Prayer

MY FATHER’S HOUSE SHALL BE A HOUSE OF PRAYER Matthew 21:6-7

The Conquering King, who is about to overcome all the powers of hell, comes in peace riding on a cold the foal of a donkey (Zechariah 9:9). The crowds understood Him to be “the Son of David”, the promised Messiah. The Messiah had come in the name of Jehovah “the Redeeming Lord” offering redemption. He is also the judge of all those who refuse His reign.

Jesus entered the temple, which was the center of the Jewish Government, the place where “heaven and earth met”. He found it corrupted, not being used for its dedicated purpose for which David and Solomon had intended, so He, The Messiah, cleansed it and judged it and judged those religious leaders that rejected God’s chosen anointed one. Jesus established seven principles of the house of He would build:

The secret place is not the place of public praise and worship – here is just another expression of the secret place of praise and worship to God that we cultivate elsewhere. The secret place is not the corporate prayer meeting – here we meet in agreement sharing the belief that the Holy Spirit has given us answer in due season; but it is in the secret place of prayer where we apprehend the gift of belief and faith for covenant agreement. The secret place is not the house of prayer on Tuesday nights – the house of prayer is a force to be reckoned with because at this moment, each person brings their secret place into the open, and the measure of blessing and faith for prevailing prayer skyrockets as it were out of this world’s orbit and lays hold of the divine realm of heavenly expectation.

There's nothing more transfiguring than prayer. People often ask, "Why do you insist on prayer so much?" The answer is very simple - because Jesus did. You could change the title of the Gospel according to St. Luke to the Gospel of Prayer. It's the prayer life of Jesus. The other evangelists say that Jesus was in the Jordan and the Spirit descended on Him as a dove - Luke says it was while He was praying that the Spirit descended on Him. The other evangelists say that Jesus chose 12 disciples - Luke says it was after He spent a night in prayer that He chose 12 disciples. The other evangelists say that Jesus died on a cross - Luke says that even when He was dying Jesus was praying for those who persecuted Him. The other evangelists say Jesus went on a mount and He was transfigured - Luke says it was while He was praying that He was transfigured. There's nothing more transfiguring than prayer.

The Scriptures say that the disciples went to bed, but Jesus went to pray - as was His custom. It was His custom to pray. Now Jesus was the Son of God - He was definitely anointed for His ministry. If Jesus needed all that time in prayer; don't you and I need time in prayer? If Jesus needed it in every crisis, don't you and I need it in every crisis?

The story goes that a group of tourists visiting a picturesque village saw an old man sitting by a fence. In a rather patronizing way, one of the visitors asked, "Were any great men born in this village?" Without looking up the old man replied, "No, only babies." The greatest men were once babies. The greatest saints were once toddlers in the things of the Spirit.