Session 1 – What is Temple Prayer & Where is it in the Bible?

Temple Prayer Session 1

Derek: We welcome all of you. Today is our orientation day, and we’re going to share our testimony about Temple Prayer.
We moved out here in 2001. The Lord led us in a very clear way. I was a lifelong California resident—forty years there. I graduated from UC Davis and had built a career in video and digital marketing. But as Y2K approached, God got hold of our hearts to move to Colorado Springs, and He did it in dramatic ways.

Someone invited me out here to do some video work. I had a meeting at Cracker Barrel—right across the street. That was my first time in Colorado Springs. While checking out, I saw some porcelain bride dolls and thought, “I’ll get these for Bailey and Holly.” As the clerk rang them up, the Lord spoke to me and said, “Your daughters will be married in Colorado.” It startled me because we had no plans to move here.

Later that same day, the man I was meeting took me to see the World Prayer Center, which was still under construction. As we walked through the unfinished building, the Lord spoke again: “You’ll have an office here one day.” I went home and told Marie. She said, “Maybe God’s leading us to move there someday.”

A couple of years later, I was at a men’s retreat at the Billy Graham Cove in North Carolina. During prayer, I noticed a man praying with great authority. I asked who he was, and someone said, “That’s West Tullis, director of the World Prayer Center in Colorado Springs.” I introduced myself, and we hit it off. He invited me to visit. When I came, the Center was finished on the New Life Church campus.

As I boarded the plane, Marie said, “See if there’s homeschooling there—and ballet, the girls love ballet.” When I arrived, West met me in the parking lot and said, “Come in—we’re hosting a homeschool convention right now.” I walked in—and there were ballerinas on stage! I thought, God is up to something. West showed me around and said, “When you move here, that will be your office.” Every word God spoke was being confirmed.

So in 2001, right after 9/11, Marie and I packed up, said goodbye to our families, and moved here like missionaries. We lived in the World Prayer Center for six months. I had closed a successful business and didn’t know what was next, so I volunteered doing media work. I joined West’s men’s group and told him one day that I liked to pray but could only last five or ten minutes. He handed me a small booklet called Tabernacle Prayer by Pastor Yonggi Cho. I started reading and praying through it, and soon Marie noticed my attitude changing—more love, more patience. She joined me, and everything deepened.

Marie: My first reaction was, “Okay, another thing to memorize—more rules.” But as we began to pray it together, I realized it wasn’t legalistic at all. It was freeing. God began healing my heart in ways I didn’t even know I needed. Growing up as a pastor’s kid, I carried baggage—expectations, fears, and pressure to be perfect. But as we prayed, it felt like fertilizer in my garden—things started to blossom inside me.

There were times I felt like a waterfall of God’s love was washing over me—deep cleansing, deep healing. Our marriage was already good, but this deepened it. Prayer together became the most intimate thing a husband and wife can do. Any “junk” that builds up gets washed away when you pray together. It’s like God keeps the grass mowed low—you can’t hide weeds when you pray daily.

We’ve learned that if we don’t pray, we have less grace and margin for life. But this pattern has been a beautiful, holy, and anointed way of coming into the Lord’s presence.

Derek: That’s so true. God brought us together miraculously, but praying together like this has made our marriage even stronger. We always tell couples—no matter how long you’ve been married—pray together. It’s the most intimate thing you can do.

And for singles—this pattern is just as powerful. It helps you become the person God wants you to be, to walk deeply with Him. Because in the end, each of us stands before God alone. We’re each responsible for our relationship with Christ—not our church attendance, not our activities—our personal walk with Him.

When I say the word worship, what comes to your mind? People usually say praise, adoration, or intimacy—and that’s all true. But worship is also something God teaches us how to do. He gave a pattern early on in Scripture—a divine order that’s carried from heaven through the Old Testament, fulfilled in Jesus, and continuing into eternity. There’s even a future temple in Jerusalem where Jesus will reign during the Millennial Kingdom.

