Temple of God - House of Prayer

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Temple of God - House of Prayer

By R. Keith Calvert

As Christians we find that we are not always able to participate in and be part of God's work as much and in ways as we desire to be. It appears that God uses His people's talents and abilities as He sees fit but not always as we want. Our situations in life do not stay constant and they differ as well. Those who do not live near other Christians of like minds may wonder how God can use them in His work. Some people's health restrict their ability to participate. There are some who are handicapped by blindness, deafness, strokes and other disabilities. Others may have job problems or family problems or a combination of many situations.

There are examples of people contributing to God's work in many ways such as is stated in James 1:27. "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." (NKJ throughout) But what about those who can't contribute in those ways? I'm reminded of the examples of two elderly infirm widows who when they realized wrong doctrine was beginning to be taught in the church of which they considered themselves to be members took the stand that they wanted no part in it and they remained firm in the truth that God had shown them. Their courage helped motivate many other Christians to take a similar stand to continue serving God in loyalty and truth. They and others did what Paul instructed in II Thes. 2:15 and II Thes 3: 1-3. "Therefore brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle." "Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified just as it is with you, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith, but the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one." The only way they or any of us can stand fast is through prayer to God our Father and Christ our Savior who hears our prayers and answers our requests. Those two elderly physically infirm widows contributed to God's work in a tremendously powerful way through prayer to God. They could not do the same physical works that others could do but they did apply Eph. 6:18 "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with perseverance and supplication for all the saints."

Christ pointed out the importance of prayer in Luke 19:46 "Saying to them, 'My house is a house of prayer but you have made it a den of thieves.'" I Cor. 3:16 says, "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" What Christ is telling us in these two scriptures is that we individually and collectively are God's temple of prayer. How wonderfully reassuring to realize that we are at all times in constant contact with Christ and God our Father. We don't have to go to a designated place or have a certain time to pray. Nor do we necessarily always have to know how to pray or what to pray about. Rm. 8:26,27. God's Spirit does not come and go. Once we as Christians receive God's Spirit (unless we choose to reject it) it is always in us and we are the Temple of God and His house of prayer individually and collectively. How encouraging it is to realize that regardless of our circumstances the Spirit of God is in his temple. We can always be a part of and contribute to God's work in a powerful way because of our unbreakable bond (Rm. 8:38,39) and by prayer to God the Father through Jesus Christ our Savior.