Make Prayer Your First Move
"My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you make it a den of robbers." – Matthew 21:13
When Jesus walked into the temple, He wasn’t just upset at what He saw. He was grieved by what had been lost. The place that was supposed to be centered around prayer had been taken over by profit. The tables that were supposed to be altars had become cash registers. And so Jesus did something bold. He started flipping tables, clearing space, and reminding everyone why the temple existed in the first place.
His message was not just for them. It’s for you, too. If your life is supposed to be a temple, then prayer should be central to it. Not a last resort. Not something you do when everything else fails. Prayer should be the first move, not the backup plan. But for many of us, it’s more like a roadside emergency kit. We only pull it out when we’re broken down and have nowhere else to turn.
Think about this. Have you ever walked into a restaurant excited to order something, only to be told they are out of what they’re known for? That’s exactly what Jesus was pointing out. People were coming to the temple in need of something only God could give, but they were met with distractions and clutter. Today, people are still coming with heavy hearts, real problems, and spiritual hunger. But if prayer is not at the center, they leave without what they came for.
This isn’t just about church. This is about your life. What has taken the place of prayer? What has crowded out the space where you used to talk to God and listen for His voice? You might still be doing all the “extras”—reading, attending, posting verses—but without prayer, the power is missing.
Maybe the upgrade you’ve been asking God for is waiting on you to clear out some things that are in the way. Maybe He’s ready to pour out peace, wisdom, clarity, and strength, but there’s no space left to receive it. The tables Jesus flipped were not just furniture. They were barriers. And if you let Him, He will still flip the things in your life that are blocking you from real connection.
Make prayer your first move again. Before the next step. Before the next decision. Before anything else, go to Him. Because when prayer is at the center, everything else in your life starts to fall into place.
When Jesus walked into the temple, He wasn’t just upset at what He saw. He was grieved by what had been lost. The place that was supposed to be centered around prayer had been taken over by profit. The tables that were supposed to be altars had become cash registers. And so Jesus did something bold. He started flipping tables, clearing space, and reminding everyone why the temple existed in the first place.
His message was not just for them. It’s for you, too. If your life is supposed to be a temple, then prayer should be central to it. Not a last resort. Not something you do when everything else fails. Prayer should be the first move, not the backup plan. But for many of us, it’s more like a roadside emergency kit. We only pull it out when we’re broken down and have nowhere else to turn.
Think about this. Have you ever walked into a restaurant excited to order something, only to be told they are out of what they’re known for? That’s exactly what Jesus was pointing out. People were coming to the temple in need of something only God could give, but they were met with distractions and clutter. Today, people are still coming with heavy hearts, real problems, and spiritual hunger. But if prayer is not at the center, they leave without what they came for.
This isn’t just about church. This is about your life. What has taken the place of prayer? What has crowded out the space where you used to talk to God and listen for His voice? You might still be doing all the “extras”—reading, attending, posting verses—but without prayer, the power is missing.
Maybe the upgrade you’ve been asking God for is waiting on you to clear out some things that are in the way. Maybe He’s ready to pour out peace, wisdom, clarity, and strength, but there’s no space left to receive it. The tables Jesus flipped were not just furniture. They were barriers. And if you let Him, He will still flip the things in your life that are blocking you from real connection.
Make prayer your first move again. Before the next step. Before the next decision. Before anything else, go to Him. Because when prayer is at the center, everything else in your life starts to fall into place.
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