A House of Prayer

After Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem He made His way to the temple where He drove out all who were buying and selling there. This is one place in the bible where we see His righteous anger on display.

Jesus showed many emotions throughout His life. Love, compassion, joy, tears and anger. The anger was rare and fierce. In John 2:15 it says, “So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.”

In a ministry marked by great mercy and kindness, the incident involving Jesus and the money changers stands out. This situation was important to Jesus so it should be important to us. It is symbolic in that “just as Jesus was the new temple, who would be ‘destroyed’ and ‘rebuilt’ in three days, so also He was the new Lamb of God slain for our sins. The scourging itself then becomes another symbolic act that foreshadows the Passion of Jesus.”

This also has personal significance for us as well. In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 it says, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

What kind of activities are we allowing in our temple? Are the thoughts and actions that we have honoring God? Jesus was justly angered that worldly commercial activities had corrupted the holiness of the temple. Are there things in our lives that need to be overturned and thrown out?

Jesus “expelled” all those doing business, allowing no time for protests or excuses. If they “bought and sold,” they were gone. Period.” (Women of Easter- Liz Curtis Higgs)

I like that. He went into the temple, cleaned house, announced what the Lord’s purpose was, ” It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers,” and then went about His business. “The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple, and He healed them.” (Matthew 21:13-14)

Once the buyers and sellers and money changers scattered, “there was room for the blind and crippled to get in.” (MSG) What is crowding your life that is preventing the healing hand of God from reaching you? We have the power of the Holy Spirit to overturn and cast out those things that separate us from all that God has for us. We have the choice to expel those things from our lives and live in relationship with Christ.

“Christ himself was a house of prayer and he was teaching his disciples to become one by modeling this for them when He continually withdrew and was talking with His Father and drawing strength from that intimate relationship He had in heaven. This same intimate relationship is one we can have because Jesus Christ came and hung on a cross to pay the price for us with his life, a perfect sacrifice shedding His blood for the forgiveness of all of our sins (John 3:16-17) “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” (Bethel House of Prayer)

Lenten season is a great time for some spiritual house cleaning. Take hold of the power that lives within you and clear out anything that is holding you back from God. You are His temple and His Holy Spirit lives in you. That same spirit will help you overturn the things that rob you of a deeper relationship with Christ and fulfilling your Godly purpose. Then you can have the space to receive all that God has for you.

My Prayer

Father, thank you for Your example of clearing away and throwing out anything that keeps us from drawing close to You. Help me to use the power that You have given me through Your Holy Spirit to remove anything and everything that comes between us Lord. I want and need Your peace and presence in my life. I want to be the House of Prayer that you created me to be. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Where does my help come from?

Matthew 21:13

“It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it ‘ den of robbers.”

2 Timothy 1:6-7 (TPT)

“I’m writing to encourage you to fan into a flame and rekindle the fire of the spiritual gift God imparted to you when I laid my hands upon you.  For God will never give you the spirit of fear, but the Holy Spirit who gives you mighty power, love, and self-control.”