The Truth About Soaking Prayer

Recently, I chanced upon a facebook page of a local church where I used to attend, and there was that announcement posted about the schedule of their so-called "Soaking in the Spirit". It says there that the usual service has been canceled to give way for Soaking instead, which to me is unusually long for an 8 AM till 5 PM session. The term "soaking" is new to me, I never heard of it before, and this prompted me to do my research on it.

I decided to contact some of my Christian friends from Facebook through private messages to ask them if they could help me on the subject. Some of them are pastors and teachers of the Word who are known to be biblically sound and have discernment ministries of their own. They sent me lots of links about Soaking which were taken from very doctrinally-sound and reliable sources like Lighthouse Trails Research Project which specializes on exposing New Age Spirituality and Eastern Mysticism in the church.

What is Soaking in the Spirit?

Soaking in the Spirit and Soaking Prayer, are terms which we often hear and being popularized by Emergent churches. Soaking was developed by the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship (now Catch the Fire Toronto) which is also known for the "Toronto Blessing" and other unbiblical practices like holy laughter, drunk in the spirit and making animal sounds. This now very popular practice is a modern form of contemplative prayer where a person experiences and absorbs God's presence through stillness and by quieting or emptying one's mind, focusing on Jesus and opening up to the Holy Spirit as he or she lies down and/or in a sitting position while listening to a quiet worship music, although some choose to do this in total silence. Like contemplative prayer, Soaking focuses on having a mystical experience with God.

Just like all false doctrines, this can not stand without twisting the Scripture and taking them out of context. Those who practice soaking always use twisted verses to justify that it is biblical. They often use Psalm 46:10 which says "Be still, and know that I am God...", or Matthew 6:6, "But you, when you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father which is in secret; and your Father which sees in secret shall reward you openly." and Psalm 37: 7, "Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him...". 

"Soaking prayer is a modern form of contemplative prayer ... People put themselves in an attitude of stillness, focusing on Jesus and opening to the Holy Spirit but with no requests or agenda. The aim is to be still in God’s presence, "waste time with Jesus". The Toronto church sees soaking prayer as one of the main ways in which they encourage people to be open to the Holy Spirit." -  "Soaking Prayer", Roger Harper

(For more on Contemplative prayer and other links on the subject go to Lighthouse Trail)

Here's a video I found on You Tube of a woman who promotes and teaches Soaking in the Spirit. She explains what Soaking is, its benefits and how to do it. She said that God spoke one day to her husband and told him to buy a tent, set it up in the house, spend time in it and wait for the Lord there. She even compares Soaking to sunbathing and calls it spiritual sunbathing. (Notice how she twists Colossians 3:1, 2)

Soaking music

The music used for Soaking are usually quiet worship songs, but sometimes they also use soothing, relaxing instrumental worship music and believe me, when you hear this type of music, you will not be able to distinguish it from New Age music, in fact, if you would look for it in the music store most of them are categorized under the New Age section. This music often has a melancholic feel to it which triggers a particular emotion or feeling, no wonder most people who do Soaking prayer often can't stop themselves from crying. One of the followers of our blog says that she used to listen to this kind of music which she thought Christian. She used to spend quite a lot of money for it until God took her out of it. God bless her.

(Here's a very "New Age" soaking music with the sound of  a stream in the background)

Dangers and Physical Symptoms

As with contemplative prayers, transcendental meditation (TM), reiki, and yoga, soaking requires that you empty your mind leading it to an altered state of consciousness (ASC) or trance. Those who practice soaking believe that they are inviting the presence of God or the Holy Spirit but in reality what they are inviting is a different spirit. This is very dangerous because this gives familiar spirits an open invite for demonic attacks or worse, demonic possessions of the unsaved.

"Physical symptoms, which can include things like a tingling sensation, that occur during Soaking Prayer are similar to those experienced during the Kundalini experience, and both are dangerous and can take the practitioner into a demonic realm."

