Meditation on John 2:14-17

Meditation on John 2:14-17

John 2:14-17

14  And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money-changers seated at their tables.
15  And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables;
16  and to those who were selling the doves He said, "Take these things away; stop making My Father's house a place of business."
17   His disciples remembered that it was written, "ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME."

Isaiah 56:7

7  Even those I will bring to My holy mountain And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples."

Matthew 21:13

13 And He *said to them, "It is written, 'MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER'; but you are making it a ROBBERS' DEN."

LORD, how easy it is for us to get lost even in doing good things. We devote ourselves to providing for our families, working in our ministries, and striving to devote our lives to worthwhile activities. Yet, somewhere in all these things we do, we lose our way. 

Something that was to be minor becomes major. We start "doing business" in our lives and the focus is on "our doing". We become very practical. The bottom line is what matters. We begin to compromise a little here and a little there to make things work more effectively and gain some profit. 

Lord forgive me my foolishness. Forgive me my compromises. 

The focus of our lives, our family, and ministry shifts and we begin to rob YOU LORD of being who we depend upon and for whom we are doing all this business in the first place. 

Even as YOU, LORD, found the temple when you came to the earth having become just a place of business instead of a house of prayer, so also in my life and in the Church you find that our focus has become on survival, worldly success, instead of a true union and communion with you in prayer. 

Lord, you had to overturn tables and whip the animals out of the temple when you came. Come now and overturn the tables and whip the indifference out of my heart so that my soul may be purified of dependence on my business instead of dependence upon you. 

Lord, make me a house of prayer. Lord make your church a house of prayer. Help my prayers be kingdom focused prayers. Help me to hunger and thirst for righteousness in my prayers. Make your Church a house of prayer for all nations. Let us make kingdom-focused prayer our first priority. 

Let me not lose heart but let me have fervent prayer in my heart. Amen