PRAYER OF CONSECRATION
Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.
Jesus, I belong to you.
I lift up my heart to you.
I set my mind on you.
I fix my eyes on you.
I offer my body to you as a living sacrifice.
Jesus, we belong to you.
Praying in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.
Ephesians 3:14–19
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
CONSIDER THIS
If you ever get a chance to watch one of the 20,000 (okay, probably an exaggeration) home improvement shows, pay attention to the computer-generated interior design programs. They are fascinating. The designer can literally imagine hundreds of different ways to utilize the space he is given. He can rearrange furniture, remove cabinets, and raise the ceiling. Sometimes he will even take down walls to create a larger space. The goal for the designer is to create a physical space that reflects the heart of the family who lives there. This is the same goal for an altar. It’s a physical space that reflects the longing of a heart to encounter God. Let’s look at the physical space we have created and how it reflects our own hearts.
In today’s passage, the apostle Paul is praising God for all that He has done to unify the believers under Jesus. He gives thanks to God for bringing all people together into the family of God through the Spirit. When Jesus fulfilled God’s covenant through His death and resurrection, the walls of restrictive laws of the Torah were taken down and there was room made in the family of God for Gentiles (non-Jews). Like a beautiful renovation, space was made for all people. Paul then prayed for the believers to make space in their lives so that Jesus could dwell in their hearts and they could be transformed by the Holy Spirit.
I love that Paul used the word dwell, which in Greek is katoikeō and means “to inhabit” or “settle.” This imagery paints a picture for us that is helpful to understand Paul’s prayer. There is a difference between occupying a space and dwelling in a space. If you have ever moved into an apartment or a dorm, you most likely moved in with a mindset that it wouldn’t be permanent. You may have been hesitant to hang photos on the wall or bring all of your belongings. You moved in, but you didn’t settle in.
However, if you have ever purchased a home, you probably moved in with a different mindset. You wanted to dwell in that space, to settle in. You wanted to paint the walls and hang pictures. You wanted to make it your own because it was permanent. Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians is that they would allow Jesus to permanently settle into their hearts and dwell there so they could be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Is Jesus fully settled in your heart? As an altar, our lives become the space where the Holy Spirit dwells and those around us see evidence of God’s presence. Have you created space for the Lord in your heart and also in the physical space of your home, work, or school? During this Lenten journey, we may need to do a little remodeling so Jesus can dwell more fully in the altar of our lives.
THE PRAYER
Jesus, as we kneel before You, we pray for the Holy Spirit to come and dwell in us. Fill us to overflowing with Your grace and mercy so we may be a witness to others. Amen.
THE QUESTION
Does it feel like Jesus dwells in your heart? If you are unsure, consider what space you have made for Him. What are some physical reminders around you that reflect your devotion to Jesus?
For the Awakening,
Susan Kent
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One Response
Make Room
Christians need Spirit-led gatherings where the living God is allowed to literally take charge and strengthen us with power by His Spirit working within and among us so that Christ can settle in and take active control of our hearts through living faith. Then together we can powerfully experience being rooted and established in and grasped by His love that surpasses human knowledge as we let the fullness of God fill us more and more.
Church is sermon centered.
A message is heard
But if we don’t act
To obey God’s Word
With one another,
Then the word we’ve heard
Flies away like a bird.
“Be doers of the word,
And not hearers only,
Deceiving yourselves.”
(James 1:22.)
(To hear these ideas in music, ask Alexa to play “Make Room.”)