I was sound asleep, but in my dreams I was wide awake. Oh, listen! It's the sound of my lover knocking, calling! 'Let me in, dear companion, dearest friend, my dove, consummate lover! I'm soaked with the dampness of the night, drenched with dew, shivering and cold.'" (Song of Solomon 5:2)
We can capture the Lord's beautiful heart and, in turn, be blessed with the free gift of His relentless love. It's a remarkable thing to know the heart of God. It's amazing that we, as the very creations of God, can capture the affection of our Creator. It amazes me that although God created the world with a spoken word—although He created us out of dust and then breathed life into us, making us out of nothing—He loves us with a deep affection found nowhere else.
To know the heart of God is to know an all-consuming, unending love. Did you know that at this very moment, His affection is toward you—that the Lord Jesus longs and desires to manifest Himself to you in a very personal way? In fact, right now the Father says over you, "Not only do I want to manifest Myself to you, but I want to be your closest friend!" Scripture says He actually inclines His ear to hear what's on our hearts.
"Because He turned His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live." (Psalm 116:2)
The Bridegroom Is at the Doors of Our Hearts
In 2007, I wrote a prophetic message about a vision the Lord gave me where I saw the dining table of the Lord in heavenly places. Only a few people were gathered around the table. Invitations had gone out to many people that night, but few were willing to exit their warm beds and meet with the Lord in the secret place.
In my vision, I fell at the feet of the sweet Master in deep grief, because I was one of those who had often refused to arise. I chose the comforts of a warm bed rather than an audience with my Beloved. He picked me up off my knees and boldly affirmed me with eyes that were so full of love that I was quaking inside. (Photo via Pixabay)
He didn't condemn me but rather forgave me of my prayerlessness, gently calling me to come away with Him when He called. His voice was like the sound of many waters that encouraged me to answer the call to come away with Him.
The Lord sadly announced that only a few of His choicest servants had gotten up that night to be with Him. This vision demonstrates how He walks each night and calls many to come away and dine with Him, breaking the bread of sweet fellowship, where He shares His heart and the deep secrets which He can only entrust to a rare few.
The Bridegroom Jesus—the heavenly Lover of our souls—is at the door of our hearts this very moment, seeking admission into the innermost chambers of our being. He is knocking, calling out to us longingly, "...Let Me in, dear companion, dearest friend, My dove... I'm soaked with the dampness of the night, drenched with dew, shivering and cold" (see Song of Songs 5:2).
If we open up to Him and let Him enter in, we will experience the wonder of His holy presence filling us to overflowing. We will be transformed by His love and filled with His fullness. Oh, what a blessed hope! What an awesome privilege to know that at any moment we can welcome Jesus in and be captivated by His eternal love.
"The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant." (Psalm 25:14)
Special Messengers of His Manifest Presence
Have you ever noticed those in the Body of Christ who have an extra special touch of God on their lives? There's just something about them... It's in the words they speak or the songs they sing, and it separates them from all the others. I don't know what it is, or how we can know, but there's a witness in the spirit when we meet someone who's been with the Lord, demonstrating a very special touch of His presence on their lives. You can sense it in your spirit. This is a very rare thing; only a few are willing to pay the price for it.
When the Lord finds someone willing to lay at His feet and listen to His heart, He will share amazing things that will astound others. They carry an unusual level of the anointing, a special presence that flows from their lives.
I spent three years at Pinecrest Bible Training Center in Salisbury Center, NY back in the early 90s. It was a very special place where the presence of the Lord rested continuously—an open Heaven that had been cultivated from years of welcoming the presence of the Lord in every area of the campus. There was a special habitation of His presence there—a resting place for the Lord.
Wade Taylor was the founder of the school and took a special interest in me as a student. I remained under his guidance until he passed away in 2012. He was a true spiritual father.
Wade carried a special presence of the Lord and taught, by example, the importance of waiting on the Lord's manifest presence for those sweet encounters. He spent much time living out this principle of waiting on the Lord in the secret place. Many of his fellow teachers followed his example. I knew teachers that prayed for five hours before they even entered the classroom. As they walked in to greet the students, there was glory and presence that entered with them. Many classes were so moved upon by the Holy Spirit that all we could do as students was sit there in sweet solace drinking deeply of His well that never ran dry, weeping and seeking the Lord. (Photo of Wade E. Taylor)
It was through Walter Beuttler that Wade Taylor first experienced the Lord's manifest presence. He would often tell stories of his encounters with the Lord and how the Lord had revealed Himself to him in powerful ways. These stories served as a testimony of the Lord's abiding presence and His desire to be close to His children. They also provoked us to seek the Lord for ourselves, that we might also experience His manifest presence.
It was because of Walter Beuttler that Wade Taylor began his journey of cultivating a personal, experiential knowledge of the Lord. Through both of their examples, we were able to see that it is possible to have an intimate relationship with the Lord and that He is always present with us. Because of this, we are eternally grateful for Wade Taylor and Walter Beuttler and their impact in our lives.
Hattie Philletta Hammond was another one of the Lord's remarkably anointed servants. Hattie was born in Williamsport, Maryland, in 1907, and ended up becoming one of the most powerful speakers in the Pentecostal movement by the 1930s. Her message inspired total abandonment and consecration to God. She had something special and rare, and it was evident as she shared from the pulpits around the world. Even as she called out the name of Jesus in her meetings, a beautiful presence was released. Often in her meetings, the scent of roses could be smelled.
Special messengers of God always have an air of mystery about them. They have a presence that is different from other people. When you are around them, you can feel the Lord's presence more strongly. People are drawn to them, even if they don't know why. These people have a special anointing on their lives. The Lord uses them in powerful ways to reach people who are straying too far away from Him.
I have been privileged to know some of these special messengers throughout different stages of my life. I have seen, firsthand, the Lord use them in amazing ways. I have seen people burst into tears as they enter the room from the overflow of glory cultivated in the secret place. I am so thankful for the impact that these special messengers have had on my life and the lives of so many others.
When you carry the holy presence of the Bridegroom Jesus, you have the ability to change the atmosphere of any room you walk into. His sweet anointing breaks through the heaviness of this world and brings hope, joy and love.
As His Bride, we are called to be a light in the darkness and a carrier of His manifest presence. When His presence is manifested through us, the Lord has the power to transform lives and set captives free. It's not about us but about Him being glorified through us. As we yield our lives to Him, He fills us with His Spirit and equips us to do the impossible.
Let us walk in confidence, knowing that we are not alone but that He goes before us, behind us and all around us. We are never without His presence!
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Steve Porter
Refuge Ministries
Email:Â G524walk@yahoo.com
Website:Â www.findrefuge.tv
Steve and his wife Diane founded Refuge Ministries and a presence-driven publishing company, Deeper Life Press. He has a special anointing to bring forth the deep truths of the Spirit, with a clarity and simplicity that draws one up into a closer walk and deeper relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Steve is a regular contributor to many prophetic publications, including the Elijah List, Spirit Fuel, and the Identity Network. Steve's books, maturity pamphlets, articles, and videos have touched countless lives around the world. The Porters reside near Rochester, NY.
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Who doesn't want to be a carrier of God's presence...and pour it out wherever they go?
Amen to that... We are His Bride in a darkened world in need of His presence – through us! Be encouraged by the rest of this word from Steve Porter as you boldly walk as a carrier of His presence wherever you go! (To Subscribe to the Elijah List 
