[1] Can’t remember where
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Prayer Closet
Text: Matthew 6:6 (KJV)
“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.”
Prelim
My topic for this sermon is “prayer.” Since the subject is nearly
inexhaustible I won’t even begin to cover it here. I will touch on two very
important points. The first one is: Don’t expect answers from God for needs you
don’t pray about. If you want God’s help, tell Him about it. And remind Him of
Bible promises you can claim. The second one is: Many of God’s promises are
conditional. Before you attempt to claim one of them, be sure you meet the
conditions associated with it. I won’t enumerate all of the various conditions.
That exercise would require a sermon all it’s own. I will mention a few.
Get with it
If you are like most Christians, you don’t spend nearly enough time in
prayer. Besides that, much of your prayer effort may be misdirected. Too much
of our praying (yours and mine) concerns fighting life’s brush fires - when we
should be trying to establish and maintain meaningful relationships with our
Lord.
It’s all right, of course, to call on God when you need His help in
one-way or another. It isn’t right to ignore Him when things seem to be going
well. It may not be easy; to escape the distractions of the world in order to
commune with our heavenly Father as much as we should, but the exercise
produces satisfaction for Him as well as for us. He made us for fellowship with Himself. (1st John 1:3).
He “inhabit(s) the
praises of” His people. (Psalm 22:3). And “the
prayer of the upright is his delight.” (Proverbs
15:8).
Our example
Jesus prayed often while He lived with His Disciples,
both as an example for them and for personal fellowship with His Heavenly
Father. Eventually His commitment impressed them: “And
it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one
of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his
disciples.” (Luke 11:1). Luke 11:2-4 records Jesus response to
that request. However, since Matthew added information Luke omitted, let’s look
at Matthew’s account.
Matthew 6:5-13: And when you pray,
you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the
synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men.
Assuredly, I say unto you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go
into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in
the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
But when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they
think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like
them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In
this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your
kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our
daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And lead us
not into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom
and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Introduction
Effective Christian prayer might require either
seclusion or a particular bodily posture at times. It always
involves an appropriate attitude of the heart. Jesus described a good attitude,
one of submission to God, when He said, “Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be
done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Note! Effective Christian prayer usually does not include
frivolous requests from persons with no reason to expect God’s favor. Effective
Christian prayer involves legitimate petitions God hears and answers for those
who “ask in faith with
no doubting.” (James 1:6) Look at that verse in context: (James 1:5-8). “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him
ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be
given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is
like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man
suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man,
unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:5-8).
Our
sovereign God
Unless you have been born
again through the blood of Jesus you have little right to expect God to respond
favorably to your petitions. In fact, the only prayer God is obligated to
answer for lost sinners is a request for the salvation Jesus bought for men at
Calvary.
God is sovereign. He can answer any prayer, from anyone, on any subject, any time as He chooses. However, being on good terms with Him improves our chances considerably. James 5:16 says as much in these words: “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
1. We must
begin with faith: “But
without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must
believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek
Him.” (Hebrews 11:6).
2. We can
receive the reward only through Christ. “For by
grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the
gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Righteousness, (right standing with God) comes to men
along with salvation. God “made Him
to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of
God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21). That
does not mean we are immune to temptation. Although we have been “made free from sin”
through Christ’s righteousness, we have also “became the servants of righteousness.” (Romans 6:18). As responsible saints of God we must “Awake to righteousness, and
sin not.” (1 Corinthians 15:34),
Elijah
James used
the Prophet Elijah as an example of fervor and righteousness that brought
almost unbelievable results through prayer. God responded by fire to his
request. Elijah was an exceptional man. But don’t let that throw you. He was
human as the rest of us. And he did not always appear to be the great man of
God he actually was. Elijah had considerable faith in God. The fact he could
call down fire from heaven proved it. (1 Kings 18:37-38). But, almost
immediately after God performed several great miracles at his request, Elijah
ran to escape the threat of a mere heathen woman. (1 Kings 19:3).
It goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: There are no perfect people in this room. Each of us has been known to reveal the results of our fallen natures. Even so, although we cannot rely on self to obtain anything from God, we need not condemn ourselves beyond reason for falling short of His glory.
“We
are all like an unclean thing, And all of our (own) righteousnesses are like
filthy rags.” (Isaiah 64:6).
Christ in (us)
is our (only) hope
of Glory. (Colossians 1:27). We must “be found in him, not having
(our) own
righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of
Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.” (Philippians 3:9).
