Isaiah 56:6
Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the
name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and
taketh hold of my covenant;
Gentiles could be saved in the OT. They showed their salvation by entering into God’s covenant
with Israel. They showed this by Sabbath-keeping--a sign of the covenant.
Isaiah 56:7-8
Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their
burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be
called an house of prayer for all people. The Lord God, which gathers the outcasts of Israel
saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.
God has other people beside Israel, people He will bring to salvation. God’s temple is a house
of prayer for all nations. Quoted in Mark 11 at cleansing of temple.
1 Kings 8:41-43--Solomon touches on this when he dedicated the temple
Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country
for thy name's sake; 42(For they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy
stretched out arm) when he shall come and pray toward this house; Hear thou in heaven thy
dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that all people of the
earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that
this house, which I have builded, is called by thy name.
God’s plan with Israel and the temple was that all people on earth would be attracted to Him.
Israel’s obedience was supposed to produce faith in Gentiles. Gentiles could pray and respond
to God in faith and obedience at any time. They pray toward His house, but God would hear in
heaven, thy dwelling place.
Jonah 2:5-7
2:1--Jonah prayed from the belly of the fish
The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds
were wrapped about my head. 6I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with
her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my
God. 7When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto
thee, into thine holy temple.
The earthly temple is a picture of the reality of heaven, where God dwells. All prayer goes to
God and God is in His temple. God is at the center, in the holy of holies, Jesus Christ makes
intercession as the priests do, the Holy Spirit makes intercession as the incense smelled good.
Prayer can be done anywhere at anytime by any believer. If you are not a believer you have no
access to the Temple, thus you have no ability to truly pray.
John 2:19-21
Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
20Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in
three days? 21But he spake of the temple of his body.
Jesus’ body is the temple, it is where God truly resided. We are now the temple because we
are now Christ’s Body
1 Corinthians 6:19--Believers individually are the temple of God because the Spirit dwells in
you--believers are individually “in Christ”
1 Corinthians 3:16,17--Believers collectively are the temple because the Spirit dwells in us and
all will be judged concerning what they’ve done in that collection of believers--
Romans 8:26,27--the Spirit makes intercession for us according to the will of God as we do not
know how to pray as we ought. The spirit is always with us.
1 Corinthians 14:15--Paul will pray with the Spirit and the understanding
Prayer is done in the Spirit
Ephesians 6:18
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all
perseverance and supplication for all saints;
We pray in the Spirit and the Spirit is always with us, when should we pray then?
Philippians 4:6
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your
requests be made known unto God.
Colossians 4:2
Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;
1 Thessalonians 5:17-19
Pray without ceasing. 18In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus
concerning you. 19Quench not the Spirit.
We should pray all the time. This does not mean that the Spirit prays for us so we don’t have
to. It means that the Spirit prays for us, the Spirit is always with us so always pray.