House Of Prayer, Or Den Of Thieves?

House of prayer

Text: Luke 19:45-46,

Opening:

1. As I was contemplating on whether we should mopve our church to a new location, I asked the Lord what he thought we should do. .

He answered, I hear men with lots of good ideas, thinking they should do this and thinking they should do that, but where are the men who are asking what I think they should be doing?

2. That was an eye-opener. Why did we not stop right in our service or meeting and start asking what God wants us to do?

a. "But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things." (1 John 2:20, KJV)

b. I know the importance of prayer, but then why is that the last ting I usually do?

c. We to stay prayed up to wage spiritual war against the devil

"…the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" (1 Peter 5:8, KJV)

"Whom resist steadfast in the faith… 1 Pet. 5:9

How do we get faith? How does faith come?

Romans 10:17- "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Rom. 10:17

3. As I contemplated what God was saying, I then began to call upon him to take us deeper as a group into his presence

a. It is then that God spoke to my spirit, My house shall be called a house of Prayer, but you have made it, Richard, a den of thievery

Below is some of what the Lord spoke to my heart….

A. God’s answer to me

1. You rob me, when you are so busy speaking for me, that time is not given for me to speak

2. What I have to say is infinitely more important that what you have to say.

3. I can give you more in two seconds that you can gain in 2 hours of study and meditation.

a. Did you forget already when you came to me about the youth, and I gave in seconds exactly what you needed.

b. I did not need Joshua to figure out who the Gibeons were that acted like they came to him from a far off land. I would have saved him the grief he brought to himself and his people. Joshua 9:

4. For months now, you have been telling my people you will teach them to pray. Now teach them to pray.

a. How will they know the necessity of prayer, when so very little time is given for it.

5. You ask me for a word to the congregations on Sunday morning in your prayer time. I have always given you something.

a. You are so consumed sharing with them what I have been showing you in the word, yet have failed to give them what You had asked me for just that morning.

B. My response…

1. I stand corrected this morning by the Lord

As Job, I lay my hand across my mouth… Job 40:3-5

2. I know this dialog with God might sound harsh on his part. But his words as he was speaking to me was as the gently dew of heaven upon me.

He spoke so clearly… yet so gently…. to my spirit,.

Surely I can say with the Psalmist, "…and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great." (Psalm 18:35, KJV)

C. The Lord has spoken very clearly, Call my people to prayer

1. I started to ask the Lord… Lord is there anything….BOOM, before I could even finish, his heart began to burst with his love for us

My Spirit is upon them..

My heart is towards them…

How can I show them my great love, unless they enter my presence?