

”My child, you become a branch by being FILLED with ME. When you have your entire being saturated with ME, then we are one. Then are you a branch of Me, the True Vine.”

And so I began to realize that there is a level of prayer, or a kind of prayer, wherein we become saturated or soaked with God’s own Spirit. As a result, we become like sponges filled with Him. We become “branches” through which the power and life of the “True Vine” flows. This “saturation prayer” essentially must empty us of self… and open us up to be literally “filled” with Him. When we are literally “filled” with God, we will see His works pouring forth from us in the Gifts of the Spirit. We will have dreams and visions. We shall hear from Him, intimately and personally knowing His voice as He calls us by name. Here are some Scriptures to contemplate on this understanding:

Ephesians 5:18 - And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

1 Corinthians 12:13 - For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether [we be] Jews or Gentiles, whether [we be] bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

Romans 8:9 - But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Acts 4:31 - And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

Romans 5:5 - And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Acts 9:17 - And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, [even] Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

Acts 2:38 - Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

1 John 4:4 - Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Hebrews 9:14 - How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

1 Corinthians 12:4-7 - Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

1 Corinthians 3:16 - Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

Acts 11:16 - Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.

Titus 3:5 - Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

1 Thessalonians 5:19 - Quench not the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:18 - But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord.

2 Corinthians 1:22 - Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.


1 Corinthians 12:11 - But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

Romans 8:14 - For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.


Acts 13:52 - And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.

Acts 1:8 - But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

These verses speak of being filled with the Spirit. These speak of our Oneness with God through the Spirit:

1 Corinthians 6:17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.


John 14:20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

Galatians 3:27 - For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

1 John 4:13 - Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

2 Peter 1:4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, .

This “oneness” is a “mutual indwelling”. We in Him… and He in us. It is through this spiritual reality that we are prepared to love with divine love… prepared to love with God’s own love flowing through us.

And so I’ve begun this journey of seeking to live “incarnationally”. I’m far from perfect… but it seems that God wants to be made manifest (known) in me… and as a result, I pray that I’m conformed into the very image and likeness of Jesus.

God's desire is that we attain a holiness that is only possible through a spiritual oneness with Him. And to attain this, we must be saturated (or soaked) with His Spirit as a result of our prayer and meditation. I'll elaborate more on how I've experienced this kind of prayer in posts to come. But the basics are:

1.) The humbling of self. I confess all known sin and human carnality. I plead the blood of Jesus over myself, my family, and my location of prayer.

2.) Take authority over any spiritual influences that are not of God and remove them.

3.) I meditate on the Scripture or focus on feeling God's presence in Spirit.

4.) I pray until there is a sense of the loss of self, you can feel when God is filling your being, living in you, breathing through you, and wanting to speak through you. It's like being "charged" with power or electricity.

5.) Pray until God reveals His purpose to you. It might be to go and witness to an individual or group. It might be to visit the sick or to help the needy. It might be to engage in spiritual warfare, it might be to post something on the internet, it might be to simply take a time out and play with your children, whom you've been neglecting.

6.) Don't be surprised if you find yourself in a "trance" during this state. This is where visions often take place. This is also where you might hear straight from God directly on any number of subjects.

7.) Pray until the Spirit tells you that He is finished with you.

You might not feel worthy of this kind of intimacy. And the truth is... you're not. None of us are. Therefore, to enter into this realm one must properly understand grace. You must stand in the atonement, propitiation, and justification provided by Christ at Calvary. Only then can you (a weak, frail, and often carnal, human being) experience this regeneration and oneness of the Spirit. You must come unworthy, humbled, and with arms wide open. And if you think about it... isn't this how you received the Spirit by faith originally? Trusting in the cross... the very blood of Jesus for your entire redemption? Go back to that place. Go back to the foot of the cross and it is here that you will be called to enter into this "Holy of Holies" through the blood, by grace. This is the very reason why God has chosen grace. Only through this kind of grace can you enter into His presence this deeply. Relying on your own works, performance, or righteousness will prevent you from entering in. You must get rid of your "list". You must be humbled before Him. Allow His grace to absolutely humble you to strictly relying on His mercy and forgiveness... His love... alone. Here you will meet Him face to face. Here you will behold Him as He is... as you really are.

