Times of Refreshing: 7 Days in Acts 3:19Sample

In God's Presence

Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.

Acts 3:19

What does taking time in the Lord's presence look like?

It is time alone with Him, experiencing His felt presence and hearing His voice. It is being available to the Holy Spirit's supernatural gifts in our lives. It is where we begin to feel safe enough with the Lord to invite Him to heal the wounds and strongholds in our souls—thoughts, emotions, and personality—so we can walk in His fruit – love, joy, peace, and patience. This time with Him can be our fount of refreshing.

Our enemy and our flesh say this is rocket science and just too hard.

Let's repent of those distracting thoughts and exchange them for the truth that God loves us beyond reason and wants us in His embrace.

Jesus simply says come. He will do it all, but we must take the first steps in turning toward Him. Not bringing our laundry list of prayer requests—we can do that at other times. But, as we turn towards Him, this is the time for refreshing in the Lord's presence.

So, let's set a date, carving out time from our weekly bustle because now is the time to meet with our Father for His felt touch.

• We aren't waiting until we have more time—that will never happen.
• We aren't hoping to get our lives in a better place first—because that's why we need Him desperately now.
• We aren't making any more excuses—because, truthfully, we have likely been living in the desert far too long already.

Instead, we will lay aside our phones, get someone to watch the kids and the dog, close the door, bring our Bibles, and ask for the Holy Spirit's River to make Himself known.

You will show me the path of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 16:11

Let's encounter God Himself, filling, flooding, healing, and saturating us.

Times of refreshing, indeed!

Was this plan helpful? It was adapted from Refresh: Transformed Thoughts, Emotions, and Lives, by Sue Boldt.