Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.
--Isaiah 56:7
Jesus quoted this very scripture when He drove the money changers from the temple in Jerusalem (see Matthew 21:17). The temple is God's figurative dwelling place, His house, and He invites us into His house to be close to Him.
We often hear the expression "to call upon the the Lord" as a synonym for prayer. A more literal fulfillment of "calling upon God" is to pay Him a visit in His house. The modern temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are designed to help us appreciate how close we can draw to the Lord and He to us. Only a thin veil symbolically separates us from His presence. Surely in this hallowed place, made sacred by our repentance and worship, and accepted by God, we should be able to communicate freely with the Lord.
All distractions are removed; all worldly accoutrements are put away; pride, position, power, and fame are obliterated. If we are ever in a position to talk to God, it is in the temple.
And because we are in His house, we have subjected ourselves to His influence, aligned ourselves with His will, and opened ourselves to receive what He has to offer. When we approach the temple thoughtfully, with real intent and full expectations, God inclines His ear to our lips and His heart to our hearts. He is ready to answer because we have made the extra effort to prepare ourselves to listen.
The temple is a unique conduit to heaven. The expanse of the universe that separates us from God's holy throne folds in on itself at the temple, and the Father and Son are very near in these holy places. It is a privilege, honor and gift to pray in the temple.
When the temples are again open and available, may we find ourselves in those sacred precincts as our humble and joyful prayers penetrate the thinnest of veils.
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