The Lord Jesus calls every local church to become a “house of prayer for all the nations” (Mark 11:17). To become a “house of prayer for all the nations,” a local church must have at least 4 foundation stones and 12 building stones.

Last week we said the first two foundational stones were the glory of God and the advancement of Christ’s Kingdom. The last two foundational stones are the Gospel and divine desperation.

The Gospel of the Lord Jesus is ultimately all we have, and it is all we need. Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, ascension, and seating at the right hand of the Father is the basis for our justification, sanctification and glorification. The Gospel is the door we walk through into the Christian life, but it is also the path we walk every day. It is the basis for our transformation (Rom 1:16-17; 2 Cor. 3:18).

Without divine desperation we are just spinning our wheels. Every major move of God in the Bible and historically has been preceded by someone having this divine desperation. Divine desperation is an intense grief over the status quo and an intolerable burden for the glory of God in a situation or location. This divine desperation drove Abraham, David, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, the Lord Jesus, and the Apostle Paul.

Business as usual will only lead to the demise of our nation and the continued decline of the Church. We must have this divine desperation. Several individuals with an intense divine desperation for the glory of God and the advancement of Christ’s Kingdom can transform a local church into a “house of prayer for all the nations.” Prayer for these individuals is like fresh air to a person who is suffocating. It is the air they breathe!

Will you ask God for this kind of heart and will to be a catalyst to transform your church into a “house of prayer for all the nations?”