139. God’s House of Prayer
Isaiah 56:7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.
“Even them” = all believers in Christ. The Lord will bring all believers into his eternal spiritual kingdom, both now in time and hereafter in eternity. The kingdom is the “holy mountain,” the place where the Lord God, in His eternal presence, dwells. It is like a mountain in that it is beautiful and huge. Heaven is not pictured in our minds as a mountain as much as it so pictured in the Bible. Spiritually, living in the kingdom of God is like living in a beautiful place surrounded by majestic peaks and panoramic views. The Lord brings us to His Mountain through the Word of Gospel, speaking good news to our spirit and giving promises to believe.
The Lord will make us joyful in His house of prayer. The kingdom is a beautiful and huge house with many rooms; the family lives in this house with God in joy and bliss. This house is a house of prayer, for that is what goes on this this house all the time: unceasing prayer. The prayer in this house is conversation, listening to the Lord and talking with Him as friend to friend, or as son with father. Prayer is the activity of an intimate relationship between an Almighty, Invisible God and a visible, limited human. Most intimate relationships are between equals, and it is called conversation or intercourse. Our relationship with God is between unequal persons, and it is called prayer. We are beggars and He is king, but when we meet at the cross through faith in Jesus we are on a loving and equal level. The Lord God accepts us as equals and listens. This is prayer.
We may dwell in this house of prayer continually by praying without ceasing, living a live of daily repentance, practicing the presence of the Lord, discussing matters with Him, reading the Bible as if we are listening to Jesus’ words of love to us, reminding ourselves of the Gospel of grace at every opportunity or idle moment. In this house of prayer the Lord is making us joyful. Eternal joy and internal peace fills the soul all the time. This promise is for “all people.”