Ways to Bring the Spirit Into Our Homes
- The Holy Spirit waits for human invitation.snow white dove image by Tammy Mobley from Fotolia.com
For Christians, when the Holy Spirit is present in their lives, God is present. When Jesus ascended into Heaven, he sent the Holy Spirit as the sign of Christ's presence in the world. Inviting the Holy Spirit into your home means you long for God to guide your thinking, your actions and your decisions. When the Holy Spirit is in your home, the Spirit challenges you to become the person you are created to be. Your life becomes dynamic, prayerful and loving. Invite the Holy Spirit into your home with prayer, patience and humility. - An altar can be simple or ornate.altar bible image by palms from Fotolia.com
In a perfect world, your entire home would be filled with peace, love and joy. Create a sacred corner or area from which to gather God's goodness and spread it through your home and your life. Place a table in a relatively quiet area. Lay a white tablecloth over the table. Put one or two candles, a picture of Jesus, a Bible and a cross or a crucifix on the table. Don't use the table for any other purpose. Take time each day to kneel or sit in quiet prayer. Gather in prayer with your family, if possible.
Proceed with your prayer time by inviting the Holy Spirit to come into each member of your family. Say, "Father, we ask you to send your Spirit into (name). " Repeat this prayer for every person you know, whether you have friendly or loving feelings or not. Ask the Holy Spirit to enter your home. Pray, "Come, Holy Spirit, into our home. Fill every corner with your love. Inspire us to communicate with tenderness and forgiveness." Finish by reciting the Lord's Prayer. - When the Holy Spirit descended upon the crowd at Pentecost, the people understood and spoke each other's languages. (Acts 2: 1-6) Invite the Holy Spirit into your routine activities so you can open your mind and your heart to communicate with your family and your friends. Carry your spiritual home with you wherever you go throughout your day. Open yourself to the possibilities and joys of understanding others, as Jesus would have done.
- God works according to a divine plan, which often bears little resemblance to human schedules and expectations. Practice patience. Wait on the Holy Spirit before rushing into situations ill-prepared to handle them. Southern Nazarene University offers wisdom about waiting on the Holy Spirit. Pray for the willingness to wait for the Spirit's guidance before taking matters into your own hands. Ask the Spirit to bless each activity and each conversation before engaging in them. Devote quiet time to prayer, inviting the Holy Spirit into your action plan for the day. Visualize the Spirit's presence in the present moment. Take appropriate action involving blessing, protecting, loving and comforting. When you invite the Spirit into each element of your life and humbly seek the Spirit's guidance, your soul and all who encounter you are blessed. Your home is a haven because you invite the Spirit into your life.
