Claiming My Citizenship

Heavenly Father, how excellent is Your name in all the earth! When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have established, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You attend to him. For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of Your hands; and put all things under his feet. (Psa. 8:1, 3-6a)

Holy Spirit since we are now a new creation in Christ through the salvation we have accepted from His sacrifice on the cross for our sins and His forgiveness of our sins, we take our place as adopted children in Your kingdom.  We serve Christ who has all things under his feet which means if we are in Christ they are spiritually under our  feet also. Help us to stand on the promises of Your word daily as we meditate and pray.  Teach us to be Your living and moving temple bringing Your Spirit into every area of our lives.  Help as Your Temple, to house the fire of Your Spirit, and bring forth Your words through our  lips, Your love through our actions, Your salvation from the testimony of our lives and Your forgiveness from our hearts.

Holy Spirit help us to understand that now in Christ Jesus we who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.  For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations.  His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.  He came and preached peace to us who were far away and peace to those who were near.  For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.  Consequently, we are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’ people and members of God’ household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.  In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.  And in him we too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. [Ephesians 2:13-22] Also in Him and through faith in Him, we may approach God with freedom and confidence. [Ephesians 3:12]  So let us respectfully, but boldly come before God’s throne and offer our petitions, with a heart focused on His will.  For He is our Father and Savior, to Him is do all the praise we can offer and He hears our words, knows our hearts and does what is best for us.  We realize we live in a broken world and that we will face tribulation and heartache but all will be conquered when we reach heaven, but until then we are to help build His kingdom here on earth. 

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.  (Galatians 1:3-5)