Devotional 12/1

And He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” Matthew 21:13

Wealth is not to feed our ego, but to feed the hungry and to help those in need and to help people, help themselves.
Andrew Carnegie

Imagine going to a church and being told you are not allowed to come here. Heartbreaking right. Imagine having to pay for God’s love, favor, miracles, healing and mercy. Imagine paying for salvation! Jesus was on a donkey, fulfilling a prophecy written of Him in the old Testament, people were praising Him “Hosanna, Hosanna, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”, while others wondered who is He. Jesus went to the temple of God, and found people selling pigeons and food in the temple of God. And He went into a holy fit!

You see the temple of God, each church is supposed to be for prayer unto God! Not for entertainment, not for sale transactions, not for modeling the latest fashion trend. No, no. God’s house is a house of prayer. The merchants began selling in the temple, which took the purpose of the temple away. The temple was more of a market, than a holy place. And in its context, we can reference the book of Jeremiah, where God rebukes hypocritical Jews. They believed and ‘took’ God for themselves, in turn taking away the possibility for the other nations to be saved. They also sinned and pushed people away from God, by living fake lives of godliness. They appeared godly, but behind closed doors practiced things God hated, and did not care! They professed love for God with their mouths, but their hearts were so far from Him. This is one of the ways they turned the temple of God into a den of thieves: they were just as ‘bad’ as the thieves! God told them, do not mix with the people in the other countries, because they serve other Gods not because God did not love them. God says to us today, do not be like the world but spread the gospel to them. God says do not be like the world but influence them so they could be godly people. In a sense, this is robbing… we frequently steal people’s opportunity for a new life, a miracle and their soul’s eternal salvation. 

If you love people, you pray for them. You pray for your friends and family because you love them (even if they frustrate you, right?). Do you care about couples struggling in marriage, in adultery or couples in fornication? Do your part, and pray for them.

Our prayers shouldn’t be general, but specific. This is my personal opinion. Some people need help in prayer, in their burdens, in their struggles, in their homes, in their finances, with their minds, emotions and physical body. This is why I make it a habit to ask around:

• What petitions do you have?
• What are you struggling with?
• Do you want me to pray for someone in your family or your relationship? 

Does God answer all of our prayers? Yes! He says YES, NO, and NOT YET!

God answers prayers, but always in the way we expect Him to.

Let’s pray:

Lord God Almighty, you are ever present in time of need. You are Wonderful in all your ways, you are the Prince of Peace, and the Sovereign God over all. I thank you for your sustenance, your love and patience towards us. I pray you help everyone who needs prayer, by linking them up with someone who will pray for them. I pray you awaken in us a spirit of intercession, and seeking for your glory and the expansion of righteousness on this earth. I thank you for listening to every single prayer, every single tear and every silent thought. In Jesus name, Amen.