Mindful Mondays: We Are The Temple

By Jeanne Swanberg

Never in my lifetime has there been a more universal picture of the true battle we face in this world than the pandemic we are in today. Our battle is an enemy we cannot see. The fight is real. And the weapon to fight the enemy is prayer.

I know that we have been praying and we don’t see all of the answers yet, but let me encourage you that God hears our prayers and answers them! Each prayer matters and together we engage His power.

In 2 Chronicles 7 God is speaking to Solomon just after he finished building the temple in Israel. As we pray for our families, our country, and our world during these times, let us keep these words in mind.

“I have heard your prayer and have chosen this Temple as the place where I want you to sacrifice to me. ¹³ If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust swarms to eat up all of your crops, or if I send an epidemic among you, ¹⁴ then if my people will humble themselves and pray, and search for me, and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear them from heaven and forgive their sins and heal their land. ¹⁵ I will listen, wide awake, to every prayer made in this place. ¹⁶ For I have chosen this Temple and sanctified it to be my home forever; my eyes and my heart shall always be here.” – 2 Chronicles 7:12-16

This is God’s heart toward us. He is listening and His eyes are on us. He wants to be in relationship with His creation. And we are blessed to live in this time where we don’t have to go to the temple, to a building, to pray. We are God’s temple. When we put our trust in Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell inside of us. We have all authority to pray in His name and we have the knowledge that He hears and answers our prayers.

During this time, lets slow down and ask him what He is up to and how to pray. Take a personal inventory and ask how you can become part of the change He wants to make in the world. One person at a time, one prayer at a time, He is restoring all things.