Jesus said these words: Matthew 21:13 “ The Scriptures declare, ‘My temple will be called a house of prayer,’ It is a quote from Isaiah 56:7 “I will bring them to My holy mountain of Jerusalem and will fill them with joy in My house of prayer. I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices, because My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”
There are many things that I have heard over the years about the “Church”- using the phrase “The church oughta be”—In 43+ years I have heard a lot of things that we “oughta be”.
Jesus words spoken about the temple: Can also be used to emphasise His “The church oughta be” For me the application here in Aotearoa New Zealand “a house of prayer for all nations.”
Prayerfully Consider: The Church of Aotearoa: A house of prayer or prayerful participation:
- Intercession: Jesus and the Holy Spirit are both intercessors. Both continue to pray from their respective places.
- Jesus on His throne next to His Father prays for us His people. Hebrews 7:25 “He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.”
- Holy Spirit on the planet and in the believers: Romans 8:26 “ And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.”
- The church’s role is to pray with Jesus and the Holy Spirit in intercession for His priorities: People
- Intervention: Matthew 28:18-20 Vs. 19 “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
- Prayerful involvement and intervention in making disciples: Reaching them with the gospel, and also Immersing them into a relationship with Father, The person of Jesus the Son and The person of Holy Spirit.
- Instruction: Matthew 28:20 “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.”
- Instruct them in the commands given directly by Jesus.
Prayer points:
- The Church in Aotearoa to become focused and prioritised to pray for the people of this nation; the people groups of this nation, especially Maori. To join Jesus in His intercession for His inheritance.
- The Church in Aotearoa to prayerfully intervene with Spirit guided evangelism and discipleship making, that is relational in nature.
- The Church in Aotearoa to prayerfully instruct disciples of Jesus in what He commands, not all the demands of “The church oughta be”. To obey Jesus!!!