We call our form of prayer Dwelling Prayer, because we are dwelling with the Lord according to His promise that if we love Him, we will obey Him and He will dwell with us. (John 14:21) We have a playlist that explains the Scriptural basis for dwelling prayer: I'm Calling You To Intimacy (Playlist)
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https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJPAM4wf9t65VEZlpObNPlihVpJtTEsV
Before you begin, use the binding prayer. It begins with repentance for our sins and shortcomings. When you come to the prayer part, be sure to proclaim it with authority, taking authority through Jesus' name over the people, spirits and manifestations in the list.
We enter into the Lord's presence with praise and thanksgiving, worshipping Him in spirit and in truth. You may do this with or without music. We prefer to be drawn to Him through the lyrics of a worshipful song sung directly to Him, butyou may feel more led to pray and worship-even in tongues-without music, just going directly to Him in your heart.
As we worship, images may come to mind, like Jesus standing nearby. These are not usually just imaginations you make up, they are sanctified images that God puts before you in your imagination. Don't brush them off, rather take them for the real thing.
Continue to worship, but pay attention to what you see in the 'spirit' or your sanctified imagination. The Lord may invite you to dance, may walk with you on a beach or sit with you in a garden. Be sensitive to the imagery around you in the spirit, then go with Him. Stay focused on adoring the Lord, and His love will draw you into Himself-you will feel His affection for you, you will sense that He is happy to see you. Stay with it. 99.9% of the obstacle in seeing and hearing the Lord is our own unbelief or false guilt. Don't take your time with Him lightly or brush away images-that's how unbelief manifests.
He may begin 'talking' with you by putting thoughts in your inner mind...like a spiritual voice. He will always be kindly, gentle, and affectionate with you–never, ever harsh or condemnatory. He may even ask you to write down or journal your conversation with Him. This is a good thing to do, then you can go back and read from your journal to see what He is saying and gain confidence in listening to Him again. You can also answer Him and this will become a time of dialogue between the two of you. Jesus will always be very pure in your presence, there will never be a hint of impropriety or sexual advance. He might hold you tenderly or kiss your forehead but there is never any hint of sexuality. He is God. He is Pure. He is a Virgin. His affection is strictly for the purpose revealing to you that you are His precious soul Whom He loves infinitely, in a personal way. During this time, you can pour out your heartfelt prayers for others to Him.
As you become more accustomed and comfortable listening to Him, you will find that you slip into His presence with more ease every time you are together. He is always present to you, whether you hear or see Him or not. He is always there, usually at your right hand. If you have fallen and done something you feel conviction about, DON'T RUN FROM HIM...run TO Him. Don't be afraid to confess and apologize to Him-that brings Him great joy and He is quick to forgive you and give you the grace to stay stronger next time in temptation.
People ask us, "How do you know for sure it's the Lord and not a demon or familiar spirit?
Our answer is that you will know by the fruit. There is a God-shaped place inside of you that no demon can fill. As you become better at prayer, you will begin to sense that place, when it is full and when it is empty. You will above all feel a deep lingering peace and feel the strength that you need, because God is indeed with you.
You will not feel shame, confusion, condemnation, although you may feel conviction and apologize, asking for forgiveness. The fruit of that apology will be Peace and His love for you as well.
Some people use a verbal formula, asking the person appearing as Jesus in your vision "Do you confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh? I wouldn't trust just 'yes' as an answer. The right answer would be to hear a repeat of what you just asked "I confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh." Based on John 1:4.I have seen similar scriptures asked of demons during a trance meeting and they replied in the affirmative but we knew they were lying. So, we really don't trust that way of verification.
If in your time with Him you start to feel anger, hatred, condemnation, hopelessness, jealousy, frustration, or sexual stirrings, that is not the Lord. Pray the binding prayer again. Go into worship again, maybe spending more time in worship and using music this time. We have a playlist of songs that always work to bring us into His presence.
This is another form of prayer that works well for us, too:The Prayer of the Imagination
Try to relax, and imagine in your mind a Beautiful Place. Maybe someplace that you used to love to go to when you were a child, or a place that you would like to be at right now -a lake, the beach, the Mountains, or a pretty meadow with flowers. This may seem like a little daydream at first, but it will be your imagination station.
Then, when you are comfortable thinking of a special place, try to imagine Jesus walking up to you, or sitting there with you. If you can just picture this in your mind, you may be very surprised at what He may say to you, and how He will be with you. Many of us start our time with Him every day like this, and He will take your "imagination", and make it a very real and wonderful experience. It will become a time that you will want to go back to over and over again. If it seems difficult at first, just come back and try it a few more times. Eventually you should experience His presence in a very real way. Trust that He's in control of this time and He desires your company more than you desire His.
Always remember that at all times, the Lord's presence is loving and gentle. Anything other than that you should be highly suspicious of. Pray the binding prayer again. If you have come from a background of witchcraft or been dedicated as a baby to Satan, or have any history with Ouija Boards and the occult, you may need deliverance before you can be sure it is Jesus you are speaking to. If you have any history of mental illness in your family, or instability, be very careful to enter the Lord's presence through worship and do not follow any extremes of thinking or emotions. You are now dealing with the spiritual world and just like going to a shopping mall to get something you really need, there are predators that hang out at those malls too, wanting to make a connection with you for evil purposes.
Wherever the Spirit of the Lord is Strong, there are strong cross currents in the demonic realm as well. Why? Because anyone who is close to Jesus in spirit and in truth is a threat to the kingdom of darkness, so the demons are present to do everything they can to discourage you from this kind of relationship. But the Lord protects us and leads us. If you encounter turbulence, don't be frightened, seek out an answer with us or another qualified group.
Remember at the mention of the Name of Jesus, every knee must bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Use that Name, "In the Name of Jesus, I command you to leave and never return ." Or the binding prayer, that is still the most effective prayer we have found and we keep it updated, so the most recent date is the best version. You are the beloved of the Lord, it is absolutely true that He desires your company more than you desire His.
