PRIVATE DEVOTIONS


A. "BUT THOU, WHEN THOU PRAYEST, ENTER INTO THY CLOSET, AND WHEN THOU HAST SHUT THY DOOR, PRAY TO THY FATHER WHICH IS IN SECRET" - Matt. 6:6
  1. It is impossible to state with exactness what the Lord means by "thy closet":
    1. It may be any place of privacy, such as your bedroom, your pantry, or even your storage room.
    2. Any place that is conducive to a measure of privacy is acceptable.
  2. It simply refers to a place:
    1. Where you are alone with God, undisturbed, unseen, unmolested, in a secluded place, away from the ears and cares of others.
    2. Our Saviour withdrew from the busy thoroughfares of the cities to a quiet and lonely, well secluded place in a mountain to commune with God - Matt. 14:23; Mark 6:46; Luke 6:12
B. WHY THE PRAYER CLOSET?
  1. There are a number of good reasons for the prayer closet:
    1. Privacy is one good reason. A place where we feel free to open our heart and life to our heavenly father with childlike frankness, crying Abba Father! - Mark 14:36; Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6
    2. Things confidential. There are burdens, problems, which no other mortal, not even our loved ones, could understand; these we must bring to our heavenly Father, who can and will keep them secret.
  2. Our Lord understands this need and He suggests a means for it -- the prayer closet:
    1. When He says, "enter into thy closet"
    2. It implies, of course, that you are not there.
    3. But that you habitually go there for the purpose of secret prayer.
    4. You shut the door behind you; that means that all else is shut out, and you are shut in with the Lord; you with Him, and He with you.
    5. What a wonderful condescension on the part of God, to seclude Himself with a poor mortal, like I am, and commune with me!
C. PREPARATION FOR OUR PRIVATE DEVOTIONS
  1. One does not enter such a private prayer closet without some preparation; a consideration of that private audience with the King of kings, and Lord of lords:
    1. But we must keep in mind that we are not meeting with the Sovereign of the universe, but with our heavenly Father, who loves us!
    2. Let it be a prayer, not of a subject to a great King, though that be true, but to our heavenly Father, who loves to commune with His children.
  2. Make sure that you unburden your heart, bringing to your Father things that you feel He and He alone should know and solve for you:
    1. Keep in mind that you are not alone; the Holy Spirit is there too, to aid you in your petition - Rom. 8:26
    2. Also, that you have an advocate with your heavenly Father, Jesus Christ our Lord, who will plead His own righteousness when you appear before God.
  3. There are, as we all know, two sides to prayer:
    1. Man's part. We are invited to come to God in prayer, tell Him what is upon our hearts, and He will listen to every word we say.
    2. But there is another part to prayer which we too often forget -- GOD'S PART.
      1. When you see your physician, you do not do all the talking, you expect to listen to your physician too. So when you have opened your heart to God, it is only right that you open your ear to what the Lord has to say to you.
      2. "Open thou mine ear" is a good part of an acceptable prayer.
      3. Listening to God in prayer is as important as to speak to God, and it may be more important.
      4. Have you ever heard the Lord speak to you in the quiet of the night, or in the prayer closet?
      5. Did you do what He wanted you to do?
      6. Oh how we need to have grace to listen to God even more than speak to Him!


    Design © John Bryant 2011