Matthew 21:12-17

   12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”
   14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read,

“‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies
you have prepared praise’?”

17 And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.

REVERENCE | Who is God?

God’s Praiseworthy Attributes: 

• Purifies the purpose of the temple -v. 12;
• Cleanses distraction and competition for our devotion -v. 12;
• Displays righteous anger -v. 12;
• Illuminates and interprets Scripture’s meaning -v. 13, 16;
• Fulfills biblical promises -v. 13;
• Owner and Lord of the temple -v.13;
• Desires to walk in relationship with all nations -v. 13;
• Shows compassion for the downtrodden and outcast -v. 14;
• Has divine power to heal -v. 14;
• worker of wonderful things -v. 15;
• worthy of shouts of praise (‘Hosanna’) -v. 15;
• Promised Messiah (‘Son of David’); Overcomes opposition -v. 16;
• Prepares praise -v. 16

Possible Prayer Prompts:

• Jesus, I shout praise to You because….
• Jesus, I cry out Hosanna because You have/are…
• Jesus, I thank you for Your wonderful work of…

RESPONSE | How Shall I Respond?

• Lord because I belong to you, I surrender the control I desire to have over…….   (v. 12, 15)
• Jesus, drive out my distractions with __________ and restore the priority of prayer in my life. (v. 12)
• Lord, enter this temple and purify my false motives in….

REQUESTS | What Should I Pray About?

For Resources:

• Jesus, I/we need your healing in/for …… (v. 14)

For Relationships:

• Jesus, help our (family, church name) become a house of prayer for the nations!  (v. 13)
• Lord, restore the place of prayer in my ________ (list areas of life you are not seeking God)  (v. 13)

READINESS | Where do I go from here?

• Jesus, help me overcome the opposition of ________ as I seek to make prayer the central activity of my life.
• Lord, this week lead me in cultivating the priority of prayer in/at __________.(list areas of influence, leadership or service).