Prayer The Closet Door
Jesus said, “When you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.” — (Matthew 6:5 NKJV)
In almost every area of life, there is a persistent pressure to perform. Except, perhaps, in prayer.
There are no rules for prayer. And there is no cosmic scorecard, though you wouldn’t know it from the way some of the Pharisees in Jesus’ day prayed.
The Pharisees prayed loudly, publicly, and with the seeming intent of drawing attention to themselves. Prayer was an event to behold. It was a chance to impress. Jesus wasn’t impressed. He directly challenged the Pharisees’ grandstanding by saying, “Don’t be like the hypocrites when you pray.” Jesus was saying that prayer is not a competition.
Prayers aren’t recorded in a heavenly performance evaluation and saved for a posthumous review. Prayer is simply this: communicating with God. It is expressing your thoughts, feelings, concerns, fears, desires, hopes, and praise to God, who also happens to be the Creator of the universe. Prayer can also be an instinctive, heart feeling. It can be an unspoken yearning, a thankfulness, a gratitude, an attitude.
The idea that you can talk directly with the Creator of the universe might seem a bit imposing at first. What could you possibly say that would be important enough for God to want to listen? Hearing talented pastors or other leaders pray with intricately crafted, ornately decorated words often compound this trepidation. How could your prayers possibly compare to those works of art? They don’t have to.
Go ahead and enjoy the beautiful prayers of others but know that God isn’t looking for great oratory from you. He’s looking for honesty. If you use thee and thou in your prayers, great. And if you stutter or stumble over your words, that’s fine too. Do you close your eyes to help you focus? That’s great. Pray with eyes open? There’s nothing wrong with that. Do you kneel? That’s fine.
What’s most important in prayer is that you speak to God from your heart. Tell God what you’re thinking. Tell Him what concerns you have. What dreams you have. What you’re thankful for. Pray for yourself, your family, your friends, people you don’t know.
Pray for colleagues, teachers, pastors, politicians. Don’t be afraid to tell God what you’re feeling. And don’t forget to listen. Prayer isn’t simply a one-way street. Always include a time of quiet, a time for listening to God. What if your heart is hurting or angry or confused? Honest prayers embrace those emotions as readily as they embrace joy, thankfulness, and relief.
An honest prayer is an expression of what’s on your mind right now.
Perhaps in light of the very personal nature of honest prayer, Jesus also teaches the importance of “going to your closet to pray.”
Public prayer has its place—it’s an important part of a life of faith—but private prayer is essential. In your closet, it’s just you and God. No fancy words needed here. Your “closet” could be a quiet corner at home where you can pray or a park bench near your place of work. Maybe it’s a table at a coffee shop.
Perhaps it really is a closet.
Choose one or more places you can go that will not only afford you some privacy, but can also become a consistent and familiar praying place. Then be deliberate about going to your private place each day to pray. In that very focused time, you will get to know God and yourself better.
Your closet can also be wherever you are, within yourself. No matter where you find yourself, in whatever circumstance—standing, sitting, kneeling, flat on your back, dinging to a rock—you can silently reach God. Prayer anywhere, anytime is always an option. By being mindful of God’s presence throughout all of your day, you can develop an attitude of prayer.
That way, when you face a challenge, discover a need, or hear some great news, you can shoot off a prayer to God no matter what your surroundings.
The next time you’re back in your prayer closet, you can devote even more time to those concerns or praises. Pray boldly and often.
You won’t be marked down for awkward pauses, poor grammatical construction, or unexpected emotional outbursts. God wants to hear your prayers. He wants to hear you express the desires of your heart. He wants you to be you. And He wants to answer those prayers.
Pray often. Pray boldly. Then embrace the quiet and listen for God’s answers.
Reverend Calvin Wyatt /email: /calvincosmo30@gmail.com /calvincosmo@facebook.com.
Jesus said, “When you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.” — (Matthew 6:5 NKJV)
In almost every area of life, there is a persistent pressure to perform. Except, perhaps, in prayer.
There are no rules for prayer. And there is no cosmic scorecard, though you wouldn’t know it from the way some of the Pharisees in Jesus’ day prayed.
The Pharisees prayed loudly, publicly, and with the seeming intent of drawing attention to themselves. Prayer was an event to behold. It was a chance to impress. Jesus wasn’t impressed. He directly challenged the Pharisees’ grandstanding by saying, “Don’t be like the hypocrites when you pray.” Jesus was saying that prayer is not a competition.
Prayers aren’t recorded in a heavenly performance evaluation and saved for a posthumous review. Prayer is simply this: communicating with God. It is expressing your thoughts, feelings, concerns, fears, desires, hopes, and praise to God, who also happens to be the Creator of the universe. Prayer can also be an instinctive, heart feeling. It can be an unspoken yearning, a thankfulness, a gratitude, an attitude.
The idea that you can talk directly with the Creator of the universe might seem a bit imposing at first. What could you possibly say that would be important enough for God to want to listen? Hearing talented pastors or other leaders pray with intricately crafted, ornately decorated words often compound this trepidation. How could your prayers possibly compare to those works of art? They don’t have to.
