there is a noticeable Trend in some churches around the world today these churches attract large crowds because they tell people what they want to hear rather than what they need to hear these churches often focus on boosting self-esteem teaching wealth creation or outlining principles of prosperity however the fundamental purpose of a church is not to serve these ends a Church's primary mission is to be a House of Prayer in Matthew 21:13 Jesus declared it is written my house shall be called The House of Prayer but ye have made it a den of Thieves fewer people
attend church now than in the past and this decline is particularly noticeable among young adults who are increasingly less religious I want to clarify that when I refer to the church I'm not speaking about all American churches many churches in this country continue to Worship the Lord in righteousness faithfully and reverently however there is also a different type of church that has emerged in America likely influenced by the nation's inclination for grandiosity and spectacle this trend started with the Seeker friendly or Seeker sensitive movement in the 1970s which aimed to draw people particularly non-believers by
adopting more contemporary Styles this movement persists today seeker-friendly churches strive to be relevant especially to younger audiences which means their approach often mirrors current societal Trends as a result these churches transform into something resembling entertainment venues rather than a House of Prayer have you ever noticed that anytime a celebrity whether it be an actor or a musician claims to be a Christian groups of churches and Christians automatically make that individual the poster boy or poster girl of Christianity and I believe this is deeply rooted in some Church's strong desire to become like the world modern
churches are so desperate to be accepted and loved by the world that they are desperate to be associated with famous personalities and people all in an attempt to be accepted by the world and to be Seeker friendly the poster for Christianity should not be celebrities the standard of Christianity is Jesus Christ he is the one we should aspire to be like he is the one we should look to not celebrities unfortunately we live in a world of celebrity culture and this culture of celebrity has filtered into pastors now you even hear the term celebrity Pastor
I don't know what it is about human beings but we have a tendency to want Idols we have a tendency to put people on a pedestal and this is how Pastor worship starts the moment you find yourself adoring a man as opposed to the Lord Jesus Christ you are heading down a dangerous path your faith is rooted in a person at that point not in the Lord Jesus Christ in this new generation of mega churches we are in a time in history that has never been seen before pastors can have mega churches and even have
hundreds of thousands of people view their content online that means they have a lot of power and influence mega church pastors have a tremendous amount of power and I heard an outstanding quote regarding power this was in reference to politicians but I think it is applicable to pastors the quote goes as follows power attracts the worst among us and it also corrupts the best of us churches are changing churches are becoming more worldly more accepting of sin more inclusive of Lifestyles that are contrary to the word of God some churches are turning into worldly community
centers some churches are becoming concert with a Bible verse mentioned here and there some churches are becoming venues for political rallies some churches are becoming Battlegrounds for culture wars and ideologies churches are changing and becoming dens of Thieves where celebrity pastors can lie to your face as they tell you to give your money to them so much so that these churches are truly dens of Thieves in Matthew 21:13 Jesus declared it is written my house shall be called The House of Prayer but ye have made it a of Thieves this assertion starkly distinguishes the intended
sanctity of the church from its observed desecration Jesus did not call his house a house of Fellowship entertainment fun and games Glitz and Glam or secular Gatherings this distinction is crucial in understanding the Divine Purpose ascribed to the house of God my house shall be called The House of Prayer in the Dynamics of a church many activities transpire preaching singing fellowship and organiz ational meetings yet intriguingly and interestingly Jesus did not refer to his house as a House of preaching despite the importance of the word nor a House of Music despite the uplift it provides
the Omission is striking and intentional he specified prayer as the defining activity underscoring its unparalleled significance in our relationship with God there is nothing that can substitute for prayer not Bible reading not Bible memorization not preaching the word or singing prayer stands alone and it is embarrassing that the modern Church often seems to mirror societal values and practices attempting to appeal to a broader audience through entertainment and social engagement in its attempt to be modern the church is drifting from its foundational calling the call for a house of prayer is overshadowed by Endeavors to please
and entertain reflecting a shift towards worldly acceptance rather than spiritual depth the modern church is so busy trying to be like the world so busy trying to please the world that it is becoming increasingly worldly there are churches now where you cannot distinguish whether you are at a rock concert or a church service that is how closely linked some Churches have become we are living in an age where people claim to be Christian but wear outfits to church that are more suitable for a nightclub than a church we live in an age where people claim
to be Christians yet they live no differently from unbelievers their lives are the exact same as unbelievers and yet they claim to be Christian we live in an age where people claim to be Christians yet they watch things a Christian should not watch they go places a Christian should not go they behave in a manner a Christian should not behave they wear sensual clothing listen to and sing sensual music they talk in a manner a Christian should not talk we live in an age where people claim to be Christian yet they could not care less
