Part 4 of the 4 week series: ‘When God Moves In‘
Click for Tips on using each section in this post as daily conversation starters with God:
Day 1
- Read the featured scripture in several translations and expand the reading to include verses before and after it.
- Read the blog article and journal some thoughts that come up.
Day 2
- Read the “Conversation with God – Journaling Prompts” featured in the post and enjoy an intimate conversation with God.
Day 3
- Read the featured scripture again, including the verses before and after it.
- Use the “Hair Fire Check” section of this post to engage in a deeper conversation with God.
Day 4
- Use the “Heart Fire Moment” section of this post to walk you through a journaling conversation with God.
Day 5
- Use the “Prayer Starter’ section of this post to guide you into a personal and prayerful conversation with God.
- Reflect on the week of conversations around John 1:14 as part of your prayerful conversation.
focus verse: 1 Corinthians 6:19
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?
focus verse: Ephesians 1:13
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit
From Among Us to Within Us
The Christmas story begins with God with us (Emmanuel), but it doesn’t end there. Through the cross and resurrection, that same God moved within us.
The dwelling place of God is no longer a tent, a building or a baby in a manger — it’s the heart of every believer filled with His Spirit.
This isn’t symbolic language.
It’s the breathtaking reality of the gospel:
The same presence that filled the tabernacle now fills you.
From Holiday to Habitation
The lights will dim, the decorations will come down, and life will return to its ordinary pace. But His presence remains.
Christmas was never meant to end in a manger scene. It was meant to move into our Monday mornings, our messy kitchens, and our quiet moments of surrender.
He came to stay – to dwell — and to keep transforming every space He inhabits.
Hosting His Presence in Daily Life
If the Holy Spirit lives in us, then every room we enter becomes sacred space. Your kitchen, your commute, your conference table — all potential altars for worship.
Hosting His presence doesn’t mean living perfectly; it means living aware.
- When we pause in the middle of chaos and breathe, “You’re here,” that’s worship.
- When we choose peace instead of panic, kindness instead of hurry — that’s what a dwelling place of God looks like.
Years ago I developed a Two-Minute Time Out habit to better cultivate living aware of His presence in me.
Two-Minute Time Out
The Two-Minute Time Out is exactly what it sounds like: two minutes to quiet thoughts, close our eyes, and bring our focus back to God’s presence.
This isn’t necessarily a prayer—it’s a pause. Sometimes prayer flows from it, but often it’s simply the stillness to calm emotions, realign thoughts, and remember that He’s with me.
These time-out moments are powerful for:
- Beginning your morning or devotional time
- Entering prayer or worship
- When emotions are high or low
- Before making a decision
- Ending the day
- My favorite: setting alarms at 9am, noon, and 3pm for a quick two-minute mindset reset
Here’s the Two-Minute Time Out Guide [grab it]. Use it to practice pausing regularly—and watch how those small moments grow into a deeper awareness and intimacy with God.
Conversation with God – Journaling Prompts
Sit with the focus verses and engage in a personal conversation with God. Try re-writing a personalized version of the verse either as a note to God from you, or, as a note from God to you.
focus verses:
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? — 1 Corinthians 6:19
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, – Ephesians 1:13
Extend the conversation by using these prompts to guide a heartfelt discussion between you and God.
Journaling Prompts:
- What does it mean for my daily choices that I am the dwelling place of God?
- Where am I sensing the Spirit inviting me to make room for Him?
- How can I carry the awareness of His presence beyond the Christmas season?
Hair Fire Check
Any fire needs fuel—and most hair fires are fueled by packed calendars and endless to-do lists. Not because everything on them is bad… but because many of those commitments were made with quick yeses instead of a two-minute pause to listen to God first.
In wildfire prevention, one of the most effective strategies is creating a firebreak—a non-flammable gap designed to stop or slow the spread of future fires.
The practice of a 2-Minute Time Out works the same way.
It creates a pause.
A barrier.
A space for wisdom to interrupt urgency before chaos takes hold.
Ask yourself:
- Am I rushing through my days without leaving room for God to speak?
- What am I saying yes to that keeps me too busy to slow down and listen?
- What might change if I took a two-minute pause with God before adding anything new to my calendar?
Sit in conversation with God. Journal what He reveals.
Heart Fire Moment
One of the best ways to put out a fire is to deprive it of oxygen. Conversations with God is oxygen for heart fires, and when we don’t make time for those conversations, heart fires die.
When we sit in conversation with God, letting Him read His word to us and taking time to talk about it, it breathes life into what He’s called us to do. Without this oxygen, the breath of God, hair fires take over.
When you pause before you commit, you’re inviting God to set the pace.
A two-minute time out is an act of trust. It says, “God, You get first say—not my urgency, not my people-pleasing, not my fear of missing out.”
When we build space for Him to speak, peace follows.
Clarity replaces chaos.
And our calendars begin to reflect alignment instead of overload.
Let your yes be fueled by intimacy—not impulse.
That’s how a heart fire stays lit.
Sit in conversation with God using these journaling prompts to guide you:
- Where do I sense pressure instead of peace?
- What does it look like for God to get first say in my decisions?
- Where am I tempted to commit first and pray later?
- If my calendar reflected intimacy instead of impulse, what would change?
“Holy Spirit, what would it look like to trust You with my pace—not just my plans?”
Closing Thoughts + Prayer
Prayer Starter
Holy Spirit, thank You for making Your home in me.
Fill every corner with Your peace, Your truth, and Your love.
Teach me to live as Your dwelling place — aware, available, and alive with Your presence.
God, what are You inviting me to release, realign, or re-ignite as I make room for You?
… sit in conversation with God and meditate on what He’s revealing about His pursuit of your heart.
Closing Thought:
The story that began with God with us continues as God in us.
When He moves within, He doesn’t just decorate the heart — He renovates it.
This series has come to an end but we’ll continue the conversation with our next series – “Making Room for God.”
The Holy Spirit doesn’t force His way into crowded schedules, hurried prayers, or packed calendars. He waits to be welcomed—not just believed in, but made room for.
That’s where we’re headed next.
In our upcoming series, Making Room for God, we’ll explore the difference between leaving room for Him when life allows… and intentionally creating space for Him to lead, interrupt, and transform.
Because when God moves in—and we make room—life doesn’t just look different. It is different.
Daily conversations to deepen your faith…
Conversations at a Table for Two: Feeding a Hungry Soul.
Find it on Amazon. [book details and video tutorial here]
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