Where does God live? In our hearts? Surely. God is omnipresent. He can be everywhere at once. Normally we think of God being in heaven and surely we are not wrong in that thought. Consider Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the Temple. "And may you hear the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Hear in heaven Your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive" (1 Kings 8: 30 NKJV). Heaven is the dwelling place of God. Heaven is as real as was the Temple in Jerusalem. God is the #1 resident of Heaven. All prayers wind up on His "desk" as it were. Solomon asked God to "hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your people Israel" (1 Kings 8:34). The phrase "hear in heaven" appears several times in this chapter. God dwells in heaven to hear our prayers.

This is why Jesus taught His disciples to pray, "Our Father which art in heaven" (Matt. 6:9 KJV). When Christ Himself prayed His great High Priestly prayer, He "lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, 'Father, the hour has come'" (John 17:1). He knew where His Father lived. He looked up toward heaven and no doubt did so with great longing. Soon He would be reunited with His Father in heaven. "God looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God" (Psa. 53:2). One of the most basic things we need to understand is that heaven is the dwelling place of God. He is there to hear our prayers and He will be there to greet us when we arrive in heaven to live forever with Him.

Hymn: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty! Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee: Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and Mighty! God in Three Persons, blessed Trinity!" (Reginald Heber)