9.4 Practice the Mercy Seat
© 2018 Christ Revealed Bible Institute
Assignment:
Engage directly with Father in the exercise of your own heart, first, as the Mercy Seat of God, drawing all things into love, and second, as Father and you together speaking good grace into all things, making all things good.
Purpose:
- 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 practice sending forth good grace into other people, both difficult and beloved, and into all circumstances.
- To share heart with God.
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.
This relationship between you and Father in applying the forgiveness of God and in sending forth good grace can exist ONLY as you are rooted and grounded IN the love of God for you. Any thought of your own “not pleasing God” must prevent 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.
4. 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.
5. Recognize the authority granted to you by the words of Jesus to forgive and to release.
6. 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.
7. Recognize and acknowledge that person in love in your heart; see them there, above the blood.
8. 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.
9. Then give thanks for that one, and in giving thanks, speak good grace into them. Speaking as one together with Father send forth the Holy Spirit to minister that grace to this person.
10. Next, think of some present 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 out loud, “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 out loud, “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. Then give thanks for this difficult person. And in giving thanks, speak good grace into them, sending forth the Holy Spirit, together with Father, to minister that grace on your behalf.
19. Know that this is what Jesus is always doing inside of and out from you regardless of anything you might see, think, say, feel, or do.
20. 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.