Go ahead and enjoy the beautiful prayers of others but know that God isn’t looking for great oratory from you. He’s looking for honesty. If you use thee and thou in your prayers, great. And if you stutter or stumble over your words, that’s fine too. Do you close your eyes to help you focus? That’s great. Pray with eyes open? There’s nothing wrong with that. Do you kneel? That’s fine.
What’s most important in prayer is that you speak to God from your heart. Tell God what you’re thinking. Tell Him what concerns you have. What dreams you have. What you’re thankful for. Pray for yourself, your family, your friends, people you don’t know.
Pray for colleagues, teachers, pastors, politicians. Don’t be afraid to tell God what you’re feeling. And don’t forget to listen. Prayer isn’t simply a one-way street. Always include a time of quiet, a time for listening to God. What if your heart is hurting or angry or confused? Honest prayers embrace those emotions as readily as they embrace joy, thankfulness, and relief.
An honest prayer is an expression of what’s on your mind right now.
Perhaps in light of the very personal nature of honest prayer, Jesus also teaches the importance of “going to your closet to pray.”
Public prayer has its place—it’s an important part of a life of faith—but private prayer is essential. In your closet, it’s just you and God. No fancy words needed here. Your “closet” could be a quiet corner at home where you can pray or a park bench near your place of work. Maybe it’s a table at a coffee shop.
Perhaps it really is a closet.
Choose one or more places you can go that will not only afford you some privacy, but can also become a consistent and familiar praying place. Then be deliberate about going to your private place each day to pray. In that very focused time, you will get to know God and yourself better.
Your closet can also be wherever you are, within yourself. No matter where you find yourself, in whatever circumstance—standing, sitting, kneeling, flat on your back, dinging to a rock—you can silently reach God. Prayer anywhere, anytime is always an option. By being mindful of God’s presence throughout all of your day, you can develop an attitude of prayer.
That way, when you face a challenge, discover a need, or hear some great news, you can shoot off a prayer to God no matter what your surroundings.
The next time you’re back in your prayer closet, you can devote even more time to those concerns or praises. Pray boldly and often.
You won’t be marked down for awkward pauses, poor grammatical construction, or unexpected emotional outbursts. God wants to hear your prayers. He wants to hear you express the desires of your heart. He wants you to be you. And He wants to answer those prayers.
Pray often. Pray boldly. Then embrace the quiet and listen for God’s answers.
Reverend Calvin Wyatt /email: /calvincosmo30@gmail.com /calvincosmo@facebook.com.
EMP0WERMENT
Empowerment For Prayer
I Will...
Learn to develop an attitude of prayer. yes no
Know that prayer is simply talking with God. yes no
Desire to spend time alone in prayer every day. yes no
Know that God not only wants to listen to me but to talk to me as well. yes no
Express whatever Tm feeling in my prayer time. yes no
Be confident that my prayers are important to God. yes no
Be aware of where I can enter into prayer privately. yes no
Things to Do...
Ask God to teach you more about prayer.
Read Matthew 6:5–13 and examine what this passage says about prayer.
Choose a quiet place in your home where you can go to pray in solitude.
Ask a pastor for suggestions on how to pray.
Take a prayer break instead of one lunch break this week.
Create a prayer log that you can use to list prayer concerns or joys.
Keep your prayer log current with personal progress notes.
Things to Remember...
Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” MATTHEW 18:20 NKJV
This is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will. He hears us. 1 JOHN 5:14 NKJV
If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer. MATTHEW 21:22 NKJV
Jesus said, “Believe that you have received the things you ask for in prayer.” —Mark 11:24 NCV
Cornelius was a religious man. He and all the other people who lived in his house worshiped the true God. He gave much of his money to the poor and prayed to God often. ACTS 10:2 NCV
Each morning you listen to my prayer, as I bring my requests to you and wait for your reply.
PSALM 5:3 CEV
We can spend our time praying and serving God by preaching. ACTS 6:4 CEV
In return for my love they are my accusers, but I give myself to prayer. PSALM 109:4 NKJV
Paul wrote: I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up their hands in a holy manner, without anger and arguments. 1 TIMOTHY 2:8 NCV
He shall pray to God, and He will delight in him. He shall see His face with joy, for He restores to man His righteousness. JOB 33:26 NKJV
You, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. JUDE 20 NKJV
O God, listen to my prayer. Pay attention to my plea. PSALM 54:2 NLT
A Clarion Call:
If you have not yet received the Lord Jesus into your life, or you once received Him but backslid, make yourself available of this opportunity and pray this prayer: There is no degree of sin the Lord cannot blot out. Do not postpone, for tomorrow may be too late.
Father I come before you as a sinner (Romans 3:23)
I sincerely repent of my sins (Acts 3:19)
I believe that Jesus died and was resurrected to grant me salvation
(John 3:16)
Today, as I receive Him into my heart by faith, grant me grace,
not to go back to my old sinful ways (Proverbs 28:13)
Thank you Lord for saving me.
