In the wilderness, God’s people asked for manna, but the next day they wanted fresh bread again. They lived day-by-day dependency because that was how they received in that season. When they moved into the Promised Land, they planted. They created gardens. They were still dependent, but they received a seed that would become a lifestyle.

We have to see how the sower and soil work together—to sow the right seed in the right soil, the right environment, the right heart. Instead of a one-time encounter with joy, peace, or love, they get access to fruitful trees of joy, peace, and love. They don’t need to come back the next day asking for the same thing because they can eat the fruit anytime.

People often tell me they are waiting for a baptism of love, hoping for it as a single encounter. I would rather give them a process for full-time access. If they can stick with the process for 30 days, then they get an upgrade. Here’s the process I follow:

First, think what God thinks.

Second, feel what God feels.

Third, hear what God hears.

Fourth, and then say what He thinks, feels and says—even when it is very often the opposite of your own thoughts, feelings, and words.

The seeds that God plants in your heart during this time will grow up into beautiful trees that bear fruit. If our relationship with the Lord is moving from one encounter to the next, we will find ourselves looking for something new every couple of weeks to keep us going. But God wants to plant in you a seed of love that can grow deep roots in the soil of love so that you can have a tree of love that feeds you continually.

Don’t live just for key moments and experiences. Start seeing yourself the way He sees you. Let your roots grow deeper in love so that you can receive more love and your spirit will tune in to His voice. Rest, receive, and be.