The Church must be a House of Prayer Unto the Lord
- Baptist Daily Devotional
- Jul 11
- 3 min read
Rev. Tse Amable | July 11 2025 | Acts 12:12-14
KEY VERSE: “When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying” Acts 12:12 (NIV)
MESSAGE:
Upon Peter’s dramatic and miraculous release from prison through an angelic intervention, the first place he went to was a house where the church had gathered to pray earnestly for him. We know from the scriptures that Peter was a married man and had his own home. (see Matthew 8:14). He could have therefore gone to his house first to show himself to his family. But Peter chose to go first to the house of PRAYER to testify to his brethren that the Lord had heard and answered their prayers for him. Earlier when they were released after the agitation that arose over the healing of the crippled beggar reported in Acts 3:1-10, the Bible says “And being let go, THEY WENT TO THEIR OWN COMPANY, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them” (Acts 4:23). The fellowship of the brethren should be your first place in times of trouble.
The house of God must be A HOUSE OF PRAYER, a place where troubled people can go to pray, either as individuals or in a group. That is what the scriptures say. Speaking prophetically, the Lord declared “my house will be called A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL NATIONS” (Isaiah 56:7). Jesus Christ confirmed this position on the day he entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there (Matthew 21:12). He supported this action by quoting the words recorded in the book of Prophet Isaiah.
The house of God (chapel, sanctuary, temple, etc.) must be a place where many believers (from every nation, tribe, social status, etc.) can gather to cry out to the Lord in prayer with the expectation that the Lord will hear and answer them. It was in the open temple at Shiloh that Hannah went and cried to the Lord, which resulted in the birth of Samuel.
FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE:
Is your chapel, sanctuary or temple truly a house of prayer? Does the environment enable earnest prayer to be made to God? Let us learn from the example of Mary, the mother of John Mark, to open up our houses to be used as houses of prayer.
PRAYER:
Father, I thank you that we can gather in your name everywhere to pray, and you will hear and answer us. My prayer is that every chapel, temple, sanctuary, etc., which has been built and dedicated to your worship shall truly be a house of prayer to all believers. I ask for this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen!
THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING.
SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!
The 365 DAILY BIBLE READING Day 192: 1 Kings 2 - David’s Final Instructions and Death
DAILY word study: GATHERED The word “gathered” comes from the Greek sunēthroismenoi, derived from sunathroizō, which means “to come together, assemble, or be collected together for a purpose.”
The early believers didn’t just pray—they gathered. This word reflects intentional unity. It wasn’t a casual crowd. It was a spiritual assembly with one heart and one burden: Peter’s release. The same word root appears in places where the early church united in purpose (Acts 4:31). Their gathering created a spiritual climate for divine intervention.
Reflect on this: A praying church isn’t just individual prayers rising separately. It is believers coming together with shared faith and burden. When we gather with one mind and one voice, we create room for God to move.
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