Family
As born-again
Christians, our right standing with God was expressed in our adoption into His
family. One of Daniel’s prayers addressed the family relationship when the
family included only Israelites. Daniel knew God’s mercy and forgiveness is
available to His people when they approach Him correctly. So he prayed; “O my God, incline Your ear and hear: open Your eyes and see our
desolations, and the city which is called by Your name: we do not present our
supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of your
great mercies. O
Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my
God, for your city and Your people are called by Your name.” (Daniel 9:18-19).
When we call on God in prayer today we do not have to
depend on our righteous
deeds. Like the Israelites of old, we can rely on God’s great mercies. Lamentations
3:21-23 reveals Israel’s hope, and ours: “This I recall to my mind,
therefore have I hope. 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.”
Serve
Christ
Learn to
follow God’s example. Rely on His Son as the giver of the only acceptable
righteousness. And dedicate your life to Jesus, as Romans 12:1-2 commands: “I beseech you therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And be
not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
We teach our children to fold their hands, bow their heads, and close their eyes when they pray for at least three reasons:
1. To teach them reverence
for God. 2. To help them concentrate on what they say. 3. To make them better able to hear what God
might say to them. The posture demonstrated by folded hands, closed eyes, and
bowed heads can help children, and adults, shut out whatever else is going on
around them. But, while that particular “prayerful attitude” isn’t always
necessary, it isn’t always sufficient either.
Of course, we should be able to pray wherever we are and, along with whatever else we are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 does tell us to “Pray without ceasing.” But there are times when it helps to get down on our knees in a private place. And that’s where the “room” comes in, the one the KJV calls a “closet.” (A prayer closet can consist of any private place where we are able to shut out the rest of the world for a time, whether it is a large room or a small one).
Although I just answered
this question let me ask it anyway: Must we assume a special posture before we
can make contact with God? As I
indicated already, the answer is both ‘yes’ and ‘no.’ A special posture is
necessary but it is one of the heart rather than of the body.
God may respond favorably to prayers from men who are unable to even
utter them aloud, much less maneuver into some
‘acceptable’ position. Perhaps He has done so for you, when you were
unable to do more than simply call on His name?” However, if we want to be sure
God always hears our prayers, we must display an attitude of respect for
Him that is born out of our right standing with Him.
Honor
God
What is the most obvious way to show respect for God? Can we wait until we reach the prayer closet before initiating the procedure? The ‘obvious way’ is a continual process. It is performed in the same way we show our love for Christ. What did He say about it? “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15). It isn’t enough to “believe God” and “tremble,” as do the “devils.” (James 2:19). We must honor God by observing His rules for daily living.
If you ever find yourself in a place where none of your prayers are being answered positively, check out your sin quotient. Is there something in your life that keeps God from hearing you? As the Psalmist David said, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” (Psalms 66:18).
The question of an acceptable prayer posture, if that is an issue for you, can provoke some interesting questions. For example: How do you perform when you engage in serious prayer? Do you sit, stand, kneel or lie down? Must you have privacy? Or can you pray easily in public?
I can’t answer for you but I’ve never been good at praying seriously
for any amount of time in any position of rest. And I do my best praying
privately. When I pray seriously I must be on my feet, free to walk around and
free to make all the noise I want. I have to pray aloud to keep my mind from
wandering.
In my case, the best perk of pastoring a small church consisted of
having, ordinarily, the entire building available for my private prayer times.
I believe that did more for me (spiritually) than anything else I could have
done. And it’s the one thing I miss most about the job.
Do you expect recognizable answers from God when you pray? The Bible does encourage us to be expectant when we ask. (James 1:6). Sometimes we need to define parameters, either to help make answers recognizable or, perhaps, to remember the requests when they are answered. Gideon defined parameters with his fleece. (Judges 6:36-40). You might be able to obtain guidance similarly. I have done so several times.
I know, some people will say you might fleece yourself by following Gideon’s example, and that is a possibility. However, another Bible character, one who’s name wasn’t mentioned at the time, used a fleece of sorts with remarkable success.
Eliezer?
Perhaps you are familiar
with the story, in Genesis, Chapter 24? Abraham sent his chief servant on a very long journey (500 miles one way) to choose a bride for
Isaac. When the servant arrived at what he thought was the home of Isaac’s
relatives, he asked for a seemingly impossible miracle. He wanted God to
indicate his choice for Isaac’s bride by having her perform a task for which no
ordinary girl would volunteer. It simply involved too much work. This guy had
10 camels that might have been very thirsty, and he must have had several
helpers who would have been thirsty too.
Abraham’s servant wanted
the girl of God’s choice to give him a drink of water - from a pitcher she
would have just filled, from a well she would have had to climb down into and
out of. After giving him a drink, she
would also need to volunteer to water his ten camels.
