A House of Prayer for all Nations - 21 November 2008

[All] who bind themselves to the LORD to serve him, to love the name of the LORD, and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.  Isaiah 56:6,7 (NIV)

The bible speaks of a House of Prayer and I believe that God is calling his people to be a House of Prayer.  Just as we have the Rugby House of Prayer he is calling us to be a house of prayer whenever we gather together.  Maybe one day we may see the dream come true of a gathering for prayer 24 hours a day 7 days a week as was maintained in the Temple in Jerusalem.

There is a sense in scripture of time when the heavens were opened and God’s blessing came down on his people as when Jesus was baptised by John:

When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." Luke 3:21,22 (NIV)

My prayer is that this weekend:

·         as God’s people gather for prayer this evening at St. Oswald’s at 8.00pm;

·         as our young people have a prayer sleep over tonight;

·         as people meet in the Prayer Room at the Church Centre at 7.15am on Saturday;

·         as families gather to pray tomorrow at 4.00pm in the Dixon Hall;

·         as individual pray for one hour

·         as we all gather again on Sunday evening in St. Matthew’s at 7.00pm to end our fast

as all this happens, I pray that the heavens may be opened and God may pour out his blessing on his people and reveal his purposes for us, that we might be a house of prayer for all the nations.

Would you make that your prayer today?