Your Soul: The Temple of God

How to See It, Love It, and Clean It

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?”

— 1 Corinthians 3:16

Every baptized Christian carries a stunning truth inside: God Himself chooses to dwell in your soul.

This page will help you:

Visualize your soul as a temple of God, and

Learn how to “clean” that temple, just as Jesus cleansed the temple in the Gospels.

1. Seeing Your Soul as a Temple

The Bible and the Church teach that when you are in a state of grace, the Holy Trinity lives in you. Your soul is not just a vague “spiritual space”—it is a real interior sanctuary.

a. Imagine the Interior Sanctuary

Close your eyes for a moment and imagine:

A quiet, holy place inside you

Warm, gentle light filling the space

An altar at the center – this is your heart

A tabernacle glowing with light – this is the indwelling presence of God in your soul

This interior temple is where:

You speak with God

God looks at you with love

Grace fills, heals, and strengthens you

b. Why This Image Matters

When you see your soul as a temple:

You realize you are not alone – God dwells within.

You understand that sin is not just “breaking a rule”; it is bringing clutter, noise, and darkness into a holy place.

You begin to treat yourself and others with greater reverence and dignity.

2. Jesus Cleansing the Temple – and Your Soul

In the Gospels, Jesus enters the Jerusalem temple and finds it filled with money changers and merchants. He drives them out, overturns their tables, and restores the temple to a place of prayer.

That scene is not only history – it is also a symbol of what Jesus wants to do in your soul.

a. What Are the “Money Changers” in My Heart?

In your interior temple, the “money changers” can be:

Serious sins that pull you away from God

Habits of bitterness, impurity, dishonesty, or selfishness

Attachments to things, pleasure, or approval that you love more than God

Noise and distraction that keep you from prayer

Jesus does not enter your soul as a cold judge but as a loving Savior who wants to free you. His “whip of cords” is His mercy, His truth, and His grace.

3. How to Let Jesus Clean Your Interior Temple

Step 1 – Stand in the Light

Find a quiet place. Say:

“Lord Jesus, show me my soul as You see it.”

Gently imagine that inner sanctuary again. Ask:

Where is there light? (Places of grace, virtue, love)

Where are the shadows? (Sins, wounds, fears, resentments)

Do not be afraid of what you see. Jesus reveals to heal, not to shame.

Step 2 – Name the Clutter

With honesty and humility, ask yourself:

Have I put anything above God in my life?

Where have I failed in charity, purity, honesty, or humility?

Are there habits that keep dragging me away from prayer and holiness?

You are not just listing “bad things”—you are pointing to what must be removed from the temple.

Step 3 – Let Jesus Overturn the Tables (Conversion & Confession)

Jesus cleanses the temple with decisive action. In your soul, that looks like:

Repentance:

Tell Jesus you are sorry from the heart.

Ask for the grace to hate sin because it offends Him, not just because it has consequences.

Confession (for Catholics):

Go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Bring your “clutter” to Christ through the priest.

Allow His mercy to wash the temple clean and restore sanctifying grace.

After confession or genuine repentance, imagine that interior temple again: brighter, cleaner, quieter.

Step 4 – Adorn the Temple with Virtues

Cleaning is not just about removing; it’s also about filling and decorating the temple with love.

Add “beautiful things” to your interior sanctuary:

Candles of prayer – daily moments of conversation with God

Flowers of charity – acts of love, patience, and service

Incense of praise – thanking and adoring God often

Images of truth – Scripture, good spiritual reading, holy thoughts

Each good choice, each act of love, becomes like another light shining in your temple.

4. A Simple Daily Practice

You can put all of this into a short daily routine:

Morning: Dedicate the Temple

“Lord, my soul is Your temple.

I offer You my thoughts, words, and actions today.

Let everything I do honor Your presence within me.”

During the Day: Guard the Temple

Before a temptation or important choice, ask:

“Does this honor the God who dwells in me

or bring clutter into His temple?”

Night: Examine and Clean

Spend 5–10 minutes:

Thank God for the graces of the day.

Review where you failed in love.

Ask forgiveness and make a plan to do better.

If needed, prepare to go to Confession soon.

5. A Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus,

You cleansed the temple in Jerusalem with holy zeal.

Come now into the temple of my soul.

Drive out every sin, every attachment, every fear

that does not belong in Your holy dwelling.

Wash me in Your mercy.

Fill my heart with Your light,

my mind with Your truth,

and my will with Your love.

May my soul be a quiet, clean, and radiant temple

where You delight to live.

Amen.

Call to Action

Want to start now?

Take 5 minutes of silence, imagine the temple within, and speak to Jesus as if He is truly there—because He is.

Need a deeper cleaning?

Schedule a Confession or a time of honest prayer with God, bringing Him everything that troubles your heart.

Share this truth:

Remind someone you love today: “Your soul is a temple of God. Treat it with reverence, and let Jesus make it new.”