Still sitting

Roni asked in a previous comment how exactly we are to sit at Jesus' feet. Though I am certainly not an expert in this whole Walk-with-the-Lord thing, I will at least respond with some things I have learned as I'm growing to know Him more.

When I think of sitting at his feet, I think of those times that I am all alone with Him, focused on Him, spending time with just Him...praying, singing, reading the Word, listening. At these times, when my heart is prepared, I can feel that I am in His presence...I can hear Him speak to my heart...I am being still and knowing that He is God, God with me. This is what I've found: the more intentional I am about spending time at His feet - intentional in frequency, length and focus - the clearer His voice is to me. And the clearer His voice is to me at those times, the more clearly I am aware of Him with me through the everyday, amidst the chaos of everyday life as wife, mommy, worshiper, friend, writer, minister, teacher.

Of paramount importance is taking God at his word. As Jesus was describing himself as the good Shepherd in the book of John, he said that his sheep know his voice. If we are His sheep, He promises that we will KNOW His voice. Since He has promised it, I must trust that it is true. That means, that when I am sitting with Him, I WILL be able to hear Him speak to me. I also must take Him at His word that He will never leave me nor forsake me. If that is true, and I must trust that it is, then He is with me at all times.

So, as I get alone, and want to sit with Him at His feet, how do I do it? What does it mean? I first must prepare my heart. I ask him to quiet my mind, and I bind my mind to His mind, and my heart to His heart. In the name of Christ, aloud, I silence the lying voice of the enemy, who would want to bring distraction, confusion and a lack of focus. I speak aloud and claim the sound mind with which I was created as a daughter of the King. Then I ask the Lord to quiet my own fleshly voice...the one from my soul that quietly whispers according to my own fleshly desires. I then ask the Lord to speak clearly to me, and remind Him of His promise that I will know His voice. I tell Him that I will trust that any thought that subsequently comes to my mind is from Him.

I spend some time worshiping Him, telling Him how I love Him, and declaring Who He is. I pray through Scripture, speaking out exactly Who God is. This is not just a means to an end...this is a powerful time of adoration. Sometimes I sing, sometimes I speak...but I am always amazed at how powerful it is to speak to Him of His character, His attributes, His worth. Don't scimp on this!!

He calls me to further prepare my heart. I must also come to Him in repentance. I ask Him, the great revealer, to speak to my heart and show me anything for which I need to repent or anything I need to surrender. (* This in itself, is a much lengthier discussion than for the purposes of this post.*) But this next part is key: Then I wait. I mean, really wait. Sometimes He just speaks them to me. Sometimes He draws me to His Word, through which He shows me something. But more often than not, He drops things into my mind and He gently shows me how to submit them. I must recognize these to Him, seek forgiveness, submit them to His control, and then ask that He alone will fill any void that those things might leave. I then thank him that it is done and praise Him for being a God of fulfilled promises.

How my time with the Lord proceeds from here is as varied as the day is long. Often He directs me to his Word. If I don't know where to turn, I just ask Him. I tell Him that I know that His Word is living and active, and written for me, and that I know that He has something in it for me today. Then I wait...more often than not, as I wait, a chapter will come to my mind. The hugest thing here is I TRUST THIS IS FROM HIM. He and I have already agreed that any thoughts that come to my mind are from Him, and I have bound my mind to His. So this is not a time for doubt...this is a time to trust. I read and re-read until He highlights something for me. Then I meditate on it and journal about it until I feel I know what He is trying to show me. (Sometimes I don't get it right away...that's ok too...I just need to remember to keep asking Him about it).

Once I feel released from this portion of time, I then ask Him to show me people to intercede for. Somethings are standard...my family for one. But, if I ask, He will show me who to pray for...my church family as a whole, my pastors...sometimes people whose needs I am completely unaware of. The cool thing is, I don't always need to know that need. I AM always does.

As he releases me from intercession, I again spend time worhsiping and adoring Him. As a musician, this often happens in the form of music, but it doesn't have to. I declare him true, faithful, wonderful, powerful and mighty, gentle, intimate, caring, loving, compassionate and friend.

Here are three of my biggest conclusions with this stuff:

1) Sitting with Jesus is not a time to be passive. It is a time to be very proactive, speaking and singing and praying aloud; firmly declaring truth, faith in His Word; boldly silencing the lying lips of the deceiver; obediently responding to any directions from the Lord; actively trusting that His voice is His voice.

2) The Lord looks at the motivation of our hearts. We don't always get it right. That's not what He's looking for. He is searching for those of us who desire to please Him. He is searching for those of us who will trust Him and obey Him. Whether we get it right or not is not as important as what the motive of our heart is. We honor Him most by desiring to delight Him as we delight in Him.

3) Time with the Lord always should include being right in His Word. "Working out our salvation" has much more to do with digesting His Word than filling up on fluffy books about Him. Books about Him are great, but nothing should supercede His Word in importance.

And so, this is what it has looked like for me so far as I have learned to sit at his feet. And, like I said before, the more proactively and often I do, the more clearly I am aware of Him throughout the rest of my day. Remember, He never leaves nor forsakes you, so even as you leave your prayer closet, He's still right beside you as you're vacuuming the rug, folding the laundry or splitting up an argument. Keep talking!

That was a long post...I'm off to sit at His feet for a while!