This is a good example of the kind of experiences people are reporting as they incorporate the Immanuel approach into their daily lives – as they get into the habit of inviting Jesus to be with them, asking for help in perceiving his presence, and then deliberately waiting and watching for a sense of his tangible presence. We believe that Immanuel approach sessions with a facilitator provide special benefits, and we strongly encourage people to have these on a regular basis, but we also encourage people to embrace this kind of “every day, wherever you are” connection with Jesus as a part of what we call the Immanuel lifestyle.

“One afternoon shortly after I had been introduced to Immanuel Prayer, I was resting against the counter after cleaning up the kitchen. It was summertime and the sun was coming through the window near where I was standing. “Where are you, Jesus? What are you doing?” I wondered. After a few moments, I sensed Jesus and saw him leaning up against the counter in a white robe. He was smiling and playfully tossing a plum into the air, it landing over and over again in his right hand. I asked him, “Where did you get that?” and then I looked on the counter and noticed a bag of prunes that my kids and I had been snacking on earlier! I was tickled, and rested in the interaction for awhile. I was reassured that Jesus does make all things new, and that he in fact does make shriveled, dried things come to life. This was especially impactful, because at the time I was experiencing a fairly hopeless situation. The time with Jesus gave me peace and hope, and I felt especially blessed that he came to me in such a surprising way.”

~Karl Lehman, M.D., personal collection of Immanuel stories