So what happened? Genesis 24:15 says: “And it
happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah, who was born
to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with
her pitcher on her shoulder.” God not only heard this
man’s prayer but sent an answer on the way before it was even spoken. That
sounds like
Isaiah 65:24: “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer;
and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.”
Verses 17-20 of Genesis 24 continue the story: “And the servant ran to meet
her and said, ’Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher.’ So she said, ‘Drink, my lord.’ Then she
hastened and let down her pitcher down to her hand, and gave him a drink.
And when she had finished giving him drink, she said, ‘I will draw water
for your camels also, until they have done drinking. Then she hastened and
emptied her pitcher into the trough, ran back to the well to draw water, and
drew for all his camels.”
It must have been a big
job. This girl wasn’t able to turn on a spigot. She had to go down into the
well many times. And she carried a lot of water out of it before she was
finished. But she did it willingly, exactly as Abraham’s servant asked. His “fleece” demanded an outstanding
miracle. God granted it in answer to a sincere prayer for His direction.
Jesus said, in Matthew
6:8, “Your Father knows the things you have need of
before you ask Him.” Can you recall an occasion when
He supplied a need for you before you could ask?
In addition to being a preacher, my Dad was a prayer warrior and a poet. He prayed often, in his “prayer closet” and out of it. One of his poems, based on Isaiah 65:24, recalls his experiences with answered prayers.
God Knows, Sees, Hears,
Answers."
God knows the storms that cross our path, Contrary winds that blow.
'Twas He who called them into being, The hail, the rain, the snow.
God sees the struggles that we make, To reach that distant goal.
Who else would place these barriers, To thus enrich the soul?
God hears our cries of agony, When pained or sore distressed.
He is the Balm of Gilead, He is our righteousness.
God answers prayer, O humble one, So you have naught to fear.
Before you call, my answer comes,
And while you speak, I hear.
Eugene H. W. Beneze, Argenta, Illinois, Copyright ă December 2, 1944. All rights reserved.
Listen to the last words of that poem again: “Before you call, my answer comes, And while you speak, I hear.” Does that mean you can always expect to receive what you want from God without request? Of course not. Neglecting to ask amounts to resigning yourself to suffer needs He is willing to supply only in response to prayers of faith. In other words, God’s answer, sent on the way before He hears a call, is dependant on the call being made, just as God’s hearing, while a request is being spoken, is dependant on the request being made.
Jesus told us other things
in Matthew 6:5-13, including the needs to pray secretly and to avoid vain
repetitions. God is aware of our needs. And He is willing to supply many of
them, especially when we trust Him to do things His way.
The need for submission to God’s will is evident in
Jesus’ teaching on the model prayer of Matthew 6:9-13. Look at it again: In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your
name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us
this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is
the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Enumeration
Jesus
said,
“In this manner, therefore, pray.” The sample prayer that
followed exemplifies how we should approach our Heavenly Father: It is short and to the point. It includes all the
essentials. And it defines priorities.
I read somewhere[1]
that it enumerates eight things concerning a proper relationship with God,
things we should keep in mind when we pray:
1. It honors
God as supreme: “Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.” (verse
9).
2. It agrees that God’s kingdom is paramount (verse 10):
“Your kingdom come.” (verse 10).
3. It commits
us to doing God’s will as we know it: “Your will be done On
earth as it is in heaven.” (verse 10)
4. It
acknowledges God as our source in everything: “Give us this day
our daily bread” (verse 11).
5. It commits us to being forgiving persons: “Forgive
us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.” (verse 12).
6. It acknowledges God’s leadership in our personal
lives: “And do not lead us into temptation.” (verse 13).
7. It implores
God’s guidance and His care: “But deliver us from the evil one.” (verse 13).
8. It repeats
the assertion of God’s supremacy, recognizing it as permanent as well as
paramount: “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory
forever. Amen.” (verse 13).
Repetition
Our Lord
probably did not intend for us to repeat His prayer (or
any other) over and over again in
what he termed “vain repetition.”
However, even if He meant it only as an outline, it can be used as is by people
who understand and concur with its message.
Admonition
I can remember
when church congregations recited the Lord’s Prayer regularly as part of their
liturgy. Perhaps we should too? If you don’t already pray together with your
family regularly, consider doing so. Perhaps this prayer could become your
starting point?
Say The Lord’s prayer with me now: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
- - - -
David
E. Beneze, Canon City, CO 81212, 30 September 2003. Prepared for use at Living
Way Foursquare Church in Canon City on 1 October 2003. Latest revision 03/10/2007.