Part 1 of the 4 week series: ‘When God Moves In‘
Tips for using each post in this weekly series to draw closer to God in a season when busyness and added expectations abound:
- 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.
- Use the “Prayer Starter’ section of this post to guide you into a personal and prayerful conversation with God.
focus verse: John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.
We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son,
who came from the Father, full of grace and truth
The Difference Between a Visit and a Move-In
When family comes to visit during the holidays, we plan every detail. We tidy up the clutter we normally live with, and we cram the schedule full of things to make the short visit special, because we know they’ll soon be gone. We want to make a ‘good impression’ for the short time they are here.
It’s a temporary state of living – but not sustainable. In contrast, when someone comes to stay — not just visit — everything changes, doesn’t it? There’s a shift.
- The “guest-ready” rooms become lived-in spaces.
- Schedules adjust. Routines blend.
- The home itself rearranges to make space for new life inside it.
When John says “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” that’s what he’s describing. Jesus didn’t come for a quick visit, He came to dwell.
God’s Presence Was Never Meant to Be Occasional
The Greek word for “dwelt” — eskenosen — means “to pitch a tent” or “to tabernacle.” It’s a direct connection to how God’s presence dwelled with His people in the Old Testament — first in the tabernacle, then in the temple.
But in Jesus, something changed forever.
God didn’t show up in a building this time.
He showed up in person.
He pitched His tent or ‘tabernacled’ among us — not in a palace behind guarded walls with limited access, like a king, but in human flesh. He chose the messy, the mundane, the miraculous middle of our everyday lives. He traded the temple curtain for human skin.
And when He left the earth, He didn’t leave us alone.
Through the Holy Spirit, He made way for us to make our hearts His home.
“Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you?”
— 1 Corinthians 6:19
God’s dwelling has always been about closeness.
First among us, and now within us.
Are We Living Like He’s Visiting or Dwelling?
Here’s the question that’s been stirring in me lately:
Are we living like Jesus just came to visit… or like He came to stay?
When we treat Him like a guest, we tidy up what’s visible.
We invite Him into the “good rooms” — the ones we’re proud of — and hope He doesn’t wander into the messy parts.
But when we realize He came to dwell, not just show up when we ask Him to come visit, things change.
- We stop performing.
- We let Him into the cluttered corners, the rooms that need renovation, and the spaces we’d rather hide.
That’s where transformation begins.
Because when Jesus moves in, He brings change — not chaos.
He rearranges our hearts with grace filled conviction, not guilt.
And He fills every room He enters with His peace and presence.
Conversation with God – Journaling Prompts
Sit with John 1:14 as 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.
Extend the conversation by using these prompts to guide a heartfelt discussion between you and God.
- What parts of my life have I kept “guest ready” — tidy on the surface but closed off at the heart?
- What might change if I lived like Jesus truly dwells with me?
- Where do I sense Him wanting to rearrange or refresh something in me?
Hair Fire Check
Hair fire living often stems from a ‘visitor’ mentality. We strive to ‘keep things perfect’ as a way to please others or even to futilely attempt to please God. This includes trying to complete the ‘perfect Christian’ checklist in our own strength vs walking through life in conversation with Jesus, asking for His strength and presence to carry you, guide you and inspire you.
Ask yourself:
- Am I trying to manage my “spiritual house” instead of inviting Him to truly live there?
- Where in my life does ‘living to please God’ feel hard or impossible?
- What might God be trying to show me so He can move into a place that needs His grace, mercy, and/or healing?
Sit in conversation with God regarding your thoughts on these questions. Journal to capture the conversation and insights from God.
Heart Fire Moment
Heart fire living is all about a ‘move in’ mentality. When we stop marginalizing Jesus as a temporary visitor showing up when we call for Him, and embrace Him as a permanent resident – striving to please in short bursts of time is replaced with building an empowered intimate relationship.
Read the first John 1:14 out loud: The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. Now replace ‘among us’ with ‘in me’. The Word became flesh and made His dwelling in me.
And this dwelling, once we welcome Him in, is permanent. We’ve all experienced the result of promises by others to never leave us, only to have that promise broken. The enemy wants to whisper these memories to us in an attempt to weaken our faith in and intimacy with God. But His Word tells us the truth:
Hebrews 3:15 ~ For God has said: I will never leave you, and I will never forsake you.
Sit in conversation with God using these conversation starters:
- How do my thoughts about God shift when I see Jesus as a life long ‘resident’ instead of a transitory ‘visitor’?
- How do my thoughts about myself shift when I see Jesus as a life long ‘resident’ instead of a transitory ‘visitor’?
Closing Thoughts + Prayer
Prayer Starter:
Lord, thank You for moving in — for choosing to dwell, not just to visit.
I open every room of my heart to You today. Transform my space with Your presence, and fill my life with Your peace.
… sit in conversation with God and meditate on what He’s saying to you about this.
Closing Thought:
As you decorate your home this Christmas, remember —
it’s not the garland, the lights, or the sparkle that makes it beautiful.
It’s the presence that fills it.
And when the Light of the World moves in, His glory outshines every decoration. Let Him make Himself at home — not just in your house, but in your heart.
Next week we’ll look at what happened once He moved in — how His presence revealed glory that outshines every decoration we could ever hang.
Daily conversations to deepen your faith…
Conversations at a Table for Two: Feeding a Hungry Soul.
