Tag Archive | purpose

Pursuing the Heart of God – Day 63 – Your Body, My Temple

May25

Pursuing the Heart of God – Day 63

Your Body, My Temple

Oh Lord, I am in awe that You, the Sovereign ruler of the universe, would choose to make my heart your dwelling place. I am so blessed, and yet, so convicted that I should live a life pleasing to You. However, I still fall short, so many times. I don’t remember that You live in Me, or choose to live according to the flesh, rather than the Spirit. Please show me Your heart.

Message from God’s Heart to Yours:

You are My child. I have adopted you as My sons and daughters. You are a member of My family. You have received My life in you. I have given you My Spirit. I sent My Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is My Son, I live in them and they in Me. So you know and rely on the love I have for you. I am love. Whoever lives in love lives in Me, and I in them (1 John 4:13-16). I live in you.

Be careful how you live—not as unwise but as wise. Do not become drunk on wine, but be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:15-20). Flee sexual immorality. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from Me? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor Me with your bodies (1 Corinthians 6:18-20).

The one who keeps My commands lives in Me, and I in them. And this is how you know that I live in you: You know it by the Spirit I gave you (1 John 3:24). And if the Spirit of Jesus is living in you, I will also give life to you because of His Spirit who lives in you (Romans 8:11). I anointed you, set My seal of ownership on you, and put My Spirit in your hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come (2 Corinthians 1:21-22). You are Mine and you will spend eternity in heaven with Me.

My Son has said, “Anyone who loves Me will obey My teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them” (John 14:23). I am with you always; live with that in mind. Do not defile your body, My home. Keep your heart pure. Die to sins and live for the righteousness provided by My Son (1 Peter 2:24). Let others be won over to Me without words by your behavior when they see the purity and reverence of your lives (1 Peter 3:1-2).

Your body is My temple. Worship Me with your body. Treat it with care and respect. Take care of your body, My home. Your heart is My sanctuary. Live as dedicated to Me, set apart for a higher purpose. You are My workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which I prepared in advance for you to do (Ephesians 2:10). Honor Me in all you do and say. You are Mine; live as so.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, my heart is Your home. You live and work in me. Therefore, I can hear the voice of Your Spirit within me, as He teaches me more of Your character and Your ways. Lord, speak to me now as we meet in sweet fellowship in Jesus Christ. I am eager to hear a word from You today. Show me more of Your heart through our intimate conversations right now. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Two-way Conversation with God: 

  • Abba Father, please show me any ways that I have offended You with my body. Help me to see the error of my behaviors, and let me repent of my sins. (Record everything He shows you, and then, confess your sin and turn from these ways.)

 

  • Jesus, my Savior, teach me what it means to live a life set apart for You. (Write down all thoughts and ideas He gives you.)

 

  • Holy Spirit, convict me of my sin and help me to live a life of purity and righteousness. Spend some time with me now, cleaning my heart, Your home. (Journal everything you heart from Him.)

 

Review God’s thoughts and impressions you’ve sensed and written above. What Scripture comes to mind as you review your notes? Use the concordance of your Bible to look up an impression from God’s Word. Record the verse or passage here. Write all insights and encouragement the Holy Spirit illumines for you as you read God’s Word right now.

Prayer:

Father in heaven, who lives in me, I want to honor You with my body. I want to live as dead to sin and alive to Christ. Empower me to live a life set apart for you; a life of holiness and purity, free from debauchery. I want to live by Your commands, empowered by Your Spirit, to carry out the work You planned for me from the beginning. Thank You for the gift of Your Spirit who helps me in my weakness. I yield my spirit to the sanctifying work of Your Spirit in my life. I desire to display the fruit of self-control in my life. Spirit of God, please produce that fruit in me. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.

Supporting Scripture:

John 14:23-26, 23Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves Me will obey My teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24Anyone who does not love Me will not obey My teaching. These words you hear are not My own; they belong to the Father who sent Me. 25All this I have spoken while still with you. 26But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. “

John 16:13-15, 13“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come. 14He will bring glory to Me by taking from what is Mine and making it known to you. 15All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is shy I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.”

Romans 8:9-11, 9You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you.

1 Corinthians 3:16, Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?

1 Corinthians 6:18-20, 18Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 19Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? 20You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22, 21Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

2 Corinthians 5:1-10, 1For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, 3because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God; who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 6Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7For we live by faith, and not by sight. 8We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, ,so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

2 Corinthians 6:16, What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.”

Ephesians 1:13-14, 13And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of His glory.

Ephesians 2:10, For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:22, And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit.

Ephesians 5:15-20, 15Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Philippians 1:20-21, 20I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21For to me, to live is Christ sand to die is gain.

1 Peter 2:24, “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by His wounds you have been healed.”

1 Peter 3:1-2, 1Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.

1 John 3:24, The one who keeps God’s commands lives in Him, and He in them. And this is how we know that He lives in us: We know it by the Spirit He gave us.

1 John 4;13-16, 13This is how we know that we live in Him and He in us: He has given us of His Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. 15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

Copyright © Sindy Nagel. All Rights Reserved

His Heart will Sing

Sep21

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—which is your spiritual worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:1-2).

