Come to my home, and the first room you will walk into is my kitchen. I will take your coat and offer you a cup of warm tea. Over the years, I’ve watched a bowl of soup and a cup of tea warm the souls of the hurting and broken. Something about nourishing food and the comforting presence of Holy Spirit have always gone hand in hand for me. So I pray, before anyone arrives, that those are the two things they find waiting to meet them at my table.

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Among the most healing moments of my life when I was a young girl took place while I sat on someone’s couch — a warm beverage in my hand. Other moments unfolded in bustling kitchens where laughter was welcome and tears were safely shed. A home that is filled with the love of the Father heals the fractures and wounds of our day.

I truly believe that when we gather in pursuit of community, we are making war on the enemy. We make war on oppression, depression, isolation, and anxiety the very second we reach out and invite others in. To those who commit to gathering regularly, the power of an invitation offers a beautiful form of protection. The last thing the enemy wants is for people to experience family, wholeness, and connection. It’s when we make room for God’s love to fill our spaces that refreshing and healing come, usually just by means of our abiding in Him. It happens when we leave our striving at the cross of Christ to come sit and receive at the feet of Jesus. Abiding in His love, without an agenda, will lead you into beautiful encounters with those who cross your threshold.

This is your opportunity. Kingdom hospitality is your chance to partner with Holy Spirit in a significant way. It’s letting Him set your table and cover the doorway of your home. To me, kingdom hospitality ushers us into the beautiful, servant heart of Jesus faster than any ministry or corporate gathering ever could. The table is where I’ve watched people come alive and share their hearts in a way that doesn’t happen anywhere else. It’s no wonder that Jesus did a huge part of His ministry in homes and around the table.

He sat at a table. A woman, a sinner, wet His feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. She kissed and anointed His feet with ointment. He was there, approachable and accessible. She took hold of this opportunity with everything in her. She loved Him so completely, and He said to her: “Your sins are forgiven.”

When you sit with others like this, the compassion of Jesus lies within their reach. You, full of His love, are the open door between the needy and His healing touch. When my husband and I gather with people, we can’t help but see this play out before our eyes. It’s an incredible thing to experience this kind of touch and to be given the honor of bearing one another’s burdens.

Naturally, intercession is birthed in this place. The sounds of joy and worship echo across dry, barren lands, cultivating life and restoring vibrancy to the weariest of travelers.

I believe there is a great need for kingdom homes to be birthed in this hour. These are homes where you will find people abiding at the feet of Jesus and breaking bread together. I want to urge you to step out in faith. Commit to pursuing hospitality and community. Maybe you’re reading this and, already, Holy Spirit is highlighting how you’re to walk this out, and who you need to gather in.

There is a word in the Hebrew language — chesed — which can be translated to mean the giving of oneself fully, with true love and compassion. This is the heart of what it means to become hospitable. It’s the heart of God toward us — and if we say yes to becoming more like Him, it will also become part of our own hearts.

Hospitality is His free act of love, and we get to partner with it this side of heaven. It’s not something that is unto people, but unto Him. This is why we are called to “offer” our hospitality to one another (1 Peter 4:9), for it is just that: an offering, a holy work, one that proclaims the lovingkindness and the tenderness of a Father.

Share your own thoughts about the ministry of hospitality below.

Megan Shastri is a stay-at-home mom and a photographer who loves gardening. She and her husband have two daughters and live in Pennsylvania. Learn more about Megan by reading her blog at meganshastri.squarespace.com. Photo Credit: Canva Pro.