Start Here

“Counseling through the Word” Devotional: I am a Dwelling Place for the Holy Spirit

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Pinterest
Email

“Counseling through the Word” Devotional: I am a Dwelling Place for the Holy Spirit

Verse: “In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” – Ephesians 2:22 (ESV)

Devotional Thought

In Ephesians 2:22, Paul gives a profound description of the Church, not as a mere building, but as a living, growing, spiritual house where God Himself dwells through His Spirit. This verse speaks to the incredible reality that, as believers, we are being built together into a holy temple—a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit.

The imagery Paul uses is rich and significant. He describes the Church as a structure built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone. In ancient construction, the cornerstone was the most important stone, ensuring that the entire building was aligned and stable. Likewise, Christ is the cornerstone of our faith, and everything in our spiritual lives must be aligned with Him.

As individual believers, we are like living stones being fit together in this spiritual building. Remarkably, God’s dwelling place is not in a temple made of stone, but in a Church composed of people—people who were once separated by ethnicity, background, and sin, but who are now united in Christ. This unity, which transcends all earthly distinctions, is a powerful testimony to the world of God’s reconciling work.

To know that we are a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit is both a privilege and a responsibility. The Spirit’s presence in our lives signifies that we belong to God, that we are set apart for His purposes, and that we are called to live in a way that honors Him. As we yield to the Spirit’s work in us, we are being continually shaped and fitted into this holy temple, growing together with other believers into a dwelling where God is glorified.

Bringing It Home: Application Points

  • Recognize Your Identity: Embrace the truth that you are a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit, called to reflect God’s presence in your life.
  • Live in Unity: Understand the importance of being “built together” with other believers, fostering unity and love within the body of Christ.
  • Align Your Life with Christ: As Christ is the cornerstone, ensure that your life is aligned with His teachings and His will, allowing the Spirit to work through you.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for making me a dwelling place for Your Holy Spirit. Help me to live in a way that honors Your presence within me, and guide me to grow in unity with my fellow believers. May my life be aligned with Christ, my cornerstone, as I seek to glorify You in all that I do. Amen.

Questions for Reflection

1. How can I better reflect God’s presence in my daily life?

2. In what ways can I foster unity and love within my church community?

3. What steps can I take to ensure my life is aligned with Christ’s teachings and will?

Call to Action

Thank you for joining me today. If you found this lesson helpful, I encourage you to explore more resources and support on my website, https://jameslongjr.org/. You can also watch my video on my YouTube channel.

Finally, would you consider joining our Lessons for Life monthly membership or our online group coaching, where you’ll find powerful coaching videos, a supportive community, and step-by-step guidance for lasting transformation?

Remember, true change is possible when you walk in God’s grace and for His glory. Until next time, may you find peace, hope, and joy in Christ.

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Pinterest
Email

Related

Facebook Twitter Youtube

Get Updates

Gratitude journal

When was the last time someone said thank you to you? When was the last time you said thank you to someone else? So many people today struggle with a lack of thankfulness and ingratitude. This leads to struggles with complaining, criticizing, and comparing. Gratitude and thankfulness provide a powerful remedy for these problems. This gratitude journal helps us to identify what we should be grateful for and what we do as a result of seeing life as a gift.

God's grace prayer journal

Do you struggle with applying the truth that you learn during your study of God’s word? This God’s grace prayer journal will allow you to focus on gratitude and live in contentment in life. The journal pages encourage you to observe what you are learning from the Bible text, evaluate how you have failed to live according to the truths stated, seek forgiveness, and develop godly plans for change.

Giving hope

Do you struggle with the lack of hope? Do you find yourself struggling with doubt and insecurity during times of great challenge? During those times, you need to find your rest and assurance in pondering, personalizing, praying, and practicing what God’s Word says. In the short devotional, spend time meditating and studying each of these passages. Write down whatever comes to mind in the spaces below. And let God speak to you.

Discovering Godly patterns

One of the keys to growing in Christlikeness in our lives is to unearth and discover, and biblically evaluate our thinking patterns, speaking, and acting. This worksheet will help you be honest and specific about areas in your life that are not meeting biblical standards in thinking, speaking, and acting.

Counseling review journal

The God who began a good work in you will continue it through your lifetime and will finish it when we meet him face-to-face. God works for us, and God works in us. He enables us to become more like Christ every single day. This work is progressive and continual in this life. This worksheet helps us review and evaluate gains made during counseling and discipleship, show gratitude to God for what he has done, and develop plans for future growth and change.

Conflict review worksheet

There probably is not a day that goes by that we do not have some level of conflict with others. This worksheet helps us focus on the problem and not the person. It helps us evaluate how we have handled a dispute and how we should deal with it moving forward.

Bible study notes sheet

Do you ever struggle with doing a Bible study or journaling the key ideas from your reading? This Bible Study Note Sheet will encourage you to ponder and meditate on Scripture. Also, God’s Word is meant for you, so this worksheet will help you personalize what you are learning. It will also guide you in learning to pray God’s Word, and finally, it will encourage you to put into practice the principles and promises you find in reading the Word of God.

Anger journal

Anger is a significant issue for so many people. People often stuff or spew their anger, but very few learn to study their anger. This journal assignment will help you to do just that. It will help you understand, evaluate, and respond to your anger in better ways.

4 Steps to rethinking a problem

Do you ever find yourself getting overwhelmed with problems? Do you find yourself struggling with thinking clearly during a challenging situation? This four-step approach to rethinking a problem will help.

4P problem-solving approach worksheet

Problems can seem overwhelming. When we are in the midst of a significant crisis, many of us struggle with defining the problem and implementing helpful solutions. This worksheet helps us to identify three unbiblical and unproductive ways of handling problems. It also encourages us to destroy problems, not people, as we deal with issues in a biblical and God-honoring way.