In Everything by Prayer

DAY 3

Knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

PRAYING ALONE IN SECRET

If our prayer life is to make progress, it is not enough merely to have a definite appointed time each day to commune with God. We must also find a place to be alone with Him. Our Lord said, "When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut the door, pray to the Father which is in secret" (Matt 6:6 ). We must make a determined effort to shut out the world with its distractions and interruptions, for the world hates the things of God (Jn 7:7 ). We cannot enter into deep and serious communion with God unless we exclude the sounds and sights of the world.

Our Lord set us the example. Even though He lived in constant and unbroken prayer fellowship with His Father, nevertheless He found it necessary at times to withdraw from the multitudes and from the hustle and bustle of life in order to be alone with God. The world and its influences are disturbing and destructive toward our communion with God. If the son of God found it necessary to be alone with God, how much more we, frail creatures of dust!

In our present state we are exposed to external influences, happenings and circumstances. We cannot avoid seeing, hearing and sensing the things that go on around us. Even our dearest (our spouse and children) they detract. Today the media intrudes into our bedrooms and living rooms. The world presses in on every hand. All these influences crowd in upon us and separate us from God. We must take appropriate remedial action to exclude anything that comes between us and God.

But, you say, modern living makes it almost impossible to find a quiet or secret place. Where there's a will, there's a way! Use the pre-dawn hour before the rest of the world gets active! Our Lord rose up a great while before the dawn and went to a solitary place to pray. Can we not get up too? At times, can we not also find a solitary place, just to be alone with God?

QUESTION: Do you think it difficult to find a solitary place? Impossible?

PRAYER: Lord, make me willing to pay the price to make my prayer life effective.