Skip to main content

Effortless Access to Hearing God’s Voice

Share This article

SPENDING TIME IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD
In the busyness of life, it can be hard to quiet ourselves and rest. Soaking or spending time in God’s presence is foreign to some people but the benefits of it are amazing. Carol Arnott explains, “It’s so easy to become tired and burnt out and weary in well-doing. Soaking is the antidote to that. It is an opportunity to abide in the presence of God. Soaking is purposefully making space to be together with the Lord and to receive from Him… It’s never a waste of time.” It sounds great but you may wonder how to start. In her book, Soaking the Spirit, Carol explains how to learn to find rest while in His presence. First, she addresses the common misunderstandings that many have when attempting soaking prayer:

  • I can’t feel him-It takes time to understand and learn the ways that God moves. “If this is something you’ve experienced, it’s important to learn to quiet yourself down and tune into what the Holy Spirit is doing.”
  • I feel afraid-Opening yourself up to the Holy Spirit can make you feel vulnerable, but Carol says that if someone is afraid of falling down under the power of the Lord, she encourages them to sit down, quiet their mind, and just love and receive from Him.
  • I want to stay in control-For many the concern is feeling embarrassed or feeling out of control. They might be afraid that if they yield to the Holy Spirit, they may fall or do something out of their control. When Carol prays for them, she explains, “So I always tell them to yield. The Holy Spirit is a safe person. And if you don’t feel anything, that’s okay. Just say, ‘Holy Spirit, I’ve come to love Jesus, please help me to love Him.’”    

Carol shares a story about her friend and well-known missionary Heidi Baker. She explains, “My good friend Heidi Baker came to our church in 1997 as a burnt-out missionary. She was a systematic theologian who took herself very seriously… When she walked into our church to find out what the Holy Spirit was doing, she absolutely did not want to fall on the floor or be embarrassed. But the Lord had other plans. The Holy Spirit hit her dramatically, and for a solid week, she was on the floor, passed out in the weighty glory of God.”

To help you with soaking prayer, Carol says you can begin by making a quiet space, listening to music, managing distractions, giving yourself time to spend with God, allowing no agendas by allowing yourself to rest before Him, and keeping a journal nearby to write down what the Lord is showing you.

OVER 20 YEARS OF REVIVAL (JOHN & CAROL)
John and Carol are the founding pastors and presidents of Catch the Fire World (formerly Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship and the Partners in Harvest network of churches). Their home church came to the world's attention as the site of a revival, often referred to as The Toronto Blessing, in 1994. From the beginning, John and Carol never felt qualified to lead such an explosive move of God, but despite their reservations, God used them to usher in a new revival. "Carol and I felt that we were the least qualified to lead a revival that would eventually have a worldwide impact," John says.  Today, Catch the Fire has a growing family of churches spread across the globe, a training college with international campuses, mission’s programs and partnerships and special events. “Our desire is to reach the world with Jesus through the sharing of our values, equipping people and releasing them to bring revival to their nations,” the Arnott’s say. “We are passionately committed to walking in God's love and giving it away until the whole earth is filled with the knowledge of the Glory of the Lord."

As international speakers, John and Carol have become known for their ministry of revival in the context of the Father’s saving and restoring love.  As the Holy Spirit moves with signs and wonders, they have seen millions of lives touched and changed through God’s power and Christ’s love.  John is known for his teachings on the Father’s love, grace and forgiveness and the power of God that manifests in their church.  Carol has embraced the message of intimacy, soaking, and healing and freedom of hearts.  Her desire is to see those in the Kingdom become lovers of Jesus Christ, and come into that place of intimacy, health and dependence on Him.  John and Carol travel extensively while continuing to oversee Catch the Fire and Partner in Harvest networks of churches.  The Arnott’s constantly redirect the attention of people away from looking at the manifestations and onto the fruit in the person’s life. “We are talking about a relationship with the King,” John says.

Share This article

About The Author

The 700
Club

The 700 Club is a live television program that airs each weekday. It is produced before a studio audience at the broadcast facilities of The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) in Virginia Beach, Virginia. On the air continuously since 1966, it is one of the longest-running programs in broadcast history. The program is hosted by Pat Robertson, Terry Meeuwsen, and Gordon Robertson, with news anchor John Jessup. The 700 Club is a mix of news and commentary, interviews, feature stories, and Christian ministry. The 700 Club can be seen in 96 percent of the homes in the U.S. and is carried on