House of God: A Place of Prayer
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The term "House of God" refers to a sacred space designated for worship, prayer, and communion with the Divine. Throughout the Bible, the concept of the House of God evolves, yet it consistently remains a central place for prayer and spiritual connection.

Old Testament Foundations

In the Old Testament, the House of God is initially represented by the Tabernacle, a portable sanctuary used by the Israelites during their wilderness journey. God instructed Moses to build the Tabernacle as a dwelling place for His presence among His people (Exodus 25:8-9). The Tabernacle served as a focal point for worship and prayer, where the Israelites could offer sacrifices and seek God's guidance.

Later, the Temple in Jerusalem, built by King Solomon, became the permanent House of God. Solomon's Temple was a magnificent structure, symbolizing God's enduring presence with His people. In 1 Kings 8:29, Solomon prays, "May Your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which You have said, 'My Name shall be there,' so that You will hear the prayer Your servant prays toward this place." The Temple was a place where the Israelites gathered for prayer, especially during significant feasts and festivals.

New Testament Revelation

In the New Testament, the concept of the House of God expands beyond a physical building. Jesus Christ, during His earthly ministry, emphasized the importance of prayer within the House of God. In Matthew 21:13, He declares, "It is written, 'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it a den of robbers." Here, Jesus underscores the primary purpose of the House of God as a place dedicated to prayer and communion with God.

With the coming of Christ, the understanding of the House of God transitions from a physical temple to a spiritual reality. Believers themselves become the temple of the Holy Spirit, as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:16, "Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?" This indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit transforms the believer's heart into a personal House of God, a place where prayer and worship occur continually.

The Church as the House of God

The early Christian community gathered in homes and other meeting places, forming the ecclesia, or church, which became the new expression of the House of God. In 1 Timothy 3:15, Paul refers to the church as "the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth." The church, as the collective body of believers, serves as a communal House of God where prayer, teaching, and fellowship occur.

Throughout Christian history, church buildings have been constructed as dedicated spaces for worship and prayer, continuing the tradition of the House of God as a place of prayer. These sacred spaces provide believers with a communal environment to seek God, intercede for others, and experience His presence.

Eternal Perspective

The ultimate fulfillment of the House of God is found in the eschatological vision of the New Jerusalem, where God will dwell with His people eternally. Revelation 21:3 proclaims, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God." In this eternal state, the House of God transcends any earthly structure, as God's presence will be fully realized among His people, and prayer will be an unceasing reality.
Nave's Topical Index
Matthew 21:13
And said to them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves.
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Mark 11:17
And he taught, saying to them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but you have made it a den of thieves.
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Luke 19:46
Saying to them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but you have made it a den of thieves.
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Library

The Magnificence of Prayer
... The secret place of God; and His people, is not a thing of ... God in, but to shut all
that is not of God out ... He builds a house for God, before he has as yet built ...
/.../whyte/lord teach us to pray/i the magnificence of prayer.htm

The Church, the Place of Worship
... As "God's house," all of His children have a rightful place there. ... the church should
be open every day and all day for private prayer and meditation. ...
/.../regester/the worship of the church/the church the place of.htm

Prayer and Devotion
... We visit the house of God just as if it were a common place, on a ... We look upon the
minister of God not as the divinely-called man of God, but merely as a ...
/.../bounds/the essentials of prayer/iii prayer and devotion.htm

Praying Saints of the Old Testaments (Continued)
... glory of the Lord filled the house," thus God attested the acceptance of this house
of worship ... mind, and they will see how great a place prayer occupied in ...
/.../bounds/prayer and praying men/ii praying saints of the.htm

How Bishop Cedd, Having a Place for Building a Monastery Given Him ...
... to God, who, being a priest, was wont to administer to him and his house the Word
and ... But the man of God, desiring first to cleanse the place which he ...
/.../bede/bedes ecclesiastical history of england/chap xxiii how bishop cedd.htm

In God's Name I Beseech You Let Prayer Nourish Your Soul as Your ...
... temples and have striven and exhausted themselves to please God by all ... the earth
is My footstool: where is the house that ye ... and where is the place of My rest? ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bounds/purpose in prayer/chapter viii in gods name.htm

God Has Everything to do with Prayer
... "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the ... this qualification and condition: "Thus
saith the Lord God: I will ... for this be inquired of by the house of Israel ...
/.../bounds/the reality of prayer/iv god has everything to.htm

