Building a House of Prayer pt3

Ezekiel 37:13 Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people. (NASB)

The Passion of Prayer

Meet with God on His terms ­ Ezekiel 37:1-­3

Overcome doubt & fear ­ Isaiah 1:17-­19

Vanquish the enemy ­ Jeremiah 1:17-19; 1 Samuel 2:10

Exalt God's Majesty & glory ­ Psalm 30:1-­3

            God is the source of life – all life – eternal life! As we build a house of prayer, we cannot neglect the passion which drives our desire to accomplish the will of God. Building this house we began with the foundation of purpose in our prayers -REST, we erected sturdy walls by discussing the process of our prayers - STAND, and today we will cut in windows and door by exploring passion in our prayers - MOVE. Passion is the driving force motivated by what we see, believe, experience.

Ezekiel 37:1-3 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, 2 And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. 3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest. (KJV)

            Are we moved by what we see in the world? Injustice, violence, poverty, disease, hunger, and oppression surround us. As we look at what is going on our eyes behold the effects of sin and death upon this world. We may feel as Ezekiel did surrounded by those dry bones.

            Ezekiel was moved into that place by the Spirit of God. His (Ezekiel’s) final words in verse three “O Lord God, Thou knowest” say to us, “He was meeting with God on His (God’s) terms.” Passion in our prayers begins with Meeting with God on His terms. Passion in our prayers is achieved when we Overcome doubt and fear.

Isaiah 1:17-19 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. 18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: (KJV)

            Perfect love, according to 1 John 4:18, will overcome fear. It also lets us know there is NO fear in love. When we apply the love of God in our prayers, we will not fear. We will be moved into a response to God’s call. We will see the situations around us change to conform to the will of God. “That we should prosper and be in health, even as our souls prosper.” (3 John 1:2)

            Vanquishing the enemy of our souls becomes the focus of the Holy Spirit working in us. As we obediently follow God’s instructions, our enemies are overcome – Not by our might, but by the Spirit of God. See Jeremiah 1:17-19 and 1 Samuel 2:10.

The only thing left for us to do is Exalt God's majesty & glory!

Psalm 30:1-­3 I will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. 2 O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. 3 O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. (KJV)