This book originally began as a message called, ‘House of Prayer Enterprises’ which was preached in many churches throughout London in 2004, and which has been included in its entirety as chapter 1 of this book.

It was only after writing my first book in 2008, ‘Principles Of The Three Stranded Cord’ that the Lord laid on my heart that my second book should be, ‘Bethel’ or ‘House Of God’ a book on hope and encouragement for the church today.

This book seeks not only to comfort the church, but to correct and challenge its perceptions and practices both corporately and individually.

Below you will find the complete first chapter of this book for you to look at.  If you want to access more then please contact us.

HOUSE OF PRAYER ENTERPRISES.

Enterprise– undertaking courage, readiness to engage or take part in, imaginative.  Page 345 – The Concise Oxford Dictionary.

It seems a lifetime ago now but on Saturday night, the first of the New Year I went to bed with the expectation of a good nights sleep, read a little and then turned out the light at about 10.30p.m.

I still find it incredibly frustrating when sleep escapes me.  I lay in bed and tried to drift off quietly, not wanting to wake my wife who lay there doing the same as me.  I listened to car doors opening and closing, drunks staggering home arguing, focused on scripture, praying silently for sleep to steal over me, but to no avail.  Whilst lying there listening and talking to God this message came into my spirit and so at 3.ooa.m. I tiptoed into my front room and armed with my first cup of tea and my Bibles, concordances and dictionaries I sat down to write His word to the church of God.

It all started with one scripture found in Matthew 21 verse 13Jesus has just triumphantly entered the city seated upon a donkey, a week later He will be crucified for the sins of the world, but the first thing He does when He enters the city is to go to the temple and to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple.  He quotes Isaiah 56 verse 7 and Jeremiah 7 verse 11 the Prophets when He says…

“And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’””

As I sat there meditating on this scripture quietly God lead me gently into what He would have me preach now.

Firstly, He showed me the primary importance of prayer and then He gave me three keys to unlock fresh revelation into the heart of prayer and it is this that I want to share today.  Two incidences in my life recently highlight the need for this word.

God recently led me to read a book by a South Korean Pastor, Paul Yonghi Cho called ‘Prayer The Key To Revival.’  His church, the largest in the world approaching nearly a million members makes prayer, corporate and private, the key priority and cause of revival and church growth.  He personally, and we can only begin to guess how busy a life this man leads, teaches by example, as did Jesus and devotes at least two hours to prayer daily!!

The second incidence is a disillusioned friend of mine, a Minister of a relatively successful inner city church, we get together frequently to encourage and support each other.

“Things have to change at my church this coming year” my friend said over Christmas.  “The church has heard you and me preach on prayer, evangelism, giving and all sorts of other subjects and yet neglects to actually do them, we always have a full list for social events like meals and outings but it’s only a very small number who are committed to the prayer groups and evangelism, if this carries on the church will be dead in five years time.”

I sympathized and tried to encourage him, knowing how hard it is, not only to be constant and disciplined in prayer personally, but to encourage others to be committed to prayer as the first and foremost priority of any church if it is to grow and remain alive and healthy.

“So what’s the answer Lord?” I cried in my Spirit silently.

“H.O.P.E.” God replied.

“What does that mean Lord?” I asked, “I know what hope is and I’ve seen people wearing those wrist bands with the initials P.U.S.H. on.”  (which means Pray Until Something Happens.)

“H.O.P.E. stands for House Of Prayer Enterprises.” God answered, “ Firstly and lastly I want My Church, My People, My House to be a house of prayer.  Secondly, this will take enterprise by my people to put into effect, the word enterprise means to undertake, to be ready to engage or take part in, to be courageous and imaginative in prayer and for this I will give you three keys, faith, hope and love and these three keys are found in Paul’s first letter to My people in Corinth chapter 13.”

1 Corinthians 13 verse 13says...

“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

1,        FAITH.

            What do I believe?

Surely that is what faith means, believing in God.  I think, and my trusty secular dictionary defines faith as ‘reliance or trust in’ (page 373 – The Concise Oxford Dictionary.)  So I believe the real meaning of faith means, I trust God and I trust His word which I regard as perfect or infallible, so when His word states…

Mark 11 verses 22-24

22              “So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.  (Trust)

23              For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

24              Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.””

Proverbs 3 verse 5 states the same thing…

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding…”

I preached quite a lot last year on the subject of trust and particularly on Proverbs 3 verses 5-8 and realized how small my trust was in God and His word.  I must admit that most of it was based on my personal situation or circumstances at the time and was also based on my own understanding not His, I realize how little faith I have and continue to address this issue today.  How deep is your trust in God today?

2,        HOPE.

My trusty dictionary defines hope as:  looking with expectation and desire, a feeling of trust.  I’ll go along with that, Expectation.

Do I pray expectantly trusting God to move?

Of course I desire my prayers to come true, else why pray them?

Or do I pray out of a sense of duty?

Are my prayers mechanical, dutiful, manipulative, selfish, etc?

Paul writes in his letter to Titus that one of the qualities of a sound church is its hope or expectation.

Titus 2 verses 11-14says...

11              “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men

12              teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age

13              looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

14              who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”

Paul also writes inColossians 1 verse 27...

“To them (His saints) God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

My expectancy or hope is eventually to attain eternal life, no tears or pain or death Revelation 21 verse 4.  Surely this expectancy and hope should permeate or inhabit every prayer I pray as well?

3,        LOVE.

            Why do I pray?

            Why should I pray?

The answer is simple… or so it should be it must be Love

            “The greatest of these is Love.”

            1 Corinthians 13 verse 13

            1 John 4 verse 8says...

“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

Prayer is relationship, relationship with the Father and with Jesus, with the Holy Spirit and with the church, with one another and with the world.  God sent Jesus because He loved the world.   John 3 verse 16.  People are meant to see that we are disciples of Jesus by our love not only for one another but for a hurting and dying world.  Change takes action but the first action needs to be, should be, and must be prayer and prayer based in and on love.

We already know that love is selfless not selfish, that is why Jesus teaches us to love our neighbor indiscriminately.

In Romans 13 verses 8-10 Paul reinforces this teaching.  He writes…

8                   “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.

9                   For the commandments “You shall not commit adultery”, “You shall not steal”, “You shall not bear false witness,”“You shall not covet”, and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying namely “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

10              Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

APPLICATION.

In 1 Peter 2 verse 5 Peter the apostle writes…

“You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

Are you prepared today to join H.O.P.E. House Of Prayer Enterprises, to have the courage and readiness to take part in, and to be committed to a life of prayer, this is God’s first call on your life and walk with Him, not just in your private prayer life but to play an active committed part in this churches prayer ministry as well.

I know that if you do, you will be blessed.  Amen.