GOD’S HOUSE – THE HOUSE OF PRAYER

“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’”” – Matthew 21:13

Knowing and acknowledging the Identity of the Church as the HOUSE of PRAYER is crucial to experiencing the Fullness of God's House. In one short sentence, the Lord Jesus Christ declared:"My house shall be called a house of prayer" (Matt. 21:13). Here, the Lord was quoting Isaiah's prophecy to Israel: "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations" (Is. 56:7). In a sense, the Lord was revealing the eternal identity and destiny of His people.

When God calls us by a specific name, it indicates our character and how we are to function in the Holy Spirit. Isaiah's prophecy and Jesus' statement tell us that God's people are to function effectively as a house of prayer, not a den of merchandising. Our greatest place of authority, honor and dignity is found in prayer, that is, in or deep communion with the Father, by the authority of His Son, our Lord Jesus, and in partnership with the power of the Holy Spirit.

As a house of prayer, God speaks to us to move our hearts. Then we speak His words back to Him to move His heart. The result is that God's resources are released on the earth - His grace, power, wisdom, wealth, creative ideas, unity and favor – to accomplish His eternal purposes. This is how the redeemed have been divinely designed in God's family, being moved by God to ask Him for the things that are on His heart so that He will release them onto the earth. In a collective sense, the "house of prayer" in a locality, community or city is the whole body of Christ in that geographical context. Each local assembly is like a small "gas station” throwing in little fuel on the larger prayer fires. The Holy Spirit is establishing a culture of prayer integrated with worship in the church. Globally, He is raising up prophetic prayer and worship movements, in order to release His power. The identity of the Church as a house of prayer is significant and the Lord will use the praying church as His vehicle to release blessings to the nations.

The church stands at a critical juncture. The nations are increasing in iniquity and moral decadence and engaging in escalating conflicts, including those inspired by racism, terrorism and sexual immorality. The prevailing sentiment worldwide is one of growing fear, unbelief, and mistrust, as the earth shudders under the weight of man's escalating sin (Psa. 2). The most significant crisis is in the church itself. More and more supposedly church leaders are promoting a distorted grace message, making light of sin, denying the authority of Scripture, rejecting Jesus as the only way of salvation, discarding the doctrine of hell, and even renouncing the divinity of Christ. Yet some of these congregations continue to grow. Many leaders have substituted methodology, carnal mechanics, and motivational theatrics for God's calling on the church to function as a "house of prayer for all nations" (Is. 56:7). They have hidden their barrenness behind the fig leaves of superficial cultural relevance instead of pressing in to keep the two great commandment - to love God and people (Matt. 22:37-40) - and to deeply engage in the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19).

There will be two great trends in the church as we draw nearer to the coming of the Lord: Many will fall away from the faith, while some others will rise up in wholehearted love for Jesus to participate in the most glorious time in human history. Where will you stand? Will you give in to compromise in a den of thieves or rise up in faith, wholly resolved to take hold of what God is saying and do it with all your heart – in the House of Prayer? The choice is mine and yours.