Soaking prayer is a practice in which someone attempts to ‘soak in’ God’s presence—often prompted by a physical sensation—through meditative methods such as music, prayer mantras, or emptying the mind. The Bible does not mention soaking prayer, and many of its techniques resemble mystically influenced meditation rather than biblical teaching.
Oftentimes, the most clever deception from the enemy is to mask something bad as something good. Soaking prayer would appear to be a good example of this tactic since it teaches us to empty our mind in an attempt to have a spiritual experience rather than follow the instruction of Romans 12:2 and 1 Corinthians 14:15, which tell us to be actively using our mind in our spiritual life. Additionally, 1 Peter 5:8 tells us to be alert to the enemy’s schemes, and Proverbs 4:23 emphasizes the need to protect our hearts. Furthermore, although Deuteronomy 7:1-5 was in the time of the Israelites, the application to set oneself against practices that go against the teachings of God—such as soaking prayer—is still in place for us today. Believers don’t need a physical, spiritually-charged experience. We are already sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13) and Jesus is always with us (Matthew 28:20). God has graciously given everything we need to grow in godliness (2 Peter 1:3). Soaking prayer is not part of that, and its association with mysticism makes it clearly unsupported by Scripture.
Soaking prayer is a practice by which someone typically lies or sits very still, often listening to music, prays simple prayers, keeps the mind clear of distracting thoughts, and waits on the presence of God. His presence is said to be felt by some type of physical cue, like tingling skin or feeling hot or cold. Once the person has that sensation, they "soak in" the presence of God by being fully present to Him. At face value, this seems like a good practice that would bring someone closer to God. However, believers should be cautious about the practice for two reasons:
For one, Scripture presents no examples of soaking prayer. Believers communicate with God through prayer, which is modeled for us in Scripture. The Bible shows people standing, sitting, kneeling, and lying down while they pray. We see hands lifted up, hands holding things and touching people, eyes open, and eyes closed. We see people praying out loud, mumbling to themselves, and singing praises. The variations in posture during prayer are many and varied. In all of these instances, the person is seeking God with purpose, specificity, and intent. What we do not see in the Bible are any stories of someone waiting to just experience God's presence.
The second big issue with soaking prayer is that it is very close to a meditative state that is highly unsupported by the Bible. Eastern spirituality and mysticism can easily encroach on Christian practices if we aren't careful. Many non-biblical forms of meditation and prayer include the concept of emptying one's mind from distracting thoughts; yet, we are encouraged in Scripture to be mindful—especially in our spiritual lives. Ultimately, instead of chasing an "experience" like soaking prayer, we should partake in the solid, spiritual food of applying God’s Word to our life as we diligently seek after Him daily.