Monday / Clean Temple for Prayer Day 2

The 8 Day Week

Monday / Clean Temple for Prayer

Ever wonder if Jesus meant what He said?

And if He did mean what He said,

What would it be like if we could believe it like He said it?

Maybe we might have to clean out some of our old way of thinking. 

 On Sunday, the crowds were shouting Hosanna!

It is now Monday,

early in the morning,

Jesus sees a fig tree full of leaves.

Jesus is hungry,

but the fig tree has nothing to offer

because it is not the season for figs.

Jesus curses the tree and goes to the temple.

As he approaches the temple,

Jesus turns over the tables of the money changers

and drives them out.

Jesus teaching in the temple

picks up from the driving out of the money changers.

In illustration, Jesus demonstrated that the Father’s House

is not a place for profit and greed.

But God’s House is a place for prayer!

Cleansing and Prayer are the two focuses of Jesus on Monday.  

We are the temple of the Holy Spirit

and any thought or action that does not honor God

will hinder the power of our prayers.

If we want the power of God in our lives,

and our prayers to be heard,

we need to examine the tables in our lives.

After Jesus leaves the temple,

they pass the fig tree Jesus cursed in the morning.

Peter points out that it is withered

and says he has never seen anything like it.

Jesus uses the opportunity to point out the power of prayer.

We love reading these words

but is it possible for us to embrace them?

Jesus says, “If you have faith and do not doubt”

You will not only be able to do

what was done to the fig tree, but

you will be able to say to a mountain

be removed and cast into the sea.

Notice that Jesus did not say,

ask God for the fig tree to wither

or the mountain to move.

Jesus said if you “say” to them it would happen.

Then Jesus concludes with,

“If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Matthew 21:22

“God help me to understand my authority

as I spend time with you in prayer so that I will have the boldness and confidence to speak to the issues of life You want me to change”

Scripture Reading

Matthew 21:12-22 NIV

12 Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers

and the benches of those selling doves.

13 "It is written," he said to them, "'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it a 'den of robbers.'" 

14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.

15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area,

"Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant.

16 "Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him.

"Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read,

"'From the lips of children and infants

you have ordained praise'?" 

17 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany,

where he spent the night.

18 Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city,

he was hungry.

19 Seeing a fig tree by the road,

he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves.

Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!"

Immediately the tree withered.

20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed.

"How did the fig tree wither so quickly?" they asked.

21 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt,

not only can you do what was done to the fig tree,

but also you can say to this mountain,

'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done.

22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." 

Also see Mark 11:12-18 & Luke 19:45-46