Prophetess hilda arredondo |
A TEMPLE OF PRAYER
“Now
Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer,
being the ninth hour.” Acts 3:1
As
we read this verse of Scripture we see that Peter and John were special men of
God that were about the Father’s business…PRAYER! First
of all these two men were walking together in love and the unity of the faith.
They were prayer partners. In Matthew
18:19, it says, “Again I say to you, that
if two of you will agree in the earth about any matter which they will request,
it will be done for them from the presence of my Father who is in
Heaven.” They
also knew the power of prayer.
Secondly,
they went into the temple. The temple represents the place where God lives, His
house. Now Peter and John came APART from the hustle, bustle of the day to get
into the presence of God. We read in James 4:8, “Be ye also
patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth
nigh.” We are
instructed here to draw nigh towards Him. We have the responsibility to initiate
the move of drawing close to Jesus…He is waiting!
DRAW
NIGH TO HIM
This
requires a willingness to want to set ourselves apart especially for Him. As we
obey in seeking Him, then He will draw NIGH to us. When Peter and John went into
the temple, this is exactly what they were doing…DRAWING NIGH TO HIM!
They were saying to our precious Savior that they wanted to spend time
with Him because they loved Him; therefore, they pulled apart temporarily from
those things that demanded their attention and focused their hearts towards Him
in prayer. So
many times we have a desire for Jesus to manifest His Presence to us, but, we
want Him to come to us in the middle of our busy schedules, which make no room
for Him. Throughout God’s Holy Word the example set for us in Scripture speaks
to us that we must set aside special time for Him in prayer. Peter and John went
up to the temple…their PRAYER CLOSET. Where is your prayer closet? If you have
one, do you visit it often? As we become obedient to Him in prayer then we will
achieve new heights in the spiritual realm. We will also be equipped to overcome
the powers of darkness and have greater victories in our lives.
The
hour of prayer here in this same verse of Scripture was the ninth hour, which
would be three o’clock in the afternoon. David said in Psalm
55:17, “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he
shall hear my voice.” David
prayed three times a day and Peter and John made time to pray at three in the
afternoon. What were we doing at 3:00 p.m. today, or even yesterday? Were we
about the Father’s business…PRAYER. Perhaps not, possibly we were
busy shopping at our favorite mall, sharing good conversation with our best
friend, or even yet watching our favorite TV show. We know that there is nothing
wrong with the above pleasures, but when they take priority over our prayer
life, and then they became a hindrance to prayer. Please understand here that
three o’clock was their time of prayer, this does not necessarily mean that we
must pray at 3:00 o’clock sharp, but what it says to us today is, and do we have
an hour of “drawing nigh”, a special time throughout the day that we give
ourselves to prayer?
THE
HOLY SPIRIT CALLS
The
Holy Spirit is calling us, the Church of Jesus Christ, into our prayer closet.
Yes, He is wooing us into our prayer chambers to be alone with Him. The greatest
call in this hour is PRAYER. WHY? Prayer draws us nigh to Him, and as we draw
close, the light of the Holy Spirit will shine deep into our hearts exposing and
cleansing the hidden attitudes of the heart that should not be there. Real
devoted prayer will begin to mold us into His image taking on His character. The
Almighty God is calling us to walk in a true holiness which is God-likeness.
This means to live SOBERLY in respect to ourselves; righteously in respect our
neighbor; and godly in respect to God. A HOLINESS that works from the inside out
changing our personality to be like Him. Inside
the prayer closet with Him, He will privately pull back the blankets so to
speak, and show us the real garments we are wearing, sometimes spotted with sin,
iniquity, uncleanliness and transgressions. Sanctification is the first thing
that is accomplished in prayer, as we become truly righteous intercessors. Our
wants and needs become as nothing or of little importance as he circumcises our
hearts as prayer warriors for the needs of others.
Secondly,
prayer will move us into a place with power with Him. As we read further in the
same chapter, “And
a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at
the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that
entered into the temple; Who seeing Peter and John about to go into
the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with
John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them,
expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and
gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of
Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and
lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.” Acts
3:2-7. What
happened here? This man was known as the town’s cripple. He
couldn’t work or do much for himself. He was totally disabled and others would
have to help lay him down daily at the gate “Beautiful” so that he could beg for
his daily living.
Yet,
because Peter and John were about the Father’s business-PRAYER, and had been in
the presence of God, thus making them carriers of the GLORY, HOLINESS, AND POWER
OF GOD, they were used as instruments by the Hand of the Almighty God to perform
the impossible. This was much more than just answered prayer; this was something
different-a divine miracle. Yes, this man who could not walk, but carried about
like a helpless baby with no hope of ever walking, and resigned himself to be a
cripple, now had strength in his ankle bones and feet. He was IMMEDIATELY
healed! Yes, one command with POWER from these
praying men brought him up out of his crippled hopelessness to a “WALKING
MIRACLE”. Peter and John did the impossible!
“And he took him by the right hand, and
lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the
temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. And all the people
saw him walking and praising God.” Acts
3:7-9. Church,
as we give ourselves truly to prayer, and make “Our Seeking” Him, our priority,
and further let the Holy Spirit search our hearts, and put away those things
that are displeasing to our Father, then, out of our closet will arise this
“GIANT OF CHURCH”, a last day move with power to perform miracles. Real miracles
are needed today in a world filled with so much sin and darkness to turn the
heads of the “Lost” to Jesus Christ. Miracles are for the convincing of the
unbelievers.
THE
MONEY CHANGERS
And
Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in
the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them
that sold doves, 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.”
Matthew
21:12-13.
Our Lord Jesus cleaned out the temple of the money changers and those that sold
doves. In other words, Jesus was disgusted that there were so many things
happening in the house of God EXCEPT its first and initial call…PRAYER. The
money changer’s main interest was money and its profits. Have some of us become
like them? Does all our existence revolve on how to make money? When we go to
the HOUSE OF GOD, has that place too become like the money changers, that all we
can talk about is building programs and how to raise money? Instead of looking
at people, we look at big numbers for profits in the church? We have become
weary from long hours of work to make money instead of being weary from praying
and serving God. If we are convicted in reading this article, then repent, make
time for personal prayer and let us go into the house of God and make it a House
of Prayer. For
years this is what we have been witnessing in the Church. There has been a great
shaking and Jesus has exposed ministries and individuals. Why? Some had become
like the money changers and Jesus is CLEANSING His house to make it a TEMPLE of
TRUE PRAYER.
REAL
REVIVAL
“And he leaping up
stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping,
and praising God.” Acts 3:8. This man, once lame did not
have to be coaxed by God’s men to come to church because they had special
programs and entertainment, but rather because he had received a touch from God.
This man was leaping and praising God! Saints of God when we are empowered with
POWER from on high, we will not need neon signs flashing the word REVIVAL, or so
many programs in the church just to keep the people interested and occupied.
When the REAL POWER falls the world will automatically follow the people of God
into the Church, because the REAL PRESENCE of GOD is there! His presence will
draw them, and man will be only an instrument for His Glory, Power, and Holiness
as REVIVAL is poured out upon the land. Come Church let us follow Jesus into the
prayer closet. To God Be the
Glory!
Thank you so much for
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