Quiet Days

By Meredith Drogin, All Saints Church, Dallas

“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10 ESV

We live in a culture of busyness. Between emails, texts, zoom, phone calls, travel, meetings, family, practices/games and events, our schedules don’t easily lend themselves to stillness. Thankfully summer tends to have a slower pace. But even in summer it’s not always easy to be still.

Jesus was strengthened by time in prayer, and we are too. As we at All Saints Dallas explore different ways to pray, Quiet Days have been a great way to offer the space and room to be still. Quiet Days are all about focusing on the love of God and receiving. We come into the presence of God in a posture of receiving, attuning our hearts to the heart of the Father and silencing the noise that drowns out the voice of the Good Shepherd. It is a beautiful encounter when we allow the Lord to minister to our body, mind, soul and spirit—and receiving is a crucial component of healing.

Why is receiving sometimes more difficult than giving? We can’t give away what we haven’t received ourselves. But receiving God’s love isn’t always easy for us. We don’t feel worthy or good enough. Or sometimes, on a deep level, we are holding onto something we need to set down first in order to accept what God gives us. In a supernatural way, the Lord ministers grace for us to receive during soaking prayer. Soaking prayer is central in our Quiet Days—not intercession, not petitions, not even reading the Bible.

Soaking prayer is simply resting in God’s love. As Francis MacNutt writes, “In soaking prayer we spend more time than usual in praying, which is like putting something in warm water, so that the prayer has time to go beneath the surface and reach more of the area that needs healing. Soaking is a gentle word that symbolizes how prayer gradually transforms and heals the sickness and brings us health.” I recently heard soaking prayer described as God’s radiation treatment for all the parts we don’t even know need his touch.

So, what does a Quiet Day look like at All Saints Dallas? In preparation we ask the Holy Spirit for his heart and plans for the day, to show us anything we need to set down so we can fully receive what He has for us in this time. We bless everyone with the ability to receive all God has for them (surprisingly one of the most fruitful prayers I’ve prayed over others during this time); we pray for spirits to get quiet, minds to be renewed and hearts to be healed. We then create a safe, quiet space and a time to receive. This is usually 2 ½ hours on a Saturday morning in the All Saints Dallas sanctuary. It has worked well to arrange six to 10 prayer ministers/clergy in advance to pray during soaking prayer.

As people enter, we pass out blank notecards and a sheet with three to five Scripture verses. Everyone who comes for prayer spreads out and sits in every other row of the sanctuary. Beginning with an invitation for the Holy Spirit to come, we then sing a few worship songs. Sometimes a clergy person or prayer minister offers a brief word based on the Scriptures noted. We then move into a time of soaking prayer. Each person can write a word or sentence for which they would like prayer on their notecard and set it next to them. Then, as prayer ministers come around behind each person, they gently lay hands on the shoulders of those receiving prayer.

There is no talking in this time of ministry—only praying in the Spirit and laying on of hands. The prayer ministers move across the room, praying for each attendee. So ideally, each person who comes to the Quiet Day is prayed for once by each prayer minister. Recently at the end of Quiet Days, Associate Pastor for Prayer Ministr, the Rev. Mike+ Murphy, has allowed time for words of knowledge and testimonies, which has been very beautiful and encouraging for everyone who attends.

I really enjoy our Quiet Days, especially getting to see Jesus do miraculous things we don’t even know how to ask for. People have said they feel loved and cared for and filled up again. God always has more, and it’s an honor and an adventure to be part of this ministry.

I pray you all experience the Love of the Father, oneness with Jesus and the life of his Holy Spirit as you get still this summer.