Create A Scavenger Hunt

A few months ago I began to experiment with using a scavenger hunt, listing several experiences you can reach for as you seek to grow in the things of the Spirit.

Recently I was led to create a scavenger hunt to stretch myself as I spend December and January with Dunamis Resources in Las Vegas.  Here’s my list; some of it won’t fit anyone but myself, but my list might help you come up with a list of your own.

But here’s a caveat.  I’m trying to avoid good ideas.  I took time to soak and asked God what He wants to do in my life with in the arts in the next few weeks; I want it to be what He wants, not necessarily what I want.  God gave me a few challenges relating to music and I’ve listed them on my Prophetic Song page.  In the arts, it all relates either to writing or to marketing efforts that will help me present CDs and published materials when I travel and minister; here are a few things I feel led to reach for.

Stay filled with the Spirit. I’m seeking to stay in a fulfillment of Ephesians 5:18-20.  I wrote about this a few weeks ago – see Testimony:  Spirit-Filled Living.  It is amazing how creative we can be when we are filled with the Holy Spirit.

Blend soaking and art times. Sometimes I need to be soaking as I work on my writing – I need to get into the manifest presence of God and let Him influence my work.

Get my marketing together. There’s a lot of grunt work for this one, unglamorous stuff that deals with nuts and bolts.

First I need to get point-of-sale capabilities for my merchant account so I can make it easy for people to use my book table when I minister.

God has also challenged me to start reaching out for ministry support.  I’ve been soaking and asking Him how I should do it; in the next few weeks I’ll be posting some new writing about it on my website.

Finally, I’ve known for a long time that I need to revise my website, creating it now in DreamWeaver instead of GoLive.  In the next few weeks, I’m working through Classroom In A Book so I can learn the program.

The specific things God gave me to work on here probably won’t mean much to you; but take time to soak and ask God, “What would you like me to do to get my work out to the people You want it to touch?”  Then whatever He tells you, do it.

Start learning to use the movie-making software that came with my Mac. I had a dream about it and saw myself making a simple DVD.  I need to do what I saw in the dream.

This may or may not be something you need to do, but ask God, “What tools do I have already that I haven’t yet begun to use?”  You may discover that God has already given you all you need to take a large step forward in influencing people with your work.

Finish writing the book version of JoAnn’s testimony. I finished the rough draft a few weeks ago; now it’s time to go over it and make the characters come alive.

Again, adapt this to fit yourself.  What projects has God led you to start?  Don’t just start; if God led you to start, He wants you to finish.  Keep at it.

 

That’s my list.  I think it will make room for me to stretch as I soak 2-3 times a week and encourage 5 people – new artistic techniques, ways to enlarge my influence, and opportunities to encounter the manifest presence of God.

Feel free to join me; take the list to God in a soaking time and let Him revise the list to fit you better – look for items that will affect your work, your marketing, and your ministry opportunities.

 

Stan Smith  ::  © 2009, GospelSmith  ::  www.GospelSmith.com

 

How To Soak

The Online School Of The Spirit gives you a simple assignment:  to soak in God’s presence 2-3 times each week.

Many of us have been in churches that have taught about soaking, and many more have not.  So here’s a simple definition of what soaking is:

Soaking is a form of prayer or meditation in which we quiet our hearts before God, usually in an atmosphere of worship music, and receive from Him.

Let’s take each part of that definition and expand it.

Soaking is prayer, but it’s a prayer that does more listening than talking, more receiving than asking.  It can be simply resting in God’s presence and letting Him love us. It is the kind of prayer that awakens our senses to hear from God and to be led by His Spirit.  It is a proactive form of abiding in Christ, for soaking is a time of consciously dwelling in Him.

Soaking is meditation, based on scripture so we can keep our minds focused on God and His promises.  As Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You.”  Or as Psalm 1 says, blessed are those who meditate on God’s word.

Soaking is quiet and peaceful. Peace is a manifestation of God’s presence.  As you spend time soaking, you’ll learn that peace is a prelude to hearing God’s voice, and it will help you become more sensitive to Him as you seek His will in your life.

Soaking often happens in a worship atmosphere, though we can soak in perfect silence if we prefer.  But many people have found that a worship CD can help us engage in worship as we soak, which in turn helps us get into God’s manifest presence – because He inhabits the praises of His people.  Many people who spend time soaking find that God begins to unveil His glory as we linger in His presence.

Soaking is a prayer that receives from God. People who soak receive words from God, a heavenly perspective that shapes their lives, peace, conviction, God’s love, grace to make tough decisions…

Finally, the term “soaking” is new but the concept is not.  For centuries, Christians have enriched their devotional life by meditating on the scripture and waiting on God.

If you are a Christian artist, your soaking times will awaken your creativity.  You can expect God to speak to you about your art, giving you ideas for your work and how to get it to the people it is meant to touch. God Himself is the most creative personality in the universe, and if Christ lives in you, you too can be extraordinarily creative.  Soaking is a discipline that will cause you to tap into Him and the flow of His creative ideas.  In Psalm 40:5, David said it this way:

Many, O LORD my God, are Your wonderful works
Which You have done;
And Your thoughts toward us
Cannot be recounted to You in order;
If I would declare and speak of them,
They are more than can be numbered.

It’s easy. Start soaking right away, and ask God to start speaking some of His thoughts to you.  And if you want more nuts and bolts about soaking, see 7 Ways To Soak on the Miracle Lifestyle blog.