The original temple existed in heaven before creation. Moses saw its pattern on Mount Sinai and was told to build a portable tabernacle exactly as shown. God dwelt among His people there. Later, David prepared everything for the first permanent temple, which Solomon built in Jerusalem.

God gave both Moses and David the same pattern and promised to dwell among His people if they obeyed His commands. When Solomon dedicated the temple, God said, “If my people, who are called by my name, humble themselves and pray…”—that famous verse came directly from that dedication moment.

After Solomon, Herod’s temple stood during Jesus’ lifetime. Jesus was presented there as a baby, visited at age twelve, and later cleansed it with righteous anger, driving out the money changers. His zeal for His Father’s house consumed Him. He also said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up,” referring to His body.

At His crucifixion, the temple veil was torn from top to bottom—symbolizing that God’s presence was no longer confined to a building. Jesus became the eternal High Priest, entering the heavenly temple with His own blood, securing our redemption forever. He now intercedes for us as our Great High Priest. Through Him, we have become a royal priesthood—sons and daughters of the King with direct access to God.

Bailey: I grew up watching my parents pray together every morning. As a teenager, I realized I couldn’t just live off their faith—I needed my own relationship with God. Around fourteen, I decided to take my walk seriously. I started spending time every day in prayer, using this pattern. It taught me how to pray for long stretches—how to intercede, not just list requests.

It became the foundation of my faith. I learned how to pray Scripture back to God and how to let the Holy Spirit guide my prayers. That time alone with the Lord changed everything for me—it’s still how I pray today with my husband. Some people think this kind of prayer sounds too structured or “religious,” but for me it’s freeing, not restrictive.

It’s the way heaven communes with God. There’s a temple in heaven, and now our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. This pattern didn’t end with the Old Testament—it’s still relevant today. Learning to internalize it and pray through it has been one of the greatest blessings in my life.

Derek: We’ve also seen miracles through it. Marie was diagnosed with a brain tumor that destroyed her ability to ovulate. Doctors told us it was impossible for us to have more children. Yet after months of praying the Tabernacle Prayer together, Marie felt movement in her womb one night. We discovered she was six months pregnant. Our son DJ was born—our miracle boy. God did what doctors said was impossible.

Pastor Yonggi Cho, who first taught this pattern, built the world’s largest church in South Korea through prayer. His testimony includes miraculous healings and even raising his own son from the dead. When he taught Temple Prayer at a conference years ago, we recorded it so others could learn. His simple message was: “You want to be successful? Learn Temple Prayer.”

Over the years, we’ve learned that this way of worship unlocks the heart. The Holy Spirit uses it to heal, teach, and empower. When we follow God’s pattern, He meets us deeply—ministering to our emotions, relationships, finances, and purpose. It’s not mechanical—it’s relational.

We are temples of the Holy Spirit. As we honor the pattern, God reveals Himself more fully. We’ve experienced it personally and seen others blessed beyond imagination.

Marie: This isn’t about checking off a list. It’s about intimacy with God. When we come before Him with open hearts, following His ways, He fills us, heals us, and changes us from the inside out.

I’ve learned that prayer isn’t about performance—it’s about presence. And when you learn to dwell in His presence, everything else in life begins to align.

Derek: Amen to that. Our prayer is that you experience the same. May the Holy Spirit teach you, open your heart, and fill you with His presence as you learn to approach God His way.

Let’s close in prayer.

Derek (prayer): Heavenly Father, thank You for this first class on Temple Prayer. Thank You for what You’ve placed in us and in so many others through Your Spirit. Lord Jesus, teach us to love You more deeply and respond to Your love with open hearts. Bless each person here and their families. Prepare our minds and hearts to hear from You. Cut through the noise of our lives, and draw us near to You.

Marie (prayer): Holy Spirit, go deep into every heart here. Show each person how much You love them and how You want to walk through life with them. We ask for Your anointing on this class—not our words, but Your power—minister to each one through this teaching. We thank You for what You’re about to do. In Jesus’ name, amen.