Practicing the Mercy Seat

This is the assignment for this session, an assignment that will change your knowledge of God, and by doing so, will change you. Here is the same thing in PDF form.
Attachment

Practicing the Mercy Seat


Engage directly with Father in the exercise of your own heart as the Mercy Seat of God, the very throne of heaven. 

Purpose of the assignment:     
  • To begin to see your own heart as the Mercy Seat of God.
  • To practice drawing people, both difficult and beloved, into the love of God that always fills your heart.
  • To know the power of forgiveness you are able to extend to others out from the Blood sprinkled upon your heart.
  • To share heart with God.

General guidelines:
Place yourself before God and inside of God. Believe that what He speaks already applies fully to you – through the words, “Let it be to me according to Your word.” Having asked, now believe that it already is.

You will not be sharing anything of this experience with God as a class assignment. However, free to share with your study group concerning anything specific God made real in you as a result of this exercise.

Specific directions: 
  1. Begin your engagement with God by placing yourself through praise and thanksgiving into the knowledge of the Father arising always from within you.
  2. Acknowledge and know the Father in your own heart, that you and He are always meeting together there.
  3. Recognize the Blood of the Lamb sprinkled upon your heart, the Atonement of Sacrifice.
  4. Recognize that your heart is the holiest place in the universe, the very dwelling place of the Almighty. 
  5. Recognize and acknowledge the love of God poured out and shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Spirit who belongs to you, One spirit with you.
  6. Recognize the authority granted to you by the words of Jesus to forgive and to release.
  7. Think of someone you love, someone close to you. Reach out with the “arms” of your love, the love of God always filling you full, and draw that person into your heart.
  8. Recognize and acknowledge that person in love in your heart; see them there, above the blood.
  9. Speak in your own heart words of forgiveness, not for offenses against you, but for offence, period. Then release that one from all control of yourself. Release him or her into the freedom of God, set free from all iniquity and bondage and obligation. Release that one into the life and glory of Jesus.
  10. Think of some circumstance that is difficult for you. Reach out with the “arms” of your love, the love of God always filling you full, and draw that circumstance into your heart.
  11. As you see that difficulty, see it with thankfulness, knowing that the Father shares that difficulty completely together with you.
  12. Together with the Father, speak good grace into the difficulty, speak the arising of God, speak the working of goodness coming as a result of that difficulty, speak the expectation of favor. Then release that difficulty into the expectation that you and Father together make all things good.
  13. Think of a person most difficult for you to consider, the person who has done you harm or has deeply wronged you. This is not an easy thing.
  14. Position your own mind and heart in terms of Jesus, life laid down, love poured out. What you are doing specifically is laying down your life for this one who has done you such wrong.  
  15. Understand, you probably cannot do this either for yourself or for the other person. Look into Father’s eyes and heart alone. You do this for one reason: for Father’s sake. Say, “For Your sake, my Father.”
  16. In your mind’s eye, draw this individual who has done you so much hurt into the Love that fills your heart, there above the Blood. Say, “I love you (name the person); I release you into the forgiveness of God. 
  17. See the offense disappearing into an empty tomb. See Jesus, your glory, filling all that you are, sharing, even that offense and its disappearance utterly together with you. Release the person into the joy of God.
  18. Make this action of engaging your heart, the Father’s heart, as the Mercy Seat of God towards all circumstances and all people in your life, your continual practice. Make it the breathing of your life.