DAY 08 | The Living God

But Yahweh is the only God. He is Elohim Chayim (the Living God) and eternal king. The earth trembles when he is angry. The nations can’t endure his fury.
Jeremiah 10:10

photography by Jason Wong / calligraphy by Rita Ip

MUSIC

PRAYER

The Living God, I praise You. You are not a lifeless statue or a fictional character, and You are not a religion I subscribe to. You are the Living God, alive and real.

Thank You for actively engaging in my everyday life. You breathed life into me. You rejoice over me with singing. You walk with me. You answer my prayers. You mould and shape me. You fight my battles for me.

Forgive me, for I am frequently the one who is distant and unresponsive to You, while You desire continual interaction and fellowship with me.

Make me walking proof of the fact that You are alive and real in a world where people think You are “dead” or indifferent. Open the eyes of those who are oblivious to Your presence.

Because You are the Living God, I declare everything comes alive in Your vibrant presence, and I offer myself to You as a living sacrifice.

A few facts…

Elohim Chayim – Both words are in the plural form. Elohim is the only plural Hebrew name for God. Chayim is the plural form of the Hebrew word for life, or alive.
Elohim Chayim can be translated as the Living God or God of life.
The notion of Elohim Chayim distinguishes Him from all other gods or idols constructed of wood or iron.

Exercise 1:

TWO-WAY JOURNALING

In your own quiet space, relax and sit comfortably. If needed, do a few shoulder and neck rolls to relieve muscle tightness.

Smile and breathe. Whatever is happening to you today, may I invite you to smile? Smile, our God is 100% real and alive! Breathe in deeply through your nose into your belly. Concentrate on this breath with gratitude, for every breath is a miracle and it comes from the Living God. Pause and hold your breath for a few seconds, acknowledging He is at work whether you see it and feel it or not. Slowly exhale through your mouth, a bit longer than you inhale. Breathe out any area in your life that seems lifeless, spiritless, or dead.

Writing a two-way journal is acknowledging God as the “Living” God. It’s an act of faith that demonstrates we believe He is alive and He interacts with us.

On a new page in your journal, start writing to the Living God. Spend time to listen to Him, and record what you receive in the Spirit. Let’s welcome the Holy Spirit, and let Him guide you to a deep conversation.

[Part 1]
Dear Father / The Living God …
[Part 2]
Dear child / (your name), …

• describe what “the Living God” means to you

• recount a time when you totally felt that “Wow! God is so real and alive!”

• ask Him to breathe new life into a specific situation

• if you are in a season where He seems silent, inactive, or unresponsive, tell Him about it, bare your heart to Him, and ask Him questions that have been puzzling you
Check out APPENDIX 2 for more.

Exercise 2:

DECLARATION

The Living God is real, alive, and active. How does this relate to the way you live today? Write your personalized declaration now.

Because You are the Living God, I declare I can / I will / I am…

Take the time to read it out loud a couple of times, slowly and with certainty. Declare as if it is already happening, and allow that joy and satisfaction to fuel your faith. Your faith-filled declaration not only pleases Him, but it can also be the starting point of a much-needed breakthrough.

This completes Day 8 of HE. Today, I pray that the Living God will breathe life into your situations and relationships that seem to be hopeless, and into your dreams that seem to be broken.