"Some of these phenomena are obvious: weeping, cries, exuberant and prolonged expressions of praise, shaking, trembling, calmness, bodily writhing and distortions, falling over (sometimes referred to as 'being slain in the Spirit'), laughter and jumping. Other phenomena are more subtle: slight trembling, fluttering of the eyelids, faint perspiring, a sheen on the face, ripples on the skin, deep breathing..." Wimber also said that people sometimes experience a sense of heaviness or tiredness, weeping or drunkenness." - "Soaking Prayer", Roger Harper

"Some leaders get tingling in their hands, some have their hands get warm when healing is about to occur, some feel "power surges" going through their bodies. Some claim that they see a person's "aura" when soaking a person in prayer. Soaking means pouring out lots of prayer over a person, often with laying on of hands and/or passing the hands over a person. It is reminiscent of what is called "Therapeutic Touch" [Reiki] practiced by new age and alternative medicine enthusiasts. People who believe in soaking prayer get the sense that power is passing through their bodies and actually helping to bring healing, comfort and love. And those who are soaking someone testify that they feel waves coming from the person or going toward the person being prayed for. Certainly something may be felt or experienced, however, is it the Holy Spirit?" - "Toronto Blessing: Christian Based Magic?", Kent Philpott

(For more on Kundalini, read "Kundalini Energy and Christian Spirituality" by Ray Yungen)

"There is nothing in the Bible about soaking or saturating in the Holy Spirit. We are to worship in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24), which means that the teaching in the Church must bring worship to the Lord by upholding the timeless truths of the written Word." - "How to be Unsaturated", Sandy Simpson

Soaking prayer, listening prayer, theophostics, or any other prayer that seeks the presents of God through mystical exercises is simply not biblical. In this it is similar to "contemplative prayer" and contemplative spirituality, which are equally unbiblical. Biblical prayer is talking to God with His will in mind (1 John5:14). A bibically praying believer already understands that God's presence is always with him (Psalm 139:7; Matthew 28:20; 1 Corinthians 6:19; 1 Thessalonians 4:8; 2 Timothy 1:14). - "WND Promotes Soaking Prayer Tutorials", Amy Spreeman (Stand Up for the Truth)

Sid Roth promotes Soaking and the Soaking music of  Julie True on his show

For further reading on the subject: 

• Stand Up for the Truth - "Sid Roth Promotes Soaking Prayer Tutorial on WND" 
• Stand Up for the Truth - "Soaking: The Trendy approach To a Holy God", 
• Lighthouse Trail Research - "Kundalini Energy (The Effect of Soaking Prayer) 
• Lighthouse Trail Research - "Soaking Prayer: And it's Connection to Contemplative Prayer, Reiki, and the Occult" 
• Deception in the Church - "How To Be Unsaturated" 
• Kjos Ministries - "Contemplative Prayer: Seducing Spirits and a Doctrine of Devils
• Let Us Reason Ministries - "What is Really Going On in the Church" 

"Son of God" the Movie and Its New Age Connection

It was not long time ago when I was on vacation in the Philippines and I finally got the chance to see the movie "Son of God" which is critically acclaimed to be a "good Christian film" (well, depending on who makes the critique). Obviously, it's about the life of Jesus Christ, His ministry, His death and resurrection. Even prior to the film's baptism in cinemas, you can hear people raving about it - praises are heaped into it - with its stunning casting, technical excellence and even endless compliments for the producers who they say got people's interests in the biblical Jesus stirred up.

On the flip side, people especially Christians have a different perspective on the film that doesn't quite agree with the script - if only to be based on its purest literal context from the Bible. As if to feed moviegoers of their imagination of the typical Jesus, there is no shortage of it as his bouncy long locks already satisfies one's fantasy. One particular scene in the film though that doesn't escape a supposedly discerning Christian's prying eyes is the misrepresentation and utter omission of the true account of the death of Lazarus. What is annoyingly noticeable is Mary Magdalene portrayed as being in ubiquity with Jesus. In each scene she is shown always with Jesus and the apostles.

Typically, a  school of thought conveys that a prostitute will always be labeled as one for the rest of her life - though the Bible affirms that whoever is in Christ becomes a new creation (1 Peter 5:7). And Mary Magdalene's inclination to be always with the company of men seemed to be what the producers of the movie wanted to convey in the story. Further proof of its ambiguity is Mary Magdalene had no other significant roles in the biblical account, save for her mob-eager-to-stone-her and graveyard scenes where she tearfully inquired of Jesus' supposed stolen body. This is only one of the so-called blatant loopholes in the story. Below is a scene of the resurrection of Lazarus as portrayed in the film. Then, let's find out how distinctly it was rewritten as opposed to the true biblical account.

