“And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves; and would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves” – Mark 11:15-17

LIGHT FOR NOW: A major feature, major a characteristic of God’s house or God’s temple is prayer. 

From the words of Jesus in Luke 21:3 where he says, “Pray always”, and from Paul’s use of the phrases “continuing instant”, “without ceasing”, “always with”, “continue in” in Romans 12:12, Ephesians 6:18, Colossians 4:2, etc, it is thus clear that prayer ought to be the lifestyle of the believer. The believer thus also must be given to prayer daily. Again, this shows that prayer is constant. It is an activity that the believer ought to be given to and engaged in consistently. There should not be a season to prayer and a season not to pray. The believer shouldn’t vacate from prayer, that is, never take a vacation off prayer in your life as a believer. Jesus’ word in our key text which is Mark 11 makes it clear that “His house shall be called a house of prayer”. This was after he had overthrown the tables of the money changers and cast out those that sold and bought in the temple. Equally instructive was the fact that this conversation happened in the temple. In essence, the house of God is the temple of God and the temple of God is the house of God. Hence, we can equally say “The temple of God shall be called the temple of prayer” and we are not wrong.

In other words, when you look at this house (God’s temple), a distinctive feature of it would be the fact that prayer always, ceaselessly, continually without ceasing, without season goes up from it. Hence it is called the house of prayer. It is not a house for business transaction or one where trends are set. It is the house of prayer. It is equally instructive to see that Jesus was quoting from the book of Isaiah; Isaiah 56:7 which reads “Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for my house shall be called an house of prayer for all people”. The question now is; When Jesus said “…My house shall be called the house of prayer…” was he referring to the physical building (the temple) that he was in at that moment? We will answer this in our next study. Glory!

INSTRUCTION: Be constant in prayers.

CONFESSION: I give myself to prayers and I make it my lifestyle henceforth, in Jesus name, Amen.

For More Light; get the message, “The Potency of Prayer” by Dr. John Linus

QUOTE: It is carelessness as a believer to live in prayerlessness.

DAILY READING: MORNING: MARK CHAPTER 11; EVENING: ISAIAH CHAPTER 56