I gotta go for now. May God bless and keep you.

Chris

[Carl]

Thanks for sharing!

[Shawn]

Thanks Chris!

[Aquila]

Saturation/Soaking prayer is essentially key to the "spiritual" Christian life of holiness and sanctification. Through prayer, one seeks to have their entire being "saturated" with God's own Spirit to the point wherein they are truly a branch of the Vine, one organism with God Himself.

[Michael The Disciple]

Originally Posted by Aquila

Saturation/Soaking prayer is essentially key to the "spiritual" Christian life of holiness and sanctification. Through prayer, one seeks to have their entire being "saturated" with God's own Spirit to the point wherein they are truly a branch of the Vine, one organism with God Himself.

[KeptByTheWord]

Aquila, the Lord has been dealing with me in these very same things.

Loving God with all our hearts in reality means being obedient to Him in all things, consciously, every moment of the day. The only way to abide in Him, and obey his commandments is to spend time in His presence and to allow ourselves to be changed and conformed into His image. The greatest act of love and obedience on our part is to lay our lives and our will down at his feet, and be willing to do His will in all things, every moment of every day. This is abiding in Him. This is where all power and authority will come into our lives, once we have discovered the reality of death to our flesh, and will, and seek only to glorify, honor, and obey the Lord Jesus in all we do.

[Aquila]

KeptByTheWord, I want to use your post to demonstrate how ingrained religion has become in our mindset. Here are a few things I felt in my spirit as I read your post.

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord

Aquila, the Lord has been dealing with me in these very same things.

Praise God!

Loving God with all our hearts in reality means being obedient to Him in all things, consciously, every moment of the day. The only way to abide in Him, and obey his commandments is to spend time in His presence and to allow ourselves to be changed and conformed into His image.

Ah, you've made a very vague statement. Now you have to "list" His commandments, or the statement could mean anything. So, this "list" will be yours, and it will differ from the "lists" others have made. The end result is "obeying his commandments" is a highly subjective position based on personal opinion and interpretation. Hardly something to stake one's salvation on.

The greatest act of love and obedience on our part is to lay our lives and our will down at his feet, and be willing to do His will in all things, every moment of every day.

When you speak of being "willing to do His will" are you speaking of whatsoever the Spirit bids you to do as you live your life as a reflection of Jesus? Or are you speaking about "commandments" again?

This is abiding in Him. This is where all power and authority will come into our lives, once we have discovered the reality of death to our flesh, and will, and seek only to glorify, honor, and obey the Lord Jesus in all we do.

This means that "abiding" is predicated upon some work instead of being predicated upon a maintained "state of being". Jesus said,

John 15:1-12 (ESV)
1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
12 This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."

Notice that this is about "abiding in His love". Not earning His love. The "commandments" of Jesus were essential about loving God and loving others as one's self. Notice how Jesus launches into loving one another (again, more on loving others). So "abiding in Christ's love" is about loving as Christ loves, we abide in that state of being. And as a result we fulfill Christ's commandments (1. Love God. 2. Love others). It's all about divine love pouring through us. And for that, we must be saturated in His very Spirit to the point of oneness, and there we abide.

[Aquila]

Love needs no law. Love will never harm the object of its affection. Also, love will hold a higher standard. For example, I don't need a law forbidding pork. But if a weaker brother, who hasn't come into the understanding of our liberty according to grace, might be offended at me eating pork... love demands that I not partake in pork around him. Should he condemn me because I do occasionally on my own, love demands that I forgive him and pray for his spiritual development and maturity.

I need no law. Love will guide.

I need no law on modesty. For love would demand that I behave and dress in a manner that doesn't insight another to lust or envy.

I need no law against murder. For love would demand that I do no harm to another.

Love is the guiding principle in all things and is thus the only law. So, as Paul stated, if there is any commandment whatsoever, it is summed up in this one single concept... Love thy neighbor as thyself.

And so I have no list. I have only a command to love. And love guides what I am to do in every given circumstance as I surrender and learn to walk in the Spirit.

[Aquila]

Here's another example as to how love demands more than law or any "list". Consider this... there is no commandment against the internet. However, if I neglect my spouse or children to play on the computer during my free time... I have failed to love them... and so I have sinned against them and the Lord who gave them to me to love.