So Solomon built the house and finished it.
– 1 Kings 6:14
That is a very important verse in the whole Old Testament and really in the whole Bible. This is the completion of the construction of the temple, and I just want to encourage us to meditate on this picture in 1 King 6 and how it applies to our lives today.
1 Kings 6:14 reminds us that God desires to dwell with us.
So this place that housed the presence and the glory of God in the middle of his people, this was monumental for sure throughout the rest of the Old Testament. From this point, the temple would be the place where people could come to behold the glory of God in the middle of his people and where the nations could come. We’ll pray about that in light of 1 Kings 8, maybe in the next episode.
But for now, just let this soak in this picture of a place where God’s glory and presence is in the middle of his people. And then realize 1 Kings 6 ultimately points us to 1 Corinthians 6 which says, you, your body as a follower of Jesus is the temple, the temple of the Holy Spirit, where the presence, the glory of God dwells in you.
Oh, that’ll knock you out of your seat if you really think about it, that this incredible construction of this incredible place in 1 Kings 6:14 actually points to the construction of your body in Jesus as a temple of the Holy Spirit. Where you all day long today are walking in the presence of God with the presence of God with you. You don’t have to go to a particular place to worship, you walk in worship. You walk in communion with God.
1 Kings 6:14 reminds us that we are now God’s dwelling place.
So let this perspective just totally transform your day today. Whether you are at work, at school, you’re sitting in a classroom, going to a meeting, or you’re driving somewhere, or you’re interacting with this person or that person. You’re playing sports, you’re doing whatever hobby, working out, whatever you might be doing, playing an instrument, whatever you’re doing, do it all in communion with God and do it as an offering of worship to him.
Your every word, your every thought, everything you do, and even think the most menial things that might come to your mind that you might do today or tomorrow at work or school. Realize those menial things are infused with meaning. This is what Colossians is talking about when it says, “Whatever you do work heartily as for the Lord and not for men”. You are serving the Lord Christ and everything you do, this is 1 Corinthians 10.
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God”. So, God, we pray that you’d help us to live this way today. Help us to realize who we are, our very identity as a dwelling place for your Spirit inside of us. Oh God, even as I pray this, I’m just freshly overwhelmed by that reality in my own life right now and in every single one of us who has trusted in Jesus, who’s praying right now. God, help us to realize your Holy Spirit is in us.
This verse reminds us to walk in step with the Spirit.
So we pray, Holy Spirit, lead us, guide us, direct our every thought, our every desire, our every word, our every action to be pleasing, glorifying to you. And God, we pray you’d help us to live in the power of your Spirit and the strength of your Spirit in us, your wisdom from your Spirit in us as we were praying in light of 1 Kings 3, all the resources of your Holy Spirit in us to help us, to lead us, to empower us, to strengthen us, to embolden us, to give us power, to live holy lives and give us power by your Spirit in us to spread the gospel to people around us today.
Oh God, help us to live in the fullness of your Holy Spirit in us as temples. God, we pray that as temples of your Holy Spirit, exactly what you promised in Acts 1:8, would be true, Lord Jesus, that we would be your witnesses wherever we go today in the power of your Holy Spirit and to the ends of the earth.
Prayer for the Western Khampa People
God, we pray today specifically for the Western Khampa people of China. Lord, we pray for this Buddhist people group filled with 267,000 men, women, and children who don’t know you. God, we pray that you would raise up, send out temples of your Holy Spirit, empowered to spread the gospel among the Khampa people of China, that they might experience communion with you through Jesus. Oh God, we praise you for this reality in our lives, that we are temples of your Holy Spirit. Help us to live in the fullness of your Holy Spirit today, walking with you, worshiping you in every moment. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder of Radical, an organization that makes Jesus known among the nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Don’t Hold Back, and How to Read the Bible.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
