Heart Tracks - House Of God

"My house will be called a house of prayer." Matthew 21:13...."Jesus never calls a church building 'God's house.' Neither do any of the New Testament writers. God's house, after the gift of the Spirit, is the heart of the believer. He dwells in us - individually and corporately. And as His house, we are the house of prayer." Chris Tiegreen

What does it mean to be a "house of prayer" anyway? Does it mean, both as churches and people that we spend a great deal of time in prayer? I have seen both church fellowships and the individuals within them commit to 40 days of prayer, or a 48 or 24 hour period of prayer. Such have the potential to be of tremendous spiritual effect. They also have the potential end of being nothing but an exercise in futility. The condition and motive of our hearts, His house, hold the answer as to which result is ours.

The leadership of the church I minister in has been talking recently about our desires and whether God is committed to actually giving us the desires of our heart. All agree that there have been numerous times when we've asked Him to fulfill a desire, but He hasn't. The responses to those times varied, but the common thread was that in all there is the question, why didn't He? Especially when we fully believed that what we asked for was "good," and indeed, would have seemed to further His overall purpose. I don't claim to be able to give any kind of complete answer in that, but I think, at least in part, we do see an answer in something written by Henry Blackaby.

He said, in response to Psalm 37:4, "Take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desire of your heart." Most would say they do delight in Him, yet He didn't fulfill their desire. To that Blackaby writes, "Have you been asking God to give you the desires of your heart without first seeking to understand what is on His heart?" Be honest. How many of us ever begin our times with Him by asking Him what His desire is? His desire for us, our households, our church, our ministry? Have we asked Him to share His heart on these with us? Have we asked Him to share anything on His heart with us? I believe Jesus Christ shows us what true prayer really is. It is the outflow of our hearts to Him, and even more, His heart to us. Sadly, for most of us, our heart desires only flow out. We leave no space for His to flow in. If we did, then more and more, His desire would become ours, and ours His. We would move in a much deeper consciousness of Him. We would not be asking with only our limited heart knowledge. We'd be asking in the fullness of His.

There is so much mystery in the heart and person of the Father. Yet it's a mystery He wants to open to us. Prayer chains, vigils, and gatherings will be severely crippled if the only voice that speaks is ours. So will it be in our times alone with Him. I once used a book filled with prayers to Him for every situation. I used it faithfully. I prayed out those prayers with deep desire and sincerity. I don't remember ever, in the midst of that sincerity and desire, asking Him what was on His heart for me, or the many situations and people I prayed for. More, though not consciously aware of it, I was believing for those prayers to "work," to give me what I wanted. I was focused more on them than I was upon Him. I thought myself a man of prayer. Yet my house, my heart, was only partially filled with Him. There remained a great deal of "me." Our hearts are His house, and if they are to be houses of prayer, than His desire must flow into and out of them. It will be so when knowing His desire is our deepest desire. Is it so for us now? Will it ever be?

Blessings,
Pastor O