Stan Smith  ::  © 2009, GospelSmith  ::  www.GospelSmith.com

How Soaking Will Help You Grow

The Online School Of The Spirit calls you to soak in God’s presence 2-3 times each week, and while you do so, you can expect to grow in three ways:  in an enlarged gift-mix as an artist, in finding new marketing and ministry opportunities, and in experiencing God’s manifest presence.  Here’s how soaking helps you in each of these areas:

1.  Let God enlarge your gift-mix. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

These words can apply to your art.   Sometimes as we spend time in His presence, He gives specific inspiration for our work:  a picture for us to reproduce with paints or graphic arts software, a melody for us to use in a new song, or specific words for a poem.  But sometimes He gives us a new technique to explore:  how to use layers in our paintings or graphics, how to create new melodies, or how to generate imagery for our writing.  Either way, listening to Him will improve your output.

2.  Let God guide you into marketing and ministry opportunities, and anoint you to make the most of them. As you soak, God will lead you.  He will give you a vision of the people your work is meant to touch, and He will lead you to minister to people.

God calls Christian artists to be separate from the world we live in, and this means several things.  Our marketing is not just self-promotion; instead, we look for the Holy Spirit to direct us and our work toward specific people and groups.  This may be a niche market or a mass market, but the important thing is to let Him lead.

Further, we look for Him to lead us in our giving.  Part of our work is to give to others, as He directs.  This can take many forms:  a free concert in a prison, works we give in a fund-raising capacity, projects we undertake with the needy – the list goes on and on.

Soaking will position you to hear from God so you can do whatever He calls you to do.

3.  Experience God’s manifest presence. Your life is hid with Christ in God, and you will never find your life as an artist unless you find it in Christ.  I have been a Christian for forty years and have consistently found that God’s manifest presence releases creativity, whether in my own life or in the lives of others.

Seasons of revival leave artistic fallout:  people become writers, new hymns or songs are written, and people find new ways to use drama and the performing arts for evangelism.

The more we experience God’s manifest presence, the more we surrender to Him.  We learn to live clean; we depart from sin.  And as Solomon noted, this work of godly fear is the beginning of wisdom – and wisdom includes artistic inspiration and creativity.

Ironically, as the chains of sin fall off, we become free to be ourselves.  You are unique, and you are uniquely gifted.  The presence of God will awaken gifts you may not even know you have, but God knows you.  He’s the one who made you, and He alone knows your potential.

Start soaking.  Don’t wait.  Expect God to bless you richly as you spend time in His presence.

Stan Smith  ::  © 2009, GospelSmith  ::  www.GospelSmith.com

A Soaking Party

Have a soaking party.  Gather artists and wait on God.  Ask specific questions of God, and testify of His answers.

More than a year ago I conducted a workshop for artists.  I taught them that when we soak, God will give wisdom:  ideas for art, for marketing, and for ministry opportunities.  Then, in two different parts of the workshop, we spent about twenty minutes soaking.

I asked if God had shown them anything they wanted to share; nobody spoke up.  I asked if the time had been worthwhile; they all nodded vigorously.  And when the workshop was over and I asked for them to tell me what they had liked best about the workshop, several people mentioned the soaking.

It doesn’t take a whole workshop.  All it takes is a pile of worship CDs, a few comfortable places to sit, and a bit of time to get the word out.  Then you can have friends over for a soaking party.  Here are a few things to mention to your guests:

The purpose of soaking. It’s a time to quiet our hearts, focus on Jesus, and look for a spontaneous flow of words and ideas.  Tell people to expect new ideas – they should bring notebooks so they can jot down the inspiration that comes.

The etiquette of soaking. It’s a time to watch and listen in the presence of God.  Therefore, it isn’t a time for chitchat or ministry to others. It’s one-on-one time with God.

Some people have a background that expects demonstrative worship.  Some may be tempted to sing along with the CD. This would be appropriate in a worship service where everyone is participating, but in a soaking meeting it’s out of place because it would disturb others.

It doesn’t call for a lot of rules.  As the guests taste the fruit of quieting their hearts so they can hear from God, they will understand the protocol to conduct themselves in a way that will help everyone quiet themselves.

The presence of God. Choose CDs that will sow into quiet hearts.  CDs with worship lyrics will help everyone focus their attention on Jesus.

One clear manifestation of God’s presence is peace. Nearly everyone is too busy these days; if people receive nothing more than a dose of God’s peace it will rejuvenate them and reignite their creative spark.

Some people will see visions; some will hear God speak personal things into their lives.

Testimonies after the soaking. Encourage people to share what God has given them when they soak.  There will usually be a wide spectrum of experiences.

If nobody shares anything, don’t just assume they have nothing to share as I did at the workshop.  Have a few questions ready for them:

• Did anyone feel the peace of God?
• Did anyone get a new idea for your work?
• Did anyone hear something that doesn’t have anything to do with art?
• Did any images flash into your mind?  (God sometimes speaks with pictures.)
• Did God show anyone a new technique to explore?

You’ll come up with more questions to get people talking.  Usually, once the first person speaks up, others will follow.  Typically, they will have a variety of experiences as God speaks to each one individually.

Finally, start small: just a few friends, soaking for perhaps half an hour and then sharing what you experienced. Later you’ll want to increase it to an hour or more.

Whenever I need fresh ideas from God in my writing, graphics, or music, I soak.  He is faithful.  He always gives me new ideas.

Stan Smith  ::  © 2008, GospelSmith  ::  www.GospelSmith.com