Dear Friend,

Jesus cleansed the Jews' temple of religious commercialists and unauthorized traffickers, and then dropped this profound corrective into their ears: "My house shall be called the house of prayer" (Matthew 21:13). Do we have ears to hear Him?

Are our churches houses of prayer? Or houses of religious rituals? Houses of religious revenue? Houses of denominational pride? Houses of religious entertainment? Houses of politics or social justice? Houses of self-help? Houses of adultery, fornication, other sexual perversions, and support for abortion? Yes, these questions need to be asked. Why?

Until our houses of religion are houses of prayer they cannot be houses of God. Or houses of eternal salvation. Or discipleship. Or Spirit-led missions. Or divine miracles. Or domestic reconciliation. Or true, God-pleasing worship. Or fresh, powerful outpourings of the Holy Spirit. Or local mounts of transfiguration that reveal to our sin-blinded cities and nations the stunningly bright glory of who, what, and all Jesus is. Why?

God only works by prayer! He reveals His initiatives, births His programs, calls to the ministry, initiates His missions, sends hot conviction of sin, releases saving faith, quickens devotion to Christ, sparks the willpower to endure, creates hunger for His Word, whispers His guidance, and gives the thirst to be a new man or woman in Christ only as committed believers commit to intercessory prayer.

That is, they commit to pray daily. Whatever their personal needs or trials. Whether they feel good or bad. Whether open answers are seen or not. In the secret place where no one but the Father sees - not on the sanctuary platform but in the church basement or a side room where no one thinks to look. Worshiping Christ. Seeking and finding His presence. Drawing renewed life from Him. At His feet. Singing softly, sweetly, praisefully, worshipfully to Him. Then turning to petition Him for the needs of others.

Their petitions seek His will for them as revealed in His Word. They believe He hears and, by the Holy Spirit's omnipotent power, others are receiving blessing as they pray. They fast from food and distractions to bring more power to bear. They persist, determined not to get but to give. They sacrifice their time and invest energy and love for others' salvation, deliverance, healing, guidance, strength, spiritual growth, and a thousand other needs. This is the selfless nature and kingdom labor of a New Testament "house of prayer." But there's more here.

After Jesus purged the Jews' defiled house of prayer, immediately, without a moment's delay, He used it for prayer. He prayed for the blind and lame, and they were divinely healed. He taught God's life-giving, mind-changing, character-building Word, and everyone present received the true knowledge of God (Matthew 21:14, 23). To this day, Jesus remains "the same" (Hebrews 13:8). Therefore, we may expect Him to do today what He did then, given similar circumstances. Will you believe this?

I believe I hear His voice calling to us down the ages, "Test me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it" (Malachi 3:10). Ready to accept His challenge? Hungry to see heaven's windows opened and God's blessings flowing down?

Then let's clean up our "houses," our church houses, family houses, and bodily houses - our hearts! Let's expel sin selfish diversions as quickly and decisively as Jesus did! As we return to biblical order we raise new houses of prayer to prosper God's saving plan for our families, friends, coworkers, communities, cities, nations, and our enemies, to the ends of the earth. Then Jesus will do for us what He did for the Jews at His first advent.

We will behold the most amazing, rare, exquisitely beautiful wonder known to man: Jesus, the real Jesus of the New Testament, the only Jesus, coming into our houses of worship by His Spirit, through broken human vessels, with surrendered wills. By His Spirit and servants, Jesus will heal the blind so they can see Him working in their circumstances. By His Spirit and servants, He will heal the lame so they can walk closely with Him for the first time in their lives. By His Spirit and servants, He will break open the bread of God's Word so clearly, so insightfully, so timely, that we are left wonderstruck, blessed all over, and praising God. And ready to pray.

So let's clean up, pray up, and step up to a whole new level of Christian living. May Christ's correction sweep over this land, and all lands, until they are filled with cleansed houses of prayer, rivers of Spirit-inspired prayers, and Spirit-filled worship - and Jesus walks the earth again through His body of believers, compassionately healing, skillfully teaching, and steadily training millions of New Testament disciples! Until He comes for us.

Cleaning, praying, stepping up,

Greg Hinnant
Greg Hinnant Ministries