Praying In The Secret Place - Bliss & Fire Network Weekly Digest - June 14, 2011

Praying In The Secret Place

“And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 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.” - Matthew 6:5-6

EXPLORATION

It is important to have personal, quiet communion with God. It helps personal devotion and consecration. Christ lived like that for us to follow.

The Bible says: "And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed" - Mark 1:35 “And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.” - Mark 6:46

(Luke 5:16; 6:12, 22:41- 44, John 18:1-2)

"And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God." - 1 Samuel 2:1-2

Reading the following passages – 2 Kings 6:17-18, Jonah 4:1-3, Luke 18:11-13, Acts 1:24-25. We can see that those who were said to have prayed talked to God either asking Him to help them in the time of need or thanking and praising Him for what He had already done for them. Therefore, prayer means talking with God.

INSPIRATION

The place for meaningful and true secret prayer is our heart – the innermost closet (chamber) where the Holy Spirit dwells in. Here, in secrecy and solitude we talk with the Lord or say our prayers unseen by men or heard by any except our Father God which sees all things in secret. A person may be away from home, traveling, or among strangers but still carries his innermost chamber – his heart (mind) – with him. He can always open the door of his heart, enter and shut it and remain there in quiet and secret prayer to God.

As we are in Christ when we pray, the Holy Spirit gives us the assurance of answer to our prayer and so, our heart is at peace. The Bible says: "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." -John 14:26-2. (John 16:33, Romans 5:1, Philippians 4:7)

The heart of a sinner is different because Christ is not there. So Isaiah spoke concerning that, he says it is “…like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.” - Isaiah 57:20. And he says: "There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked." - Isaiah 48:22 (Isaiah 59:8). The heart of the sinner does not offer him a quiet resort for personal and secret communion with God. This is largely responsible for vain repetition because there is no assurance of answer to prayer. The truth is that even before we pray, God already knows what we desire.

“For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.”- Matthew 6:32. So, making any public show of prayer is uncalled for.

Jesus further said to his disciples “therefore I say unto you, what things soever you desire, when ye pray, believe that you receive them and you shall have them.” -Mark 11:24

Beloved! God is ever ready to hear and to attend to the wellbeing of HIS children, sons and daughters but iniquities has separate many people from God. The Bible says: “…God is angry with the wicked everyday.” - Psalm 7:11. “Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” - Isaiah 59:1-2. (Psalm 66:18).

“Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.” - John 9:31.

This week: We have to understand that the only prayer God can first hear from a sinner is the prayer of repentance. That is asking in prayer for forgiveness from dead works. If you know there is a sin in your life that hinders your prayer, you can be saved from it. Only receive Jesus Christ into your life as Lord and Savior.

The Bible says: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." -Romans 10:9-10. (Ephesians 2:13-18, John 14:6, 1 John. 2:1 – 2, 1 Peter 3:18)

Beloved! If you have Jesus Christ in your life you should be assured that God answers prayer. So you should have no cause for doubt or vain repetition. Just pray with a focus of heart on God and not to be seen by men. Therefore, whether he prays aloud or silently, in private or public, it does not really matter because your heart is fixed on God.

Having a burden in your heart and wanting to pray through may require repeating one prayer point. This is not out of place for as long as there is no intention to show off as a prayer giant. (Matthew 26:36-46, Luke 18:1-8)

Remember the Bible says: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:” - Romans 5:1

"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." - 1 John 2:1-2

You are blessed, we love you!

Pastor Wales Goriola

Bliss & Fire Network Team

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