Orange Moon Cafe "The Temple of Prayer"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe… 

          "The Temple of Prayer"

     God calls us to help people with our hands.

     "Let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth" (I John 3:18).

     "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good to all men" (Galatians 6:10).

    Our Lord also calls us to help people with our hearts.

    "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men" (I Timothy 2:10).

    The innermost being of born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ exists as a temple of prayer.  "God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying Abba Father" (Galatians 4:6).  Thereby we possess capacity to bless God with expressions loving devotion, praise, thanksgiving, and supplication for our needs.  Our Heavenly Father also grants to us the wonder of seeking His working in the hearts and lives of others.  Even as I write this, the enormity of such privilege and responsibility overwhelms and amazes me.  The King of the universe holds out His scepter to us, beckoning us to come and request the bestowal of His grace to our families, friends, neighbors, colleagues, and people we don't even know.  Moreover, His desire to grant our requests far exceeds our desire to prayerfully offer them.  Our Father bears the most generous of hearts.  He loves to give, to provide, to protect, and most of all, to work in people to reveal the Lord Jesus as salvation, peace, hope, strength, provision, protection, and as life itself.  Prayer never involves twisting God's arm, as it were, to convince Him to do that which He doesn't really want to do.  Prayer rather involves God's turning our hearts inside out, leading us to the altar of loving devotion to Him and others.  Thereby the temple of our hearts becomes an instrument in His redemptive purposes.  Little wonder that Samuel affirmed his responsibility to help Israel with his heart by seeking the help of God's heart for His people: "Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you" (I Samuel 12:23).

   The Christ who lived His earthly lifetime in much prayer for others now lives in us by His Spirit to lead us along the same paths of loving devotion to God and people.  What a wonder, what a gift, what a privilege, and what a responsibility.  In light of such grace, the disciples' request of long ago must become our earnest plea: "Lord, teach us to pray" (John 11:1).  We can help people with our hands, as led and enabled by the love of Christ.  And we can help people with our hearts, by seeking for them the help of His heart.  It is hard to imagine a greater calling, or a more effectual working whereby we glorify our Lord by loving Him in the temple, the temple of prayer in our hearts.

"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy."

(Philippians 1:3-4)

Weekly Memory Verse

    How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings.

 (Psalm 36:7)

  

5737