about righteousness and Holiness we live in an age where churches are attempting to modernize to suit societal acceptance an age of churches that have forgotten what our savior said his house should be called a house of prayer this transformation might account for the dwindling congregations and the perceived decline in church influence a church that prioritizes Earthly relevance risks losing its Heavenly Focus reflecting on the early Christian Church as depicted in the Acts of the Apostles we witness a community deeply rooted in prayer from its Inception the Christian Church understood the power and necessity of Prayer
in Acts 4 following the arrest of Peter and John their immediate response wasn't a calculated sermon or an organized protest rather the community turned to prayer their prayer was potent unifying and demonstrative of a profound Reliance on God's guidance and intervention in whatever situations these Christians found themselves they prayed when they were in trouble they prayed when they were persecuted they prayed when they faced challenges in choosing a replacement for Judas they prayed when they needed guidance and Direction they prayed when they were in prison they prayed when they faced imminent danger they prayed when
they were facing illness they prayed when they needed strength and encouragement they prayed when they were making important decisions they prayed they understood and cherished the word of our Lord Jesus Christ my house shall be a house of prayer churches that are not total committed to the area of prayer are full of false worshippers Matthew 21:13 it is written my house shall be called The House of Prayer but you have made it a den of Thieves you Christian brothers and sisters most of us don't believe this well at least many of us don't if we
did we would pray more like the oldtime church and the apostles Great Men of God Spirit-filled men who dedicated themselves to prayer over and over again yet we attend churches and live Lifestyles that only occasionally include prayer I am sorry but I'm embarrassed by the state of churches across this nation this is a call to every one of us what have we turned the house of God into do we go to church to be entertained seriously some churches are no different from nightclubs out there there are churches that literally look no different than nightclubs you
have churches now which are no different from fashion shows you get to some Churches and you cannot even hear a single truth truth about Jesus Christ and what you need to hear they don't call sin a sin but find another name for it they don't call Sin what it is but find a socially acceptable term for it people of god let's call spade a spade adultery is adultery fornication is fornication sexual immorality is sexual immorality and do you know why this is happening there is a lack of prayer you see a church that prays does
not create a conducive atmosphere for sin but in a church that doesn't pray sin thrives in that environment sin lives in that environment have you ever noticed that the church started when people were praying and not when someone was preaching we cannot separate Christianity and prayer acts 2:1-4 and when the day of Pentecost was fully come they were all with one Accord in one place and suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing Mighty Wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting and there appeared unto them clothing tongues like
as of Fire and it sat upon each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance the house of God is a place you are supposed to go to hear the truth and pray in a church where prayer is absent the power of God is absent in a church where they have sidelined prayer the presence of God has left there I will tell you the truth the spirit of God will never fall in a place where prayer is not present the
spirit will not fall in a place where prayer has been reduced to nothing when the followers of Jesus were in the upper room they were not playing these people were not selling and buying they were not trying to entertain one another they were not cracking jokes just to pass the time they did not go to the upper room for a fashion show but they went there to pray fervently they prayed and continued praying until the spirit of God came down the house of God is fundamentally a place of prayer not a venue for gossip mockery
socializing or Commerce if the place you frequent as the house of God doesn't Foster your prayer life it's time to find a new place where you can grow spiritually prayer is Paramount how can one claim to be a Christian yet struggle to pray how can you attend a place called the house of God and not pray in unity many Christians gravitate towards churches that offer entertainment transforming these sacred spaces into centers of amusement and neglecting their true purpose they resist harsh truths pastors who preach about repentance or adhere to traditional doctrines are often dismissed as
outdated the house of God is not intended to entertain or condone sin tragically some Churches entertain their congregations on a path to Eternal damnation where only weeping and nashing of teeth await it is crucial to restore the house of God to its original purpose a House of Prayer Jesus is calling for Change and restoration he urges that truth be proclaimed in his house and insists on eliminating Idol gossip this message isn't just about physical Church buildings but also applies to our hearts according to 1 Corinthians 6: 19 your body is the Temple of the Holy
Ghost the first temple to cleanse is your own heart have you permitted desires or impulses that God disapproves of to enter your life it's time to clear them out your heart and life should be devoted to prayer as instructed to pray without ceasing God Delights in answering prayers there is immense joy in receiving a response from the most powerful being in the universe affirming that he listens and responds God still answers prayers and communicates with his people as members of the body of Christ we must return to a life of prayer fostering a genuine relationship
with God make time to commune with the Lord regularly whether it's during a drive to work before an exam or ahead of a significant day speak to your savior and maintain an ongoing dialogue with God throughout your daily activities
