my sanctuary

"...For we are the sanctuary of the living God, as God said: I will dwell among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people." (2 Corinthians 6:16) HCSB

Sanctuary....

sacred

 holy

consecrated

A place of worship and praise.

A place of intense communion with a loving God.

A place I seek His presence,

desiring to meet with Him face-to-face.

When I am on my face crying out in desperation,

the floor of my room becomes my sanctuary.

When I am searching the scriptures intently and

letting God's voice speak through His Word, my study

becomes my sanctuary.

My sanctuary is my car when I am singing

and praising with David Crowder or Matt Redman

 at the top of my lungs.

My sanctuary is my heart as my eyes close in response to intimate

 prayer and communion with my sweet Savior.

My sanctuary is any place I'm at when I

stand in awe of the goodness of God. And the mercy

of God. And the love of God.

Or when I am filled with such wonder at His power as I view

the work of my Creator's hands. Or as I ponder the absolute splendor of

his majesty and the radiant beauty of His glory.

My sanctuary is where the passionate longing of my spirit for an

encounter with a Holy God begins.

Craving an intense and powerful union of my heart to His. Exalting

His holy name. Lifting my hands high and giving praise to the Son

 of God. The King of kings. The Lord of lords.

My sanctuary is where I seek to know more, search to find  more and

expect to be more like Jesus.

Where I worship at His feet.

Where all I can do is bow....

Consecrated... holy... sacred....

My sanctuary.

face down at the altar

Months had passed and our prayer time that had taken place in the late night hours at the church, had slowly dwindled down to nothing. That which God had called us to do for 8 months, somehow had gotten lost in the dailyness of things that we think life dictates as necessary.

Gone were the quiet and intimate times sitting in the darkened sanctuary with friends who shared a burden. A burden for our church. The lost. The hurting. A burden for that which satan tries to destroy.

Gone were the nights where minutes ever so fleetingly turned to hours as we feverishly searched the scriptures, desiring for God to speak through the powerful, Holy Word. 

Gone was the feeling of unparalleled peace that came at the close of each prayer time, as we knew that we had surely met with God. We knew that when we walked out those doors we had been in His glorious presence.

Gone was that intense time of communion with our Lord that ended with us flat on our faces at the altar, crying out to the Giver of Life. The Keeper of Eternity. The One true God.

As the months passed and that which was ordained by God fell by the wayside, we unwittingly gave the enemy a foothold. Not a very big one, but it doesn't take much. When you are dealing with the devil, any amount is too much.

And once again, God began drawing us to His sanctuary.

Beckoning our hearts to come commune with Him.

Filling our spirits with a deep longing for intimate fellowship and prayer.

As I opened the doors to the sanctuary, the winds of the Holy Spirit blew upon me and I was consumed with a reverent love for an awesome God. As I slowly walked down the aisle, I breathed in His fragrance and I was overwhelmed with His presence. Astounded by His love. Surrounded by His glory. Unspeakable peace filtered through any hinderances and settled like a soft blanket on my soul.

I approached the altar with a lump in a my throat. I was filled with immense gratitude at the sweet mercy and grace He has had on my life. His hands enveloped me and I felt oneness with God.

For whatever reason it took so long to come back to this Holy place for our nights spent snuggled up  to our Savior, it was worth it. I could already feel that unquenchable thirst for more of these serence moments with him. More of this face-to-face worship with our Lord. More of Him.

As I knelt at His feet and prayed, an immense satisfaction drenched my spirit. God's voice had beckoned me to come close and my spirit had yielded to the call. He had bid me come and I was home.

Praise you, Jesus for drawing me near and giving me ears to hear your voice. 

The Sound of Silence

The quiet in the sanctuary was almost deafening.

No talking.
No sounds.
Nothing stirring.
Just a muted, tranquil silence.

I could hear my heartbeat. I could hear every breath that I drew. I could hear the inaudible.

Yet - the silence was loudly proclaiming His presence.

There was stillness. There was peace.

There was the unspoken knowledge that in that soft hush, God was there. I could feel Him. I could sense His sweet Spirit.

Oh, yes. There was the definite sound of silence followed by the definite Spirit of God. He was there.

The noiseless sanctuary echoed loudly with the presence of the Lord. I was rooted to the spot. I couldn’t move. I didn’t want to move. I was calmly basking in my sweet Savior’s love. I closed my eyes and had precious fellowship with Him.

Silent.
Serene.

I was engulfed in His powerful presence. He ministered to my weary soul. He ministered to my wounded heart.

I sat in the quiet. Tears streaming. Broken. Repentant. Renewed. Whole.

In the silence, I was immersed in the Word. Saturated in the Truth. Mesmerized by Him.

The deafening quiet had vocalized loudly to my spirit.

The silence had spoken.

He is here, Hallelujah.
He is here, Amen.
He is here, Holy, Holy.
I will bless His Name again.

He is here, listen closely.
Hear Him calling out your name.
He is here, you can touch Him.
You will never be the same.

Refuge in His Sanctuary

In the stillness of the night, the sanctuary beckons to me.

I can hear the voice of my Father calling my name.

I can feel His Spirit drawing me to a place of quiet communion.

God's House is my refuge. My peace. My joy.

As I walk through the doors, I am enveloped in His Spirit.

Strong. Fragrant. Heavy.

As I approach the altar my heart beats faster as I am filled with:

Anticipation. Relief. Hunger.

As I fall flat on my face before Him, I am:

Crying out. Pressing in. Seeking deep.

In the intimate confines of my heart, I am:

Pursuing knowledge. Embracing surrender. Experiencing His Wonder.

I worship.

I praise.

I soak in.

I am filled.

As I prostrate myself before Him, I give Him my all. My heart lies open before Him. The tears fill my eyes and flow freely as I am overcome with love for Him. His mercy overwhelms me and I am in awe of His grace.

My prayers become utterances as I let the Spirit have freedom. My barren souls thirsts and hungers.

I seek nourishment from His Word.

I feel Him exhaling His Spirit to cover me.

His presence abounds and I can't move.

As He manifests Himself in the depths of my being, I don't want to leave His presence. I desire to stay right where I am. On my face at His Feet.

My soul worships and He refreshes me like a spring rain. He saturates me with the fullness of Him.

I arise with new awareness of my Jesus. Delivered. Free. I surely received a glimpse of His splendor.

As I leave the sanctuary I take His presence with me. I am surrounded in His glory. I am astounded by His love. I am in relentless pursuit of a deeper knowledge of my Christ. My King. My Redeemer.

His Spirit will draw.

His voice will call.

His Sanctuary will beckon.

Praise you Lord for your amazing grace. Praise you for the wonder of who you are. You complete me. You are my God and my King.

"Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary;
Who is so great a God as our God?
You are the God who does wonders;
You have declared Your strength
among the peoples"

(Psalm 77:13,14)