Secret Praying
Getting alone with the Lord in silence and solitude
In a recent newsletter we were taught prayer by watching the Master, and one of the observations was that He was alone much in praying. See Matthew 14:23 - And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone…or Luke 6:12 - In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.
Alone is often how Jesus prayed, and this was the first lesson He taught — that when praying, get alone. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Matthew 6:6.
Secret prayer, by yourself, in your room — or as some versions put it: your closet, the closed place, where we are shut in alone with God, where the human spirit waits upon an unseen Presence, learns to recognize Him who is a Spirit, and cultivates His acquaintance, fellowship, and friendship. A.T. Pierson
It is there that all is silence, secrecy, solitude and seclusion. 1 All else is shut out, worldly noises and distractions, and we are shut in with God. Silence in order that we may hear the still small voice. Secrecy that we may meet with Him who sees in secret and is best seen in secret. Solitude that we may be only in His presence and not distracted by any others. Seclusion is where we learn to draw near and that he rewards those who seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).
In The Secret, In The Quiet Place
In The Stillness You Are There.
In The Secret, In The Quiet Hour I Wait,
Only For You,’Cause I Want To Know You More 2
One of the basic purposes of praying is that being in the secret place with God will keep us in close fellowship with our heavenly Father. A study of the saints of old will show one common theme among them was being in close fellowship with God in prayer. Moses, Elijah, and Daniel are but a few examples. Besides Jesus, we see Paul often in prayers for those to whom he was writing.
There are plenty of reasons to pray with others, but this should not replace praying alone. Our secret time in prayer should precede any public time, and we should be often in private prayer more than group prayer.
What is the Reward?
Jesus taught the Father who sees in secret will reward you. With what? Perhaps it’s His hearing our prayers; or it is seeing those prayers answered; perhaps it is knowing His presence; or being mature and standing firm in all His will; possibly that those who ask, seek, and knock it will be given, they will find and to them the door will be opened. Keeping in prayer keeps us steadfast in faith, and keeps us in peace that passes understanding. Fellowship with the Lord, His nearness, is itself the reward.
Alone with Thee, amid the mystic shadows,
The solemn hush of nature newly born;
Alone with Thee in breathless adoration,
In the calm dew and freshness of the morn.3
Pray For The People Of God From The Word Of God
Here are three passages we are praying from this week (one passage per day):
Monday - Luke 11:13
Tuesday - Luke 10:2
Wednesday - Mark 14:38
Will you join me in praying these verses, and ask one person to join you?
Until Thursday, grace and peace
DIVINE EFFICACY OF PRAYER By Rev. Arthur T. Pierson, D.D.
In The Secret In The Quiet Place, written by Andy Park
Still, Still with Thee, Harriet Beecher Stowe, in Henry Ward Beecher's Plymouth Collection, 1855
Photo by Austin Mabe on Unsplash