Prayer Week 22: The Temple of God

We tend to equate worshipping God with church, and church with a specific building. In the Old Testament people had to go to a specific place to worship God because that was where He dwelt, but now it is different. However, we have trouble remembering that in the day to day. We tend to compartmentalize and only think of God in the place where we expect to find Him.

 

1 Corinthians 3:16 New American Standard Bible 1995

Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

1 Corinthians 6:19 New American Standard Bible 1995

Or do you not know that our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?

2 Corinthians 6:16 New American Standard Bible 1995

Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God and they shall be My people.”

Ephesians 2:20-22 New American Standard Bible 1995

Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

 

Jesus came to earth to save us from sin. When He left, He sent His Holy Spirit to dwell in us in His place. Before the time of Christ, the Spirit only came on certain people for a certain time. It was not a permanent or common place occurrence. Now, however, the Spirit indwells all believers from the time of salvation on. We no longer need to go to the temple to worship God or be in His presence because we are His temple. We can worship Him anytime, anywhere. Relationship with God is no longer compartmentalized. One of my favorite books is The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence and I would highly recommend it. He talks about practical ways to be more aware of God’s presence every day, something all believers desperately need.

 

This week, dwell on the fact that God dwells in you. He is always at home in you. You do not have to seek Him out or get His attention, you already have Him. Your body is His temple, His place of worship. Do you live like it?

 

In the Old Testament, worship engaged all the senses. Set aside some time this week when you pray to create that atmosphere. Go someplace quiet and beautiful. Light a fragrant candle. Play some worship music. Pray and worship God with every part of your being, let your whole self engage and be involved in it. Practice the presence of God.

 Prayer points taken from Praying Through Adversity by Jennifer Kennedy Dean.