“Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet. Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies in ruins?”
– Haggai 1:3–4
Haggai 1:3–4 begins this prophecy, and in a sense that verse, verse four, summarizes the problem that precipitated the book of Haggai. God’s people had returned from exile to Jerusalem and originally they started rebuilding the temple. That was part of the purpose of them coming back, to restore the people of God in the promised land and to rebuild the temple as a place where the glory of God dwells among his people. But it didn’t take long for them to give up on that project and instead to focus on their own projects for their own comforts, which is why verse four says, “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses?” Basically in your nice places while this house, the house of God, the place where the glory of God dwells among his people lies in ruins.
God’s people were blinded from the glory of God by their sin.
These Verses Remind Us to put God Ahead of Our Own Desires
So get the picture. God’s people had prioritized their own comforts over the celebration of God’s glory, the worship of God in all of his glory. They had missed out on what was most important as they were blinded by their own selfish desires. Is that possible in your life? My life? Today? To be so blind because of our own selfish desires and what we want, what will make us comfortable, what we prefer, that we prioritize these things over celebration of God’s glory and the worship of God in all that we do? And even though the evangelistic in a sense purpose of the temple to be a place where the glory of God was declared among the nations from this place and for the people of God to ignore that completely and to focus on themselves.
Haggai 1:3–4: Asking God to Help Us Prioritize Him Over Our Own Desires
So we pray, God, help us. Each one of us, God I pray, for my own life. As well as my own priorities, for every single person listening right now. God, we pray that you’d help us to prioritize your worship today, all day long. Whatever we do, whether we eat or drink, help us to do it all for your glory. God, we pray knowing that you have made our bodies the temple of the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus. We pray that you would help us to honor our bodies. You would help us to glorify you in the things we see, the things we say, the desires we have, the actions we take.
Asking God to Save Us From Our Sinful Tendencies
God, we pray that the words we speak and everything we do. God help us to glorify you as temples of your Holy Spirit. Lord, we pray that you’d help us to prioritize your worship today in all these ways, in every single thing we do. And that you would save us from our selfish desires, save us from our sinful tendency to prioritize ourselves, our own desires, our own comforts, our own preferences over you and your glory in our lives. You are Supreme. You are supremely worthy and we want you to be glorified in us. Help us to build up these bodies that are the temple of the Holy Spirit, your body, the church that is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
God help us to love your church well. Additionally, help us to build up your church, edify your church, that you might be glorified in your church. God, we pray that you’d help us to give proper attention to the temple of your Holy Spirit our body, template of your Holy Spirit your church, and help us to prioritize your glory in everything we do. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
