He said to them, "The Scripture says, My house shall be called a house of prayer..."
Jesus Christ had gone into the temple to find it is full of the hustle and bustle of people preparing for the Passover, with all the things for sale in this preparation [Matthew 21: 12-17]. For Jesus, it was not a temple, not a house of prayer, but a den of thieves. Jesus cleanses the temple of all forms of idolatory - He turns over the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of the dove-sellers; He would not let anybody bring more goods into the temple. Although no person is hurt, these images are those of real confrontation. It shows that God is passionate about cleansing the temple and making it a house of prayer.
For the temple to bear much fruit and fulfil its purpose, it has to be cleansed and restored back to what it was original intended for - a house of prayer. Today our bodies have become the temple of the Lord [1 Corinthians 3:16]. It is the desire of our Loving Father that we bear much fruit and fulfil our purposes. Should we find ourselves needing to bear much fruit, we need to look within and ask ourselves, "Is there some form of idolatry that we are practicing that we spend our time and energy on instead of the things that are truly spiritually fruitful? What is it that preoccupies us?"
Your Loving Father desires that you become a "house of prayer" for all people and all nations. Generally speaking, prayer is a means of communication with our heavenly Father. There is power in prayer. Prayer heals; prayer moves mountains; prayer builds and strengthens relationships; prayer creates things. Prayer nourishes our new nature, and causes our souls to flourish and prosper. Prayer eases the struggles in our lives. Your Loving Father wants you to pray, not only for yourself, but for all people and all nations.
Prayer: My Loving Father, it is indeed a privilege that I am Your temple. Thank You. As I align my heart with Yours, I accept to be a house of prayer. Father Lord, reveal to me any area of my life where I am living in idolatory or being preoccupied with things that are not spiritually fruitful. Reveal to me any area of my life that needs cleansing, that I may be prepared to do Your work. Place in me a desire to pray for others. Help me to be diligent and committed to being a house of prayer for people. By Your grace, may I look back at today, sometime in the future, and see how I have evolved into the house of prayer You have called me to be. In Jesus Name, Amen.
One-Year Daily Bible Reading Plan - July 03 2010 - Psalms 37- 43 (OT), Ephesians 2-3 (NT).
Pray for someone today - Pray for the body of Christ and churches. Pray that their vision will be aligned with the vision of God- that the temple be a House of Prayer for all nations. Pray especially for the church you belong to, that prayer will continue to remain a key part for the reinforcement of the church.
Joyful 'Toon For Today
God’s Love and Mine…
