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.

Prayer Week 16: The Posture of Worship

Our posture makes a big difference. The way that we stand and hold our hands can affect our own confidence levels and the way that people react to us. If we hunch our shoulders and shuffle our feet we come off as insecure. If we cross our arms and don’t smile we come off as angry. If we shuffle our feet and look around people think we are bored or distracted and not paying attention. When we slouch we feel at ease and relaxed, but sitting up straight helps us focus and get work done.

 

Psalm 143:6 New American Standard Bible 1995

I stretch out my hands to You;
My soul longs for You, as a parched land. 

Isaiah 29:4 New American Standard Bible 1995

Then you will be brought low;
From the earth you will speak,
And from the dust where you are prostrate
Your words will come.
Your voice will also be like that of a spirit from the ground,
And your speech will whisper from the dust.

Psalm 95:6 New American Standard Bible 1995

Come, let us worship and bow down,
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

Psalm 135:1-3 New American Standard Bible 1995

Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord;
Praise Him, O servants of the Lord,
You who stand in the house of the Lord,
In the courts of the house of our God!
Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
Sing praises to His name, for it is lovely.

 

Our posture affects our attitudes. We feel lazy and complacent when we slouch, but we feel driven and attentive when we sit up and lean forward. Not only does this affect our attitudes and the way people react to us, but also the way that we react to God. Our hearts are more active in worship when we stand to sing rather than sitting down. In Anne of Green Gables, Anne is instructed to pray before bed kneeling, and she asks why. If she were to pray how she wanted, she would stand in a field, lifting her hands to heaven.

 

This week when you pray, try using different postures: kneel in submission, stand in awe with your hands lifted high, or fall on your face in humility before your Creator. You can do this physically or inwardly in the inner sanctuary of your soul. See what a difference each makes on your heart and prayers.

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

Prayer week 5: Before the Throne

It is easy to let prayer become common place, to see God casually. Of course, we should be comfortable coming to God and not be afraid to stand before Him, but it is important to not go too far so that we lose reverential awe. We need to keep that holy fear (the result of reverence and respect, not terror) so that we do not disrespect the God of the universe.

 

Isaiah 6:1 New American Standard Bible 1995

In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.

Revelation 4:2-3 New American Standard Bible 1995

Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance.

Revelation 20:11 New American Standard Bible 1995

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.

 

God is our Father and we should be able to come before Him confidently and without fear, but we also need to have proper respect and awe for Him. He is the Creator of the universe, the Almighty God more powerful than any being and rightful Judge of mankind. The way that we view God affects the way in which we approach Him.

 

For the next week when you come to pray, before you start picture in your mind’s eye standing before the throne of God, not in judgment but in petition. Picture what He would look like, high and exalted above all. Imagine His splendor, glory, honor and authority. Imagine yourself before Him in a position of awe and worship. Keep that inner posture until His glory envelopes you and your thoughts as His robe enveloped the temple.

 

 

 

 

 

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

Do You Sing a Lie?

As Christians, we will acknowledge that to lie is wrong, and we would balk at the idea that we are living a lie. That is hypocrisy. Of course, we avoid the “bad” sins, and even most of the not-so-bad ones. Yet do our words match our lives? Specifically, do we live as if we agree with what we sing on Sunday morning?

What Kind of Sacrifices Do You Make?

painting courtesy of zatletic/bigstock.com

Offering sacrifices is something we tend to relate to the Old Testament where God commanded the Israelites to offer certain sacrifices for certain situations and feasts. In that sense, it is something which ended when Jesus died on the cross, paying the ultimate sacrifice and permanently ending the need to offer sacrifices for sin. If that is the case, wouldn’t offering sacrifices now be unnecessary and even idolatry?

True Virtue: Worship

When many hear the word worship, they think of a band at the front of a church singing songs. That is definitely part of worship, but there is much more to it. Easton’s Bible Dictionary defines worship as: homage [deference/submission and respect] rendered to God which it is sinful (idolatry) to render to any created being. Jesus says that we must worship in spirit and in truth, if our lives do not line up with that our worship is false.