My House of Prayer

My House of Prayer

June 1, 2016 Year C

Isaiah 56:1-8

God wants people in His house to live a life of love. He wants us to preserve justice, do what is right, reveal righteousness (Isaiah 56:1). Living this way brings happiness (Isaiah 56:2). We learn to take a day of rest and to not do evil (Isaiah 56:2).

God wants unity. He wants people from all walks of life. He loves the foreigner (Isaiah 56:3). No matter if I can’t have a family (Isaiah 56:4), God wants me to be part of His family (Isaiah 56:5). God wants all kinds of people to serve God, and love Him (Isaiah 56:6). God will bring everyone together in His house of prayer (Isaiah 56:7). His house is a house of prayer for all nations. God continues to gather His people, even today (Isaiah 56:8).

If God’s house is a house of prayer, He wants His people to be people who also live in houses of prayer. God wants the men of the house to lead the wife and children in prayer. We should be praying for our families. We should lead our families as men. It doesn’t matter whether the wife is more “spiritual” than the husband. The husband has the responsibility to lead the family in prayer.

My house is a house of prayer. I pray in the morning. I lift up my family in prayer. My wife and I pray at lunchtime. We pray for ourselves and others. My children pray during suppertime. We share prayer requests. This is our regular pattern. The reason is because a church can only be praying if the men are leading their families in prayer.

My house and your house should take joy in being a house of prayer (Isaiah 56:7). Prayer can be a joy that we teach to others. When we learn how to take joy in prayer, God can do many things. Just as God has gathered the dispersed of Israel (Isaiah 56:8), He can keep your family together through prayer.

Prayer: God, thank You for Your help in making my house a house of prayer. Help me lead my family to a house of prayer for all of the nations that come to our front door.