The biblical House of Prayer is a template for prayer

 Isa 56:7 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 mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.

 

In both the new and Old Testament, the Bible refers to places designated as a house of prayer.  This is not just a Christian concept, but even within Judaism the phrase, "House of Prayer" is familiar. Within the teachings of Judaism, the belief that one day in the future age that all the peoples of the earth will come to Jerusalem and be united as one people to pray in the temple area, and it will be known as a house of prayer for all people.  Prayer does not push people out; it draws people in.  And as mentioned in other articles from the power of prayer, whole church denominations have been founded based on the concept of a house of prayer.  People are tired of dead formalities and ritualistic ordinances with no reality and keep you in the same spiritual state.  People are looking for a more profound experience in which, through prayer, they can live a victorious life over sin. 

 

In the Old Testament and the early church age, churches were built for people to take a timeout from the world and spend a season of prayer and that holy place.  There were designated times of prayer and worship where the Saints assembled for group prayer.  This practice is still in existence today, and different churches that have held on to the old-time way of prayer.  One such church is called House of Prayer Christian Church, and their trademark is prayer.  The clergy and the members assembled at different times during the day and throughout the week to pray one for another, intercede for others, and spend time in group prayer.  What better way to spend life without all the distractions and cares of this life! 

 

The largest denomination in the world is the Roman Catholic church.  To this day, many of its sanctuaries are open to the public for anyone to come and pray.  The environment is serene and, in some of its chapels, very private where one can muse, reflect, and meditate on the goodness of God.  They can get their daily bread and give thanks to the Almighty!  The best houses of prayer are ones in which anyone sincere can feel welcome to pray and seek the face of God.   In Fort Bragg, NC, there is a House of Prayer Christian Church Fayetteville, in which God has placed a spiritual center of prayer for the military service members of the 82^nd airborne. 

 

Moreover, houses of prayer are essential for the spiritual livelihood of communities.  Jesus said, Matt 21:13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves.  There is the movie house, the drug house, the White House, and even the big house, but the greatest of them all is the prayer house which is a house of prayer for all people!

Power of Prayer

 

The power of prayer

 

Prayer is very powerful when it is done with a sincere heart.  Multitudes of books have been written about prayer. So many things have started and ended in the course of human history through effective prayer.  Prayer calls upon the Almighty and asks for His benevolent blessings.  Prayer evokes up our higher than mere mortals.  Prayer quickens the spiritual makeup of humanity and gets them in touch with the divine!

 

This blog is dedicated as a resource to encourage people to pray and get in the presence of God.  Prayer can be loud; it can also be quiet.  It can be meditation or turn into worship with praise!  The blessing of prayer is that everyone and anyone can be a partaker of this potent ministry.  There is no one too big or too small that cannot bring their soul into a state of prayer. 

 

The Bible is full of stories and examples of the Saints that gave themselves to prayer.  Even in the Gospels, our Savior Jesus Christ had a prayer life.  When his fame began to grow abroad, he found a solitary place and prayed.  Every church and religious institution must follow this example and pathway into the deeper life of prayer. 

Whole church denominations have been founded on prayer and have taken literally the scripture found in Matt 21:13,  “And he said to them, “It is written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are turning it into a den of robbers!”  Thus, prayer is fundamental for the existence and operation of the church!

 Prayer must be effectual and fervent.  This means it must be red-hot and precise.  It can’t be vain repetitions and very vague and practice.  But for prayer to reach the throne room, scriptures must be used, a sincere heart must be poured out, distractions must be cast down, and faith must be boosted for the door to open.  The Bible says knock, and the door shall be opened, seek and ye shall find, ask and it shall be given unto you.  Are you ready to pray?  Please take time to read these fantastic articles and resources that will empower you to pray.

The importance of noontime Prayer Meetings

 

The importance of noontime prayer meetings

Prayer is the essence of the spiritual life in Christianity.  The Bible is full of examples and stories of people that had a prayer life, which is the discipline to pray at set times of the day. Right away, we think of Daniel, and he prayed three times a day. He opened up his windows toward Jerusalem and prayed no matter what the consequence. The book of Acts records that Peter and John went up to the Temple at the hour of prayer. This shows us that in the early church, it was a common practice to have a set time for the Saints to meet together daily to spend time in prayer.  Even into our modern era, revivals had broken out when Christians met together to pray. It did not matter what your church membership was or what denomination you represented in these prayer meetings. Prayer breaks through all those barriers. The Bible says the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man of availeth much.  Unfortunately, many churches have slowly gotten away from prayer. Other things came and took the place of prayer.  The church must always guard itself against allowing the spirit of prayer to get away from the church. 

Examples of noontime prayer meetings

Fortunately, in the global Christian community, there are still churches that have daily noontime prayer meetings.  The sanctuary is open, and the clergy and church members routinely meet together and pray together.  Sometimes there may be singing during the prayer meeting.  At other times the Saints just begin to pray, and after a while, the spirit of prayer comes upon them, and all the collective prayers merge into one prayer which reaches the throne of God in heaven.  In Tacoma,Washington, the House of Prayer Christian Church holds true to its reputation as a praying church desperately needed in the great Northwest.  Then in the opposite corner of America and the state of Georgia, there is another House of Prayer Christian Churchlocated in Hinesville, Georgia, that also has daily prayer meetings.  Another exciting feature is that the church has a day school, and the students come into the sanctuary at noontime to learn the power of prayer.  That is one of their trademarks in the realm of Christianity.  Still yet further away in Jerusalem are some fantastic prayer ministries. One of which is called the Jerusalem prayer tower.  This ministry has an excellent Ministry of prayer that is in constant intercession for the whole world.  They also have set times in which people come together and pray. 

 

The power of prayer

Prayer is a vital force.  There are books and books written about prayer. One thing to know is the best way to learn to pray is just to pray and do it.  Prayer can be reading scriptures and meditating upon the Scriptures.  The Bible teaches us that Christ's offered up prayers and strong supplications with tears and crying.  Prayer must be combined with faith.  Prayer revitalizes. Prayer relieves stress. There are even medical studies that people that pray have better mental health.  There are so many benefits and blessings associated with prayer.  It is imperative that churches and communities to daily prayer meetings. It does not matter so much the time but what counts is that people actually practice the presence of God in prayer.  Whether it is in the morning or at night, life should center around prayer.  Prayer keeps us in contact with God.  And there are many models and examples both in the Bible and in churches with prayer ministries that others can follow and reap the benefits.