In John 11: 38 - 44, we find these following accounts:

Jesus therefore again groaning in himself comes to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay on it. Jesus said, Take you away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, said to him, Lord, by this time he stinks: for he has been dead four days. Jesus said to her, Said I not to you, that, if you would believe, you should see the glory of God? Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank you that you have heard me. And I knew that you hear me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that you have sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus said to them, loose him, and let him go.

Compare this scene from the 1977 TV mini series, "Jesus of Nazareth"

The Bible explicitly says that it is outside of the grave where Jesus prayed to the Father - commanded the dead Lazarus to come out of the grave in a loud voice - and Lazarus came out still wrapped in linen clothes, his hands and feet still bound with grave clothes. So, this is exactly what you wanted to see in the movie. But it just did not happen. The Jesus in the film however went straight inside the grave with Martha in tow, prayed there, kissed the unwrapped Lazarus on the forehead and voila! - his eyes suddenly opened and the three casually emerged from the cave.

These are but some of notable inconsistencies and loopholes I found in the movie. There are numerous others but too long to narrate. Needless to say, I came out of the cinema thoroughly unhappy and disappointed. Is it not time to buckle up our loin's girth even more tightly after seeing this widely acceptable platform for deception?

If one wonders why the producers opted not to follow the true biblical account portrayed in most of its scenes; let's take a peek at who the producers are if only our curiosity requires us to investigate. Perhaps it has something to do with their personal backgrounds, religious affiliation, etc.? Here is what we found:

The producers' background
Roma Downey is most well-known to be one of the producers, and the one usually at the forefront of this project. She also happens to be an actress and the one who portrays the role of Mary, the mother of Jesus in the film. She was also the co-producer of 'The Bible' miniseries. In 1999, she released her one and only New Age music album called 'Healing Angel' under RCA Records.  Roma became popular for her role as an angel named Monica in the American TV series 'Touched By An Angel'. She and and her husband Mark Burnett are thought to be Catholics, but it's no secret that she also attended the University of Santa Monica, a private graduate school founded in 1976 by the New Age spiritual guru Roger Delano Hinkins, an educator, author, and lecturer who is also known as John-Roger, who was also the founder of the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness (MSIA). Roma graduated with a master's degree in Spiritual Psychology.

Roma Downey has once been quoted in an interview early this year saying,“As someone who has been on a spiritual journey for many years, it seems a natural extension of that work. The skills I’m learning will ultimately qualify me to be a therapist.” 

Roma, who is from Malibu, is also into reading new age authors. From that same interview she said, "My kids go to school about a 40-minute drive away. I’m open to the group’s opinion about what we listen to on the way there. On the way back, I get my own selections — books on tape by Eckhart Tolle, Tony Robbins…My husband says I’m so self-realized I’m practically levitating.

And in July of 2011, OM Times Magazine released it's special 2nd anniversary edition with Roma Downey on the cover. OM is a New Age Magazine with 'Co-creating a more conscious lifestyle' as their slogan. You can't get any new age-er than that!

So there you go! The producer of the movie herself declares her leanings if not affiliation with New Age group and practically she adheres to its teachings and even "proudly levitating". And that explains why we get this kind of twisted movie supposedly lifted from the Bible. But the truth is, it is to condition the minds of the public that truth is parallel to what is half-truth, and right to what is almost right.

New Age belief is demonic and be warned about it

New Age and  mysticism are quietly creeping inside every Christian home. We should always be sober and vigilant, always comparing everything to the light of the Word of God. We are in the last days where deception abounds and if we do not soldier up as Christians we too are easily dragged into the trap of subtle deception. Let us all guard our faith, as the apostle Peter warns us "to be sober and vigilant for the enemy is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8) Jesus further warns us to "take heed that no man deceive you" (Matthew 24:4).

*Some references taken from: Stand Up for the Truth - 'The New Age and Roma Downey' .

For further reading:
'Addressing Concerns Over "Son of God" Film',
Roma Downey: 'Obama is a "Fellow Christian"  
What is New Age? (Wikipedia)

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