My Prayer Closet
'the Savior Himself says in Matthew 6:6, "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." The word for closet here means a chamber...generally used for storage or privacy, a spot for retirement): - secret chamber, closet, storehouse. The Lord expects us all to have a place of privacy, a spot for retirement, a secret chamber where we can meet Him.
It may be a bedroom, a corner in the den, or maybe at the kitchen table with your Bible and a cup of coffee. Somewhere, somehow, you need a prayer closet--a secret chamber where you can retire before the Lord privately. Not just any place will do, so where is your prayer closet?
As a pastor it seems like my telephone rings non-stop. That distraction can not be in my prayer closet. I love my dogs, but they bark at anyone and everyone that walks by. Another distraction that must be eliminated. Our house is open to any and all, but with frequent visitors it is just one more thing that must be eliminated from my prayer closet. I have had to choose my prayer closet carefully.
Recently I have been studying corporate prayer. One thing I am told that enhances corporate prayer is to have a designated room for prayer--a place that everyone knows that when they enter in, the business becomes prayer. This is a special place within the church that has been sanctified for the sole purpose of prayer. Likewise, my prayer closet is a place that I have set apart for nothing other than prayer.
My prayer closet has become a place that is for God and me alone. Over the years, only once have I taken another with me to this sacred place. That was my wife. I shut out the world, and it is just my God and me. The sweetest times I know are when I am in my prayer closet with Jesus.
We are told in the book of Thessalonians to "pray without ceasing." I can pray anywhere. I can pray while driving to an appointment. I can pray while I am work preparing a sermon. I can pray while I shop. And I ought to . But nothing takes the place of my prayer closet.
I invite you to come take a pictorial journey of my prayer closet--the place where I meet with the God of Heaven on a regular basis. No, it is not a room in my house, but it is a place where I can sense the presence of God like nowhere else. Honestly, some photos are too sacred to me to share, but come along with me as I proceed to the holy of holies.
