Private Time with God
As I attended the Sunrise the other day, I came across quite a few people along the shore. I wasn’t sure why they were all there on that morning but it was quite a bit more than I was accustomed to at my morning ritual.
Almost everyone has a “special” place where they love to relax, engage in a favorite activity, or be at peace. In fact, some people, like me, have several. A cozy scenic view along the ocean. A snug little room in the house. But do we have a special place to meet with God and pray? A place where we can “shut the door,” knowing that no one can bother you?
I walked down to the ocean and began to kneel as I always do. Something didn’t feel right about that, as if I may be doing something wrong or “out of place” so it was time to do a little research on why I might be feeling this way.
I thought the beach was my place but it just didn’t feel right to me today. I turned to the Bible to see why and I came across this interesting verse from…
Matthew 6:6 (King James Version) – “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.”
In his teaching on prayer in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus stresses the importance of having such a place. I, with a little help from the Bible and the Internet, have come up with four reasons why he stresses a secret place: intentionality, privacy, intimacy, and integrity.
Let’s talk about them just a little further this morning.
Four Reasons to Spend Private Time with God
- Intentionality
We go places with specific purposes in mind. When we go to work, we’re there to work. When we go to the gym, we’re there to work out. So, when we go to our secret place with God, we should be there to spend time with him, and for no other reason. Going to a specific place for a specific purpose produces the type of intentionality that is sorely lacking in the lives of many Christians today.
- Privacy
The actual word that Jesus used for “closet” in Matthew 6:6 was “tameion,” and is defined in Strong’s Greek Dictionary as a secret chamber, a place where a person may retire for privacy or a place for storage (like a closet). All three of these concepts unmistakably emphasize that this place should be private and cut off from the comings and goings of the household and society. It should be a place where the world can be shut out. The reason such privacy is necessary for prayer is clear: Privacy fosters honesty, and honesty fosters relationships.
How can we pray freely and openly with God when there are others nearby, who may disturb us and listen to us pray at any moment? Having a secret meeting place with God prevents any hindrances to the unbroken communion that is essential for meaningful prayer.
- Intimacy
Intimacy comes right on the heels of privacy. Without the safety of privacy, having any depth of relationship with another person is impossible. Even when intimate friendship or relationship is developed in a group setting, it’s because of a certain privacy that surrounds the group, allowing people to bond without the encumbering presence of outsiders. There is no intimacy without privacy.
Also, the sharing of a special, secret place is an intimate act in itself. If there is a place where you meet with one person, and with nobody else, that place becomes a hallowed sanctuary for the relationship. It becomes more than a place.
The thought of sharing this space with another person for similar purposes can even seem blasphemous. Simply going to that special, secret place creates an expectation in itself. In the same way, having a special, secret place to meet with the Father creates an expectation, before we even arrive, we know that God is already there, eager to meet with us.
- Integrity (this is a big one for me)
In this part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is talking about outward righteousness and inner righteousness. He speaks of how the Pharisees pray out loud, in public, so that people will see their devotion and be impressed therefore raising the public’s opinion of them… Jesus warns us against this in…
Matthew 6:5 – “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.”
…meaning that praise from men is all they will receive for this action. God will not reward them.
Jesus, in contrast teaches his followers to “go into their closet” to pray, so that they will receive no praise from people. If no praise is received from people, then our reward is from the Father instead – a much better reward for certain!
Praying in a secret, special place removes the “trying to impress” element from prayer and leaves us naked and open before the Father in a setting where we no longer have any motivation to pray for the wrong reasons.
Obviously, we are to pray often with others as well. Jesus has also taught clearly about the power praying in agreement.“ If Jesus taught us to pray alone in secret and with others in agreement, there is obviously to be a balance of both in our Christian lives. Jesus tells us about agreeing in prayer in…
Matthew 18:19 – Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
…and reminds us again in verse 20 in the making of a church – For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.
Find Your Secret Place
This lesson about having a special, secret place to be alone with God has deepened my own prayer life in ways I never imagined. And it’s simple and practical!
When I first grasped this lesson, I realized that a little “cove” I found in the bushes along the beach would make for a perfect “prayer closet.” It’s a small, cramped little space that has no other use to any other people but me.
Now when I go there, it’s only to pray. And when I go there to pray, there is an expectation there when I arrive: God is already there, eager to meet with his beloved child.
Find that special, secret place to meet with God. It will add intentionality, privacy, intimacy, and integrity to your times of prayer, and you’ll find yourself looking forward to your meetings with our Father more and more.
Go with God, be good to one another… humble & kind… God Bless!