Stay IN the Closet!!

 

 

No, I'm not talking about the one that you're probably thinking of! I mean your PRAYER CLOSET! "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."

 

Prayer is a vital part of our Christian walk. We need to pray daily. Too often this is the first thing that we let slip in our lives. Jesus had a lot to say about it as well, and made sure He spent time in prayer (Luke 5:16 & John 17.)Just as He is our example for all things, we should follow in His footsteps of prayer as well.

 

First, WE HAVE TO HAVE A PRAYER CLOSET, or a set time of prayer. We should "Pray without ceasing." I Thessalonians 5:17. Does this mean that we should sit and pray and do nothing else? No. The apostle Paul meant that we should be continually in an attitude of prayer. Of course we have our daily lives to live, and would not be able to sit all day long in just prayer itself, but we HAVE TO PRAY in order to do these things! We should start our day out with prayer. "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are NEW EVERY MORNING: great is thy faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22&23. We should thank Him every morning that His compassion doesn't fail and that He woke us up, and gave us another day! We need to know what He will have for us to do during the day ,to work for Him, and the path we should take. How can we know this if we do not talk with our Lord to get His thoughts or help for us? Can a soldier go into the battle not knowing the battle plan, and orders from the Captain Himself (Hebrews.2:10)? Even if it is just a few moments to kneel and pray before going to work or school, we need to thank Him and ask for His help and guidance through the day. Then, as situations arise throughout the day, we can "continue INSTANT in prayer" (Romans 12:12.) We can quickly pray for our next step. Prayer is not about quantity, but QUALITY! Jesus wants us to pray out of a sincere heart!

 

 Secondly, we need to pray for others, and let them know that we are praying for them. "Bear ye one another's burdens..." Galatians 6:2 , "Confess your faults one to another, and PRAY ONE FOR ANOTHER, that ye may be healed. The effectual FERVENT PRAYER of a righteous man availeth much!" James 5:16. The Lord Jesus did this as well. He told Peter , "But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not:" Luke 22:32. What an encouragement to be told that the Lord Himself was praying for you! Well, Peter is not the only one that Jesus has prayed for-HE IS PRAYING FOR YOU AND ME, EVEN AS WE READ THIS! AMEN! What a comfort to know that our Saviour Himself is at the right-hand of God the Father praying, and making intercession for us! (Hebrews 7:25 & 26). He is in the presence of God FOR US RIGHT NOW! (Hebrews 9:24). Just as He let us know HE LOVES US, and is praying for us, we should give this encouragement to brothers and sisters in the Lord as well. But, not to just the heirs of faith, but the lost as well! Pray for their salvation and let them know that you are praying for them! "But I say unto you. Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and PRAY FOR THEM which despitefully use you, and persecute you;" (Matthew 6:44). Jesus did the same in the garden when He prayed "Neither PRAY I for these alone, but them also which SHALL BELIEVE on me through their word." John 17:20.

 

 

Lastly, we should BELIEVE when we pray! We must have faith in our Lord to hear our prayer and anwer them when we make our requests! "But without FAITH it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." Hebrews 11:6. If we don't believe that God can and will supply what we are asking of Him, we probably won't have the faith to open the door of blessing when He gives it to us! It is true that God will bless us INSPITE OF OURSELVES-"If we believe not, YET HE ABIDETH FAITHFUL: He cannot deny Himself." II Timothy 2:13. But, He wants us to do so in FAITH! Acts 12 gives us the account of Peter being thrown into prison, and the church without prayed "without ceasing" for him. The Lord sent an angel in the night and freed him. He left the prison and went to the house of Mary, John Mark's mother,"where many were gathered together praying." vs.12 Peter knocked on the door, and a young girl named Rhoda came to the door. When she recognized his voice, she was so excited that she didn't open the door! When she told the others, they told her she was CRAZY! She "constantly" told them it was so! "But Peter CONTINUED KNOCKING; and when THEY had OPENED THE DOOR, and saw him, THEY WERE ASTONISHED! vs.16. When the answer they were praying for came to their door, they didn't see or hear it! When the one that did hear it told them, they still didn't believe. How many times do we do the same thing! We can't see the answer of blessing for the obstacle! When others try to help us see it, we still deny it! But, Praise the Lord that just as Peter continued to knock, Jesus does too! "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice, and OPEN THE DOOR, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me!" Revelation 3:21. We will be astonished at His grace and blessings to us as well if we have the FAITH to open His door of blessing!

 

May the Lord help us to stay in His closet of prayer. May we pray without ceasing for His guidance, pray one for another and the lost, and have faith to open His door of blessing! Until He knocks on the closet door for us to open it, STAY IN THE CLOSET!