The Church DefinedSample

House of Prayer

The only instance where Jesus was outraged, was when He found the temple had become a business center, instead of a place of prayer as God intended for it to be. When Jesus drove the money changers and those who sold merchandise out of the temple that day, the disciples remembered the words written in 

Matthew 21:12 - "'And He said to them, It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’” (NKJV)

God’s design and desire for the church, is that it be "a house of prayer for all nations." (Mark 11:17). The only instance where Jesus was outraged, was when He found the temple had become a business centre, instead of a place of prayer as God intended for it to be. When Jesus drove the money changers and those who sold merchandise out of the temple that day, the disciples remembered the words written in Psalm 69:9, “For zeal for your house has consumed me,” (ESV). 

The importance of prayer was understood, and revived by the early church, for we read in Acts 1:14 and Acts 2:42, that the disciples devoted themselves continually to prayer. They prayed before choosing the twelfth disciple, they prayed before commissioning people for ministry, they prayed before they appointed elders in the church, they prayed for those who were imprisoned for the sake of the gospel, they prayed that the gospel should be preached boldly, they prayed that the word of God spread rapidly, they prayed for the sick to be healed, they prayed to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, and they prayed that the eyes of people’s hearts would be enlightened.

Having read this, it might be good for us to assess the content of our prayers today. Most of us will realize that our prayers are predominantly focused on ourselves, our families and personal needs with little or no concern for others or for the Kingdom of God. We have, wistfully, substituted various other activities for prayer, many of which are not bad in themselves. We have allowed our busy schedules to take priority over the time we should spend with God in prayer. If we desire for the church to be restored to God’s original plan here’s what we must do. As individuals, we must tarry in prayer like Jesus did, our families should pray together so that our homes become houses of prayer, and our church meetings filled with those who yearn to pray. 

We are reminded in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (NKJV)