My Heart - A Holy Dwelling Place

By Vicki White

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?  ~ 1 Corinthians 3:16 (NRSV)

Smith Wigglesworth said, “So many people stop at the doorway when God in His great plan is inviting them into His treasury.” 

When I read that statement, my immediate thought was, “The doorway I most want to enter is Your heart, Lord. I want to live there always, surrounded by nothing but Your love.”  It was in this context that I began to think of my own heart as a literal room where the Holy Spirit lives. I normally make sure my home is clean and tidy before I invite someone to visit, but I must admit I had not thought about my heart as an actual living space. I considered the room of my heart furnished with a fireplace that burns with the welcoming warmth of love, a sofa of peace, a table of friendship, and comfortable pillows of kindness, contentment, and joy. I contemplated the need to regularly clean out the dirt and dust of critical thoughts, envy, and a bad attitude. I pictured Him in the past having to share that space with other inhabitants: roaches of bitterness, gnats of impatience, and rats of anger, hatred, and unforgiveness; and it made me shudder! How often did He want to leave because of what I had allowed to live in my heart alongside Him? 

When I thought of my heart as if it were a room like this, I became a lot more intentional about making sure the Holy Spirit has a clean and comfortable dwelling place within me; a holy temple where He enjoys living. After all, I have invited Him into my heart. The least I can do is make sure He is comfortable and pleased to remain there.

Prayer: 

Holy Spirit, help me be a pure, clean, and holy dwelling place where You are pleased and comfortable to live. Make my heart Your permanent home and fill me to overflowing with Your love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, and self-control. I am Yours and You are mine, forever and ever, amen.

Breath Prayer:

Breathe in: Holy Spirit…

Breathe out: Live in me.