Beloved one, make it your pleasure to offer yourself—heart, mind, and soul—to Me, in reverence. Do not be as the pagans, who do not acknowledge Me as God. You previously belonged to this world and its ways. However, now you are a stranger to it. Do not imitate the ways of those who do not know Me or accept me. You are My child, I adopted you as My heir. My Holy Spirit, who dwells in your heart, transforms you by the renewing of your mind. Pay attention to His voice within. He teaches you and reminds you of My good and perfect will. You need not question how to please Me. Love Me with your obedience. Set yourself apart from this world, remaining pure and holy as your spiritual worship. Serve Me wholeheartedly according to the gifts I have given you. Live into the purpose I created you for and let My heart sing.


 

Rewarded for Your Labor

Sep5

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor (1 Corinthians 3:6-8).

My child, your labor is not in vain. You may not see the results of it, but I do. At times, you plant the seed. Other times, you water it. And I make it grow. So you see, in performing My work, you are fulfilling your purpose, and you will be rewarded accordingly.

Do not be discouraged. Continue to work alongside Me for the salvation of My people. I will use you in ways you don’t even know about. Bring the light of salvation and the good news of the gospel to all the places I bring you. Plant, water, and move on. Leave the growth to Me. Your reward will come later. Your labor does not go unnoticed.

I am delighted in you. I value you as My creation. Good job, faithful one. My blessings are upon you. Now enjoy My presence and My peace.


 

His Mercy Made Us Alive

Apr24

Lord, today you woke me to these lyrics to “Mercy” by Casting Crowns

You’re greater than my yesterdays
You hold me close today
You’re the Lord of my tomorrows
My heart will always say
Your mercy saved me
Mercy made me whole
Your mercy found me
Called me as Your own

You called us as Your own
Your Mercy Made Us Alive

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of this grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:4-10)

My children, I called you as my own. You are my sons and daughters. My mercy made you alive with Christ. My grace saved you and raised you with Jesus so that I might show you the riches of my grace expressed in my loving kindness to you. I love you beyond your comprehension. I created you for a purpose. You are my workmanship, created to do the works I have prepared in advance for you to do. Seek me in all you do. I have plans for you. I prepare you for the work I designed you for. I make a way for you to accomplish my will.

 Draw near to me, and I will draw near to you. I will strengthen you and give you my wisdom. Ask and you will receive the incomparable riches of my grace. All I have is yours. You have access to it through my Son, Jesus Christ. Your inheritance is secure. Your eternal fate has been sealed by the Holy Spirit who lives in your heart. Listen to my voice within you. I desire a close relationship with you. Develop intimacy with me through my Spirit in you. Spend time with me daily in conversation. Share your heart with me and then listen as I share my heart with you. My mercy and grace saved you. My love and companionship will bless you. My peace will carry you through your trials. My Spirit in you makes you alive in me. I call you my own; you are mine.

Go and Bear My Fruit

Mar21


A woman is standing at the microphone and holding a pen.“As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among the thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. He who has ears, let him hear.†(Matthew 13:4-9)

When you share your story, you will sow my seed in many different places. Some seed will fall on the path, some on rock with shallow soil, some among thorns, and some on good soil.

It is not your job, when you share my message, to pay attention to how many lives are changed in the process. Your job is to sow the seed, my job is to bring in the harvest. Do not measure your success based upon the immediate response to your message. Some will not respond at all. Some will respond quickly, but then fall away. Others will hear the message but will be overtaken by the thorns of the world after that. Some seed will flourish, take root, and bear much fruit. But again, it is not your job to measure your work. You are not in control. Simply do your job and let me do mine. In merely telling your story, you are fulfilling my will and purpose for your life. It is no credit to you the number of souls that are saved. All glory and honor belong to me for the reaping of the harvest. Always remember your position and your role. Give me all the glory, honor, and praise for any fruit that you bear. I am the vinedresser. I have pruned you to bear fruit. Now go and bear it by spreading the seed I have given you to sow. Scatter it on all types of surfaces and I will determine the yield. I am the Lord, God. Go and bear my fruit.

Today is a New Day

Mar17

Sheepishly I sat with the Lord this morning admitting that I had not made him a priority lately. He did not shame me or rebuke me. With a few poignant words from Him and lyrics from songs on Christian radio, He turned it into a beautiful, uplifting time of worshipping Him. His mercies are new every morning. This is Day 1 of forever! Make good use of your time and spend it with the One who created you for a purpose. It’ll be the best use of your time all day. Worship His holy name and live into His perfect will. Even when you can’t feel him, I promise He’s still there. He doesn’t require large blocks of your time. He’ll take whatever time you give him and make good use of it. Bless the Lord, O my soul.

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:23)

 

Child of Love

May20

My precious child, you are very important to me. I do not make mistakes. I created you for a reason; I had a purpose in mind for you before I created the world. You are the conduit of my love. People will know me when they see your loving ways. Love unconditionally as I do. I will empower you to love that way. Remain in me and I will remain in you. Love me and I will love others through you.

Please seek me every day. Make me your first priority. Come near to me. Spend a little time with me. Let me direct your ways. Trust me. I have your best interest in mind. I am only a whisper away. Ask me for help. Share your heart with me, and then listen. I desire to share my heart with you. My Spirit, who lives in your heart, knows my heart and shares it with you. You have access to me any time, day or night, by my Spirit within you. Listen to my voice from within. Hear what I say to you in your thoughts and be at peace. I have so much to tell you. Will you spend a few moments with me today?

Let me love you perfectly, and you will have the capacity and capability you need to love others well. Receive my love in order to give it away. Child of love, you are precious to me.