Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha
Mary the mother of John Mark remains a woman of
unrivaled beauty to me. Why, you may ask? She made available her home a place
of prayer. Please see Acts Chapter 12. Many women whether believers or
unbelievers make available their homes for unprofitable time wasting activities
such as gossiping, sexual immorality as in the case of Potiphar’s wife, centers of cannibalism as in the case of the
foolish woman who agreed to kill her son for food and later regretted it
because the person who urged her to do so refused to kill her own child; dens
for trafficking and other forms of criminal activities.
A prayer meeting can be held in any home that is
made available for such a purpose and God will honor the prayers prayed in that
home irrespective of the size, grandeur, opulence or insignificance and
plainness. What is significant is the desire of the owners of the home to use
their home as an altar of prayer to God; the hearts and the willingness of the
people to pray. God is faithful and will always be present where two or three
are gathered together in His name (Matthew Chapter 18 verse 20).
Apart from Mary, a number of other women in the
Bible made their homes available to the Lord. The widow of Zarephath provided
shelter and food to Elijah the prophet, the woman of Shunem did same for Elisha
the prophet, Lydia opened up her home to the Apostle Paul (1st Kings
Chapter 17 verses 9 to 16, 2nd Kings Chapter 4 verses 8 to 11, Acts
Chapter 16 verses 14 to 15, 40.
The home of the prophetess Anna was a house of
prayer. Though the Bible does not record that people gathered in her house to
pray; the Bible however records that she served God with fasting and prayers,
night and day. Please see Luke Chapter 2 verses 36 to 37. While the days were
spent in the temple, the nights were spent in her home, not sleeping the sleep
of death, but fasting and praying for kingdom purposes. Her home was an altar
for God, God’s house of prayer.
Huldah the prophetess used her home as a place of
ministry. The people of Judah came to inquire of the Lord from her house (2nd
Kings Chapter 22 verses 14 to 20, 2nd Chronicles Chapter 34 verses
22 to 33.
Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram and
granddaughter of Jehoshaphat, wife to Jehoiada the priest used her home for
divine purposes by hiding one of the sons of her late brother King Ahaziah
whose mother Athaliah went on a killing spree of the King’s sons when she saw
that her son was dead/ Jehoshabeath and her husband, Jehoiada the priest
successfully hid Joash for six years in the house of God.
When Joash was seven, Jehoiada the priest mobilized
the Levites and all Judah to end the evil reign of Athaliah. Joash was ordained
King. While Jehoiada lived and counseled Joash, the Bible records that Joash
and all Judah served the Lord. But after the death of Jehoiada, Joash turned his
ears to the leaders of Judah and they began to serve idols. When challenged by Zechariah,
the son of Jehoiada, the people and the king killed him. Unfortunately, Joash
and his great army were slain by a small company of the Syrian army because God
judged their actions (2nd Chronicles Chapters 22 verses 10 to 12, 23
verses 1 to the end and 24 verses 1 to the end).
Beloved, home prayer cells are strategic to the
healing of the nations as evidenced by the story of Joash and the Judeans. As long
as Jehoiada and his family of priests and Levites guided him aright, Joash and
the people served God. But as soon as Jehoiada was out of the picture, idolatry
was practiced and disaster came.
In like manner, as long as home prayer cells uphold
the nations and the people of the nations in prayer, the hearts of the people will
be turned to God and righteousness will reign in the land. God will then exalt
and protect the nations and the people of the nations. Please, enlist in this
great army to accomplish divine purposes for yourself, family, the Church and
the nations. Thank you and God bless. Shalom.
Email:
olivesfamily@yahoo.com
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