While I'm on the topic of making our homes cozy dwelling places, I want to discuss something that is a real desire of mine ~ to make our home a place where the Holy Spirit can dwell.
There are days when I feel so emotionally ugly because my mouth spouts out way too many harsh words, because my fuse is short, and because my kids have picked up on my bad habits and are being critical of one another. Talk about humbling. I know that when I can begin to see my ugliness in my children, I need to repent and take care of things!
One of the things I often do is invite the presence of God into our home. Of course, for the believer, the Holy Spirit dwells within us. And we can ask for an extra measure of the Holy Spirit, of His power, to indwell us.
As we can ask for more of God's presence (the Holy Spirit) to indwell our bodies and souls, we can also ask Him to dwell in our homes. By inviting God's presence into our homes, we are asking God to make Himself known and felt in our physical abodes, to come in and make our homes a holy and sacred place.
My desire is for my family and our guests to truly FEEL the presence of God in our home. Our home is not perfect. My children bicker and fight. My husband and I can speak too harshly at times. Our attitudes sometimes stink. But when we purposefully take the time to stop and invite Him in to dwell, we're actually permitting Him in to both our home and our lives and asking Him to perform a holy work in everything in our home.
And if you have children, share this prayer with them. Let them know that you practice the act of inviting God to dwell in your home. This will teach them the importance of practicing God's presence. It will teach them lessons in striving to live lives that will glorify God. It will teach them the importance of allowing God in to their lives to change and sanctify them. And you can even go as far as letting them participate. If they feel led, invite them to pray and ask God to indwell their bedroom, their personal space.
And if this is foreign to you, may I provide an example of how I pray? Of course, these do not need to be the exact words you pray. Just pray from the heart...
Father, You are so great, so glorious. You desire good for Your children. Father, I thank you for blessing us with our home. I thank you that, out of Your goodness, You have provided a safe and comfortable dwelling place for us to live and raise our family. And now, Father, I invite Your presence into our home. Please come in and dwell in our home. Make our home a holy place where You are glorified, where You are praised, where Your presence is felt and practiced.
Father, if there is anything in our home that does not glorify You, please make us aware of it so that it may be removed. Father, expose any sinful attitudes and help us to eradicate them and replace them with thanksgiving and attitudes of gratitude. If there are any physical objects that are not glorifying to You, expose them so that they can be removed.
Father, the desire of my heart is to make You known to my family, to my children, to our guests. Lord, sometimes my flesh is weak and I fail so I pray for strength and I pray for grace for myself when I do fail (as I know I will.) And when I fail, I pray for the holy reminder that your mercies are new each moment, and I pray that I would be willing to stop and ask for an extra measure of power from the Holy Spirit so that I may walk in an attitude that glorifies You.
In Your Son's most powerful and Holy name, Amen.
One of the things I often do is invite the presence of God into our home. Of course, for the believer, the Holy Spirit dwells within us. And we can ask for an extra measure of the Holy Spirit, of His power, to indwell us.
As we can ask for more of God's presence (the Holy Spirit) to indwell our bodies and souls, we can also ask Him to dwell in our homes. By inviting God's presence into our homes, we are asking God to make Himself known and felt in our physical abodes, to come in and make our homes a holy and sacred place.
My desire is for my family and our guests to truly FEEL the presence of God in our home. Our home is not perfect. My children bicker and fight. My husband and I can speak too harshly at times. Our attitudes sometimes stink. But when we purposefully take the time to stop and invite Him in to dwell, we're actually permitting Him in to both our home and our lives and asking Him to perform a holy work in everything in our home.
And if you have children, share this prayer with them. Let them know that you practice the act of inviting God to dwell in your home. This will teach them the importance of practicing God's presence. It will teach them lessons in striving to live lives that will glorify God. It will teach them the importance of allowing God in to their lives to change and sanctify them. And you can even go as far as letting them participate. If they feel led, invite them to pray and ask God to indwell their bedroom, their personal space.
And if this is foreign to you, may I provide an example of how I pray? Of course, these do not need to be the exact words you pray. Just pray from the heart...
Father, You are so great, so glorious. You desire good for Your children. Father, I thank you for blessing us with our home. I thank you that, out of Your goodness, You have provided a safe and comfortable dwelling place for us to live and raise our family. And now, Father, I invite Your presence into our home. Please come in and dwell in our home. Make our home a holy place where You are glorified, where You are praised, where Your presence is felt and practiced.
Father, if there is anything in our home that does not glorify You, please make us aware of it so that it may be removed. Father, expose any sinful attitudes and help us to eradicate them and replace them with thanksgiving and attitudes of gratitude. If there are any physical objects that are not glorifying to You, expose them so that they can be removed.
Father, the desire of my heart is to make You known to my family, to my children, to our guests. Lord, sometimes my flesh is weak and I fail so I pray for strength and I pray for grace for myself when I do fail (as I know I will.) And when I fail, I pray for the holy reminder that your mercies are new each moment, and I pray that I would be willing to stop and ask for an extra measure of power from the Holy Spirit so that I may walk in an attitude that glorifies You.
In Your Son's most powerful and Holy name, Amen.
1 comment:
Thank you for this. :) I did a search for "God in our homes" and you were the 1st to pop up. I know that I need God's goodness in my home. With times being as they are lately, I have not felt it as much. Believe that is my own fault. Too busy to do my bible reading, too focused on the world. Hoping he will give me the omph to make the necessary changes.
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