Solitude
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 6:6
Read Matthew 6:5-8
In the verses we are considering, the Lord Jesus taught about prayer. He instructed the disciples to enter their inner chamber to pray. By doing this, He denounced the custom of the Pharisees who recited lengthy, impressive prayers while standing in the synagogue or on street corners. This was nothing more than a show to be seen and honoured by men.
Prayer should be something personal, between God and the individual. The Lord Jesus recommends the ‘inner closet’, the private room, as the place to pray. In Bible times, this was a special room in a home where intercessory prayer could be made. It was separate from all the other rooms to avoid being disturbed. Prayer requires solitude and quietness.
Do you ever seek such a place to be alone with God? You are available to many people throughout the course of the day, but are you accessible to God? Do you shut off your cell phone when you pray? At this particular moment you are reading this meditation, but do you also prayerfully read God’s Word and plead for His mercy? Take time to do this!
In our passage, the Lord Jesus says that His Father regards those who pray in secret. Therefore, do not only seek to have contact with your friends. Before anything else, seek contact with the Lord for He has attached a promise to this activity: Those that seek Him shall find Him. Those who ask for His grace will receive it; for those who knock, the door shall be opened unto them.
Thought: What does a time of solitude mean for you? What difficulties confront
you during those times?
Psalter 351: 1 (based on Psalm 123) To Thee, O Lord, I lift my eyes, O Thou enthroned above the skies; As servants watch their master’s hand, Or maidens by their mistress stand, So to the Lord our eyes we raise, Until His mercy He displays. To Thee, O Lord, I lift my eyes, O Thou enthroned above the skies.