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Dwelling with God (17)

                                     

 Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,

— St. Patrick's Breastplate Prayer

Where does God dwell? Our God, who is invisible to the human eye, who is larger than life, the infinite, eternal God, where can we find Him? Is His presence confined to heaven or maybe to the church buildings? Wherever He can be found, that is where I want to be. I long to be in His presence, to sense His nearness and to know Him as closely as if I were dwelling in His home.


God is omnipresent, which means He is always present, never far from us. We can pray to Him wherever we are and we can commune with Him anywhere. Not only does God invite us to join Him in His dwelling place, to draw near to Him in His presence, but also He promises that He will dwell within us.

Worship God, our dwelling place

Lord, I long to be where You are, to find my home in You! I want to live always within the boundaries of Your will and find my joy in Your presence oh Lord.


Psalm 84:1-4; 10-12

How lovely is your dwelling place,
    Lord of hosts!
 My soul longs, yes, faints
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and flesh sing for joy
    to the living God.

 Even the sparrow finds a home,
    and the swallow a nest for herself,
    where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
    my King and my God.
 Blessed are those who dwell in your house,
    ever singing your praise! 

For a day in your courts is better
    than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
    than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
 For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
    the Lord bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does he withhold
    from those who walk uprightly.
 Lord of hosts,
    blessed is the one who trusts in you!

Appropriate the truth of scripture as you grow in your walk of faith

Lord, may I desire to be in Your presence like the psalmist. Lord, I am so grateful for Your Spirit who dwells within me.


Psalm 27:4

One thing have I asked of the Lord,
    that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
    and to inquire in his temple.

John 14:16-17

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

Light - Walk in the light by openly confessing your sins and need for God

Lord, today I pray that I may honor You with my body, the temple of the Holy Spirit.  May I abide in You as You abide in me.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

John 15:4-10

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.

Know Him more and more as you spend time with Him daily

Lord, no building can contain Your presence, but may I know Your presence in experience more and more each day.


1 Kings 8:23-30

 â€œO Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart;  you have kept with your servant David my father what you declared to him. You spoke with your mouth, and with your hand have fulfilled it this day. Now therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father what you have promised him, saying, â€˜You shall not lack a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.’ Now therefore, O God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you have spoken to your servant David my father.

“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built! Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O Lord my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before you this day, that your eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the place of which you have said, â€˜My name shall be there,’ that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place. And listen to the plea of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen in heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.


Prayers for others today:

S - Missions

M - Family

T - Church and Friends

W - Work

Th - Community

F - World affairs

Sat - Self


Blessings on your day,

Heather


P.S. If you just jumped into this blog post, you can read the first post explaining how to walk with God through your prayer life and the first day of praying through scripture here.

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