I have pondered over this for more than
half a century as to the source of the thought
and as to the depth and nature of its meanings.

To me, a temple is where God and man commune together. The dictionary defines "temple" as a building for the worship of God. But I see such a definition as being only a limited view. I worship God all the time wheresoever I may be. At least, that's my intent.

I prefer the New Testament concept of "our temple". For example, the passage in John 2:18-22 shows us that Jesus regarded His flesh body as His temple. Further, the passage in 1Corinthians 6:17-20 declares that also our own bodies are our temples wherein we live with the Holy Ghost and glorify God. I suppose then, in this sense, it could be true that my life is my temple in my flesh body -- and, even moreso, my new life in the divine body of Christ.

Can this be true? As the old adage says, "Actions speak louder than words". And, though the Bible indicates that the words we speak pack a lot of power and can influence our ultimate destinies, it is our deeds that will be brought before the throne of God in the final judgement. Deeds such as those done by the "good Samaritan" (Luke 10:30-36) and by the disciples that lowered Saul in a basket over the wall around the city of Damascus one night. (Acts 9:22-25)

Is it necessary that a prayer be spoken to God? Could it also be a silently thought prayer? What about people who are deaf-mutes with no vocal ability? I cannot believe our Father turns a deaf heart toward their prayers. And what about non-human dumb animals? The Bible says they all belong to God just as we do. There is even a Bible passage which says that not one sparrow shall fall to the ground without our Father. The Bible also tells us to preach the gospel to every creature in all the world. So I'm sure that God loves them, too. Does God hear them? Can they pray?

Two beautiful and extremely intelligent Siamese cats were once members of my household. They came and sat side by side before me in rapt attention whenever I preached the gospel to them. I'm sure they understood; and might even have been better able to pray than I.

In a congregation that I pastored in the 1970's was a 94-year-old man named Calvin Chandler. He told us about a herd of horses on a farm where he lived in his youth. He said that every evening as the horses were returning home from the pasture they would pause and kneel for several minutes in a clearing. He was convinced that they were praying. Was that action their prayer?

When our Father in heaven answers your prayers, does He answer with words or with action? With God, all things are possible. Of course, He can answer verbally as well as with action (and has). But most often He answers with just the action of His mighty hand moving majestically in the affairs of our little lives.

Can this be true? I find this to be too deep to contemplate with any degree of clarity or certainty. Our Father God is a Spirit. So am I a spirit. But am I actually a part of that Highest and Greatest of all beings? -- The Prime Power of Being, Himself? -- The very "I AM that I AM", who gave being to all that is? To become united with the Father through the baptism by Jesus Christ with the Holy Ghost is one thing. But to be a part of Him seems all-together different.

In the Bible passage in John 15:5, Jesus said, "I am the vine, ye are the branches". Are not the branches part of the vine? Likewise, when we are baptized with the Holy Spirit into the Spiritual body of Christ as "members in particular", and with Jesus Christ being the head of the body; are we not then one with Him? -- a part of Him? If therefore we are one with Christ, are not we also one with the Father? Because in the John 10:30 Bible passage it is written that Jesus said, "I and my father are one. Also, Jesus said to His disciple, Philip, "He that has seen me has seen the Father". Yet, with all this, it is still difficult for me to contemplate (with my little bit of mind and visioning) that elusive spirit of difference between being one with God and being a part of Almighty God.

Evidences in His Bible and in His creation reveal the truth of this. Yes, There is no part of God's creation that He cannot reach into and control. He is omnipresent and eternal. He is God of the smallest atom and God of the largest galaxy. He fills all of time: all the time continually. He is in the beginning, in the present, and in the end eternally: all of it simultaneously -- right now. A day is to God as a thousand years, and a thousand years as a day. He is God of the most important, and He is God of the least important. God is; and with Him all things are possible. He works in us and through us the things that are pleasing in His sight when we be still and know that He is God. He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.