God’s House of Prayer–XME (part 4 of 5)

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• on September 22, 2012
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God’s House of Prayer—Extreme Makeover Edition (part 4 of 5) 

New Covenant House of Prayer

Clearly, the temple as a house of prayer continued in force and design in Jesus’ day.   The new wrinkle is that Jesus presents Himself as the temple.

The epistles of the New Testament develop the concept further, the ultimate vision for God’s house being depicted in the Book of Revelation. In particular, Revelation 21 describes the walls of the temple giving way in covenant fulfillment to God dwelling with His people without barrier (Rev. 21:3).  When the vista of heaven is presented, the temple edifice is conspicuously absent (Rev. 21:22).

For now, however, in this period between Christ’s reign on high for His church and His return in glory to claim her for whom He died, the church is to understand itself as a house of prayer for the nations.  Paul emphasizes this on a number of fronts.

By virtue of our union with Christ, we as the people of God corporately are the temple of God.  In his letter to the Ephesians, which lays great stress on the church visible and invisible, Paul declares as conclusion to God’s covenant intention:

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. Ephesians 2:19–22 (ESV)

The new covenant community is seen as a temple in which God Himself lives and through which He works.

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16 (ESV)

What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” 2 Corinthians 6:16 (ESV)

The fact that we are the temple of God, God’s house, means a number of things for us.  We are to be holy to God, undefiled among the nations, a testimony to grace and a visible expression of the kingdom.  We are not our own; we have been bought with a price, built through grace.  We are also to understand ourselves to be a house of prayer.

This temple is not some edifice we go to in order to pray.  We as that temple are to know the presence of God with us in relationship.  As a holy priesthood we are to serve the purpose of God with us in the exercise of our divine mandate.  Being a house of prayer speaks to our being in special relationship with God and in a special role for God.

Prayer is not supplemental but essential to us as a temple in which God dwells by His Spirit.  No wonder the New Testament is so saturated with teaching on prayer, examples of prayer and calls to prayer.

Look again at the letter to the Ephesians in which Paul emphasizes the church, the Holy Spirit and resurrection power.  It is no surprise that prayer finds a place of prominence, not just as a topic or one offering among many but atmospheric, necessary to sustain life and foster growth and mission.  From the prayers of Paul for them in Ephesians 1:16-23 and 3:14-21 to the plea to them for prayer in Ephesians 6:18-21, prayer is expected and necessary.

Remembering that the church is built by Christ laying siege to the gates of hell, subduing subjects of the kingdom of this fallen world to Himself, Paul asks for prayer for himself, his message and his hearers.

…praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. Ephesians 6:18–20 (ESV)

In other words, ministry for the sake of Christ finds its efficacy through prayer.  Kingdom movement gains its drive through prayer.  It is as the church maintains its identity as a house of prayer in God’s design rather than a den of thieves for its own ends that its ministry will prosper. [click here for What is Spiritual Warfare?]

So God’s purpose for the temple as a house of prayer anticipated in the Abrahamic covenant and articulated in Isaiah comes to focus in Christ as the temple.  He is risen with indestructible body, reigning on high interceding for His church, and returning in glory.  Now we as believers enfolded into new covenant community with new covenant commission are that temple by virtue of our union with Christ.  As God’s house, we are to function as a house of prayer.

NEXT: Part 5 of 5, “The Local Church as a House of Prayer”