Glorify the Lord in Your Body
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START WITH HEART
Lord, as You speak please help me listen with my whole heart and Holy Spirit please meet me today and make me more like Jesus.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
19 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, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
During the week, in preparation for our 24 hours of prayer and fasting, I cried out to the Lord to show me how I could be more effective for Him!
I am a very average person, no special skills or talents, not a genius at any particular thing, but wanting to use all of my energy to lift up His Name!
I was reminded of the scripture above where we are told that the Holy Spirit lives in us, and we are His temple. This brought to mind a picture. In our homes, whether we own or rent, there is a certain amount of maintenance and upkeep that needs to take place on a regular basis. When we paint the walls, inside and out, we never just give one coat of paint, it is normally two or three, depending on the wear and tear that takes place in that area and the quality of the paint. When dirt or marks appear on the wall, we are then able to wash it down and remove the marks, without thinning the paint and therefore the wall still looks good.
I see this as a picture of us, as believers, as the home of the Holy Spirit. We need to coat ourselves in the blood of Jesus daily, so that we too can be made clean, look new and change our way of thinking. When the things of the world, like sin or envy or unforgiveness, stick to us and the Lord has to chastise us, we are so well coated with the blood of Jesus that we are able to have all the dirty marks and stains removed without our coating becoming thin.
The Lord showed me that it does not matter who I am, but whose I am. If the Holy Spirit is living in me that means He is always with me. Always prompting, guiding and teaching me, as I spend time with the Lord in His Word! I do not need to fear what I will say or if my actions will be appropriate, as I rely on Him to steer me in the right direction.
As long as I am keeping my home covered in the blood of Jesus, the Holy Spirit will always be with me to lead and guide me. I will become resilient and be able to overcome those insecurities and doubts that I may have about my abilities and rely fully on my relationship with Jesus, all the time! Not when I feel like it but whenever the Lord prompts me to do His bidding.
So in order for me to be more effective for Jesus, I feel the Lord is saying I have everything I need to step up, as long as I am focussed on Him and are relying on Him as my source, rather than looking to myself for the abilities that are needed.
I am so excited that we serve a loving and gracious God, that no matter where we find ourselves. If we have an ongoing intimate relationship with Him, He will use us at every opportunity where we make ourselves available.
JOURNALING QUESTIONS:
- Read the scripture and ask the Lord to reveal to you His nearness and to speak directly to your heart, what He needs from you in order for you to become more effective for Him!!
- How am I covering myself with the blood of Jesus?
- How can I become more intentional in spending time with the Lord, on a daily basis?
Thank You Lord, that no matter how we fall short, you are always ready to help us come back into right relationship with You. Thank You Holy Spirit for your revelation and leading, when we seek You with our whole hearts, you show us wonderful things that give us strength to move forward, in You!
Show me what I need, to make me strong and courageous.
WORSHIP SONG:
New Wine, by Hillsong
by Lynor van Rooyen
