Jesus upturned the tables,
And drove the merchants away.
They came to buy and sell,
And entered not to pray.

His house of prayer was defiled,
Made into a den of thieves.
All who come without worshipping,
Without blessings, leaves.
(Isa. 56:7,Matt. 21:13)

I wonder if Jesus came to our assembly,
And beside you, took His chair,
Would He find your worship right?
Would He find His house of prayer?
(Acts 2:42)

Perhaps you would feel uncomfortable,
And anxious for the last "Amen",
But as you got into your car,
Next to you, He sat again.

"I’m going to your house," He said,
"To see the love and care,
That thrives in every Christian home,
It too is a house of prayer."
(Josh. 24:15)

But after seeing your family,
You might feel He’ll now depart,
But no, there’s one more place to visit,
Jesus needs to look into your heart.

Not all our service is seen without,
How holy are the thoughts we bear?
Our mind is renewed when we obey,
It too is a house of prayer.
(II Cor. 10:5, Rom. 12:1-2)

Jesus was outraged at the merchants,
He threw into them quite a scare,
But in our assembly, home, and heart,
May He always find a house of prayer.

It’s amazing how much we try to departmentalize our lives. When we are at the church’s building we are religious, at the office we are all business, and at home we are just being ourselves. We try not to let one function merge into another’s area. We’ve read about marriage problems that come when the husband brings his work home. We know how quickly an employee gets reprimanded if he or she starts to bring family problems into the office. And so, why should it surprise anyone to see Christians who leave their religion at the building?

This poem should help us realize that Christ dominates all areas of the Christian’s life. We are told in the Bible how to be a good father, husband, son, and employee. We are not truly Christians if we leave our faith at the building. Everything we do is to the glory of God. We confess Jesus’ control of our lives with every word and action in every setting we find ourselves.

I have known preachers who have lost their families as they over committed themselves to meetings, debates, and the writing of books. They felt they were doing God’s work. Two of the most important assignments God has given us, men, is to love our wives and to bring our children up in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord. Consider the teachings of Eph. 5:22-6:9, Col. 3:17-4:1, I Pet. 2:13-18, 3:1-7, and Titus 2.

With all our efforts to separate, we still see the job and home blending together. This can hurt you, but allowing your faith to dominate all these areas is expected, required, and beneficial.