Have you ever walked into someone’s home and immediately felt a sense of peace rush over you? It is like you are walking into someone else’s home, and yet you feel at home.
Do you know why this is? It is because the Holy Spirit is present in that home.
I have LOVED being a homemaker. I truly do enjoy cleaning and creating a safe place for my husband and anyone that walks through our front door. My desire is that our home would be the Lord’s dwelling place. That every evil thing that dares to enter ends up running in every direction because Jesus is the ultimate authority and His presence is so thick and evident in our house. I pray that our home is a place where the fruits of the spirit are produced and it is our overflow as we walk out the door each day on our way to work. And I pray that as we host and invite others into our place, that they would feel their burdens fall when they enter. That they would feel heard, seen, refreshed, and leave craving more of Jesus.
Do you know that we, women, have the honor and responsibility to cultivate a healthy environment in our homes? Women, do you know that we have spiritual authority in our homes? We are the ones who allow what comes into our homes-whether it is through what we watch, listen to, even our conversations-because the enemy is always looking for an open door.
You may be reading and you’re like, “uh, what exactly does this mean?” It means that you get to set the tone in your home and for everyone in it. I want to share with you an example.
Growing up, my family loved to have people over. My parents hosted a small church group, we had families over for meals, we invited people that maybe didn’t have families or a place to go into our home for holidays, we had bonfires in our backyard, pool parties, game nights, you name it. Even my stubborn teenage friends or my cool, college friends enjoyed coming over. Our door was always open to whoever, and everyone felt welcomed and loved in our home. Do you want to know why? It was because my momma is a mighty woman of God. She would pray in the middle of the night, early in the morning, afternoon, literally every hour. Some of my favorite memories of living with her are waking up to her worshiping or speaking in tongues while doing her hair, and other mornings when I would walk downstairs to find her fast asleep with her Bible open wide on her lap. She fought in prayer for us and for everyone that came into our home, and it made the difference.
I aspire to be like my momma Linda. As my husband and I think about starting our own family soon, I think about the habits that I want to form or even work on in order to create an atmosphere that ushers in the presence of God in my home. Here are some things that I am working on:
–Praying through my home more. Seriously, there is so much power in this. I take my anointing oil, lay my hands on things, and I pray in every room. I pray over the conversations that will happen at our dining table, the things that we watch or listen to and that the Lord would give us conviction and discernment on what we allow in our home. I pray over our room and that the Lord guards us from any temptation and is the glue in our marriage. I pray over our office and finances that we are good stewards and that we recognize that Jesus is always our source. I cover every room in prayer and plead the blood of Jesus over every entrance.
–Play worship in our home more. I do this when cooking, cleaning, any chance I get really! I especially like to do this when people are coming over. Which leads me to the next one!
–Praying in our home right before people come over. I pray over the individuals, whatever they may be wrestling with, and that they would feel the presence of Jesus in our home.
–Changing my attitude about house chores. Okay, I know I said I love cleaning, and I truly do. However, there are times when the piles of laundry seem endless, and I want to scream. I heard someone say that they use cleaning as an opportunity to pray over their family or friends. For example, while they are folding their husband’s clothes, they pray for him. While they wash and put away dishes from having guests over, they pray for those people. I love this! And I think it really puts our hearts in a place of gratitude instead of grumbling.
I think I could keep going on for a while, but I will stop here. There are so many things that we can do to usher in the Lord’s presence in our homes. You can shift the atmosphere through prayer, adoration, and discerning what you allow in your home. Your home can be a place where the fruits of the spirit are produced and that draws others into a relationship with Christ. It all starts with us.
Journey to Dominican 