The House of Prayer

The House of Prayer

“And said unto them, it is written, my house shall be called the house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves (Matthew 21:13).”

People join spiritual communities and attend religious services for various reasons. Many people do so out of the sincerity of their hearts and hunger for holistic growth and development. Some people do it out of duty, fear, or obligation. Others do it because it has become a ritual, or it is a common practice of their families and friends.

Jesus, our Wayshower, was angry when the moneychangers used sacred space as an opportunity to sell defective sacrifices and overcharge people for the items that they needed (Matthew 21:12-17). He clarified the real purpose of gathering in God’s house: prayer. You may call it a mosque, temple, church, edifice, or sanctuary, but the scriptures refer to it as a house of prayer for all people (Isaiah 56:7).

Seeing God’s house as a house of prayer puts everything that you do there in the context of prayer, the two-way communication between you and God. Churches use many of the prayer tools in worship services: The Allen Keys of Reading, Studying and Researching the Scriptures, the Hammer of Quoting Scriptures, Denials and Affirmations, the Putty Knife of Thanksgiving, Praise and Worship, the Needle Nose Pliers of Fasting, the Wrench of Stillness and Movement, the Hand saw of Silence and Sound, the Screwdriver of Giving and Stewardship (time, talents and treasure) and the Ratchet of Fellowship with the Saints and Positive People as symbolized by the Ratchet.

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