Prayer --A Privilege, Princely, Sacred
... To be loose in time and place is to open the door to Satan ... Prayer, by God's very
oath, is put in the very stones of God's foundations, as ... "For my house shall be ...
/.../bounds/the reality of prayer/i prayera privilege princely sacred.htm

Praying Saints of the Old Testaments
... wealth, and he resolved to leave that place and return ... to him, "Return to thy father's
house and to ... thee." In this dire emergency doubtless God's promise and ...
/.../bounds/prayer and praying men/i praying saints of the.htm

The Doctrines of Salvation A. Repentance. B. Faith. C. ...
... 22, RV""Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holy place by the ...
say, his flesh; and having a great priest over the house of God; let us ...
/.../evans/the great doctrines of the bible/the doctrines of salvation a.htm

Resources
What is a house blessing? Is a house blessing biblical? | GotQuestions.org

What is the House of Yahweh? | GotQuestions.org

Is a house dedication a biblical concept? | GotQuestions.org

House: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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House

House Blessing

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House of Asuppim

House of God

House of God: A Place of Prayer

House of God: Holy

House used for Worship

House Warming

House: "A Man's Castle"

House: Architecture of Altars On

House: Architecture of Battlements Required in Mosaic Law

House: Architecture of Booths On

House: Architecture of Ceiled and Plastered

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House: Architecture of Prayer On

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House: Architecture of Used As Dwelling Place

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House: Figurative

Related Terms

Treasure-house (6 Occurrences)

Banqueting-house (1 Occurrence)

Store-house (23 Occurrences)

Prison-house (29 Occurrences)

Tower-house (6 Occurrences)

Round-house (6 Occurrences)

Summer-house (4 Occurrences)

Winter-house (2 Occurrences)

Royal-house (1 Occurrence)

Shearing-house (2 Occurrences)

Inner-house (2 Occurrences)

Garden-house (1 Occurrence)

Draught-house (1 Occurrence)

Cattle-house (2 Occurrences)

Idol-house (1 Occurrence)

Fowl-house (1 Occurrence)

Dwelling-house (1 Occurrence)

Dungeon-house (1 Occurrence)

Side-chambers (10 Occurrences)

Supervise (8 Occurrences)

Site (19 Occurrences)

Side-rooms (7 Occurrences)

Shields (44 Occurrences)

Spaces (15 Occurrences)

Vestibule (36 Occurrences)

Stairway (12 Occurrences)

Supports (25 Occurrences)

Showbread (18 Occurrences)

Show-bread (15 Occurrences)

Squares (25 Occurrences)

Ziba (13 Occurrences)

Supporting (31 Occurrences)

Sheweth (34 Occurrences)

Secretary (34 Occurrences)

Votive (13 Occurrences)

Knives (12 Occurrences)

Side-structure (3 Occurrences)

Summerhouse

Son-in-law (14 Occurrences)

Spades (9 Occurrences)

Speedily (38 Occurrences)

Zerub'babel (23 Occurrences)

Shaphan (26 Occurrences)

Quarters (17 Occurrences)

Smashed (22 Occurrences)

Sheshbazzar (4 Occurrences)

Scissors (5 Occurrences)

Successive (4 Occurrences)

Spoons (11 Occurrences)

Snuffers (8 Occurrences)

Suffered (88 Occurrences)

Separately (7 Occurrences)

Shearing (6 Occurrences)

Squared (6 Occurrences)

Side-chamber (4 Occurrences)

Shrine (34 Occurrences)

Soever (24 Occurrences)

Valued (27 Occurrences)

Quantity (18 Occurrences)

Singers (41 Occurrences)

Section (22 Occurrences)

Seemeth (36 Occurrences)

Zimri (16 Occurrences)

Surrounded (51 Occurrences)

Supported (43 Occurrences)

Shutting (43 Occurrences)

Vine-garden (43 Occurrences)

Quarried (3 Occurrences)

Quality (14 Occurrences)

Quarantine (3 Occurrences)

Queen's (3 Occurrences)

Quarrelsome (9 Occurrences)

Zacchaeus (3 Occurrences)

Zebadiah (9 Occurrences)

Kinsman (29 Occurrences)

Several (40 Occurrences)

Sojourners (37 Occurrences)

Successfully (4 Occurrences)

Shovels (9 Occurrences)

House of God in Shiloh
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