Refocussing
Refocussing is a well researched and proven approach developed by Doctor Diane Divett with applications to counselling, pastoral care, personal prayer and prophetic ministry. The central theological concept at the heart of Refocussing is the reality that God is present, that in him we live an move and have our being (Acts 17:28) and that we can know him better by becoming aware of where he is for us at any given moment, and learn to hear his voice and receive his resourcing at any time.
I have found Refocussing incredibly beneficial in my personal life, in pastoral and prophetic ministry, and in working with others as a counsellor. The methodology that Refocussing teaches and facilitates equips people to actually connect and engage with God to access exactly what they need at any given time, whether it’s wisdom, understanding, clarity, healing, comfort, peace, or more. As revealed in the Bible, God is our provider, and he is willing and able to provide for people’s in every dimension of life. He is loving, kind, gracious and good. He is the way, the truth and the life. He is the Good Shepherd who leads people through dark valleys into green pastures and to the table he has prepared for them.
Most Christians understand this theologically, but many struggle to really experience God’s presence, love, and provision consistently, because they don’t have the simple tools to draw near to him and receive. Yes, many people have experienced a sovereign encounter where somehow the veil was removed, and God seemed very close and real. But actually, the Bible teaches that God draws near to all who draw near to him, and promises that those who seek him will find him. Refocussing, particularly the “God Space” focus at the heart of the approach, helps to bridge the gap between theological knowledge and personal experience.
One of my many favourite stories in the Bible is found in Genesis 16. It tells the story of Hagar and her encounter with “The God who sees me). When Sarah had been unable to conceive promptly after a promise from God that she would, she became impatient, and came up with an idea to help God out, suggesting to Abraham that he should sleep with her servant Hagar in order to father a child. In due course, Hagar became pregnant, but as her delight and Sarah’s resentment grew, she mistreated and rejected Hagar. Eventually Hagar ran away. But “The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” (Verse 7-8) It is very true that we often need just the right question to help us realise where we are at, and to refocus on the presence of God and the help he is offering us. When Hagar heard the angel of the Lord (God himself) and engaged in conversation with him, she received the help she needed and, “She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me, I have now seen the One who sees me.” That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi” (Which means well of the the Living One who sees me (Genesis 16:13).
Since the Bible teaches that God is present everywhere, this issue for Hagar, and every one of us, is not God’s availability, it’s ability to become aware of him and to engage with him. The good and gracious God who saw Hagar and who opened her eyes to see him, is also the God who sees you and me, and his seeing is not as a scientist impersonally viewing a specimen through a microscope, but as our loving heavenly Father who cares. There are many biblical names of God, each one of them revealing an aspect of God’s nature, and inviting us to see him and know him in that way. God is the source of all we need and drawing near to “see” him and talk with him is the invitation he has made to us all. Refocussing helps people learn how to do this in a beautifully simple yet profound way.
If you would like to learn and grow in relating to God personally, simply make an appointment via this site, and we can connect in person or online, to that end.
Blessings, Jill
