Part 3 Update | Month of Prayer

Trinity Family, 

I still remember the first time I saw a motion picture about the life of Jesus, and the scene of Jesus reacting to what he saw at the Temple. It is a dramatic scene where Jesus overturns the tables of the moneychangers and drives out the sacrificial animals and birds.  In a loud voice he is quoting scripture saying “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers” (Mark 11:17). It is in Isaiah 56 where we learn that God names his house a house of prayer.  “These will I 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 56:7

So there you have it!  God names His house a “house of prayer”!  It almost begs the question as to why we haven’t followed this nomenclature that God gave us.  Imagine if every church and temple changed their name to include “house of prayer”.  This won’t ever happen, but it would certainly give credence to the importance of prayer in the church! Many church meetings wonderfully begin and end with prayer. However, there are many examples in the Bible where the whole purpose of meeting was to pray.  Prayer and praying together was an important element in the early church:
>> Acts 1:14 “They all joined together constantly in prayer”
>> Acts 2:42 “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer”.
>> Acts 12:12 “… where many people had gathered and were praying”

This is why here at Trinity Church we are re-emphasizing the importance of prayer. This is being done from the pulpit and in various other ways. As you know, we started the “31 Days of Prayer” leading up to Easter Sunday. Additionally, after Sunday services some of the church leaders gather at the large wood cross for anyone who wishes to be prayed over.  The Monday evening Bible study group just started a six-week course titled “The Essentials of Effective Prayer”.  We can also twist this title around to say “prayer is essential to be effective”.  

It is a blessing to all of us at Trinity Church that we collectively improve our prayer lives and ultimately experience a more intimate union with God. We don’t need to change our church name or the sign out front to be known as the name God gives His church, a house of prayer!

Yours in Christ,
Rick DiGioia