MEDITATIONS FROM THE GOSPELS

 

April 16 , 2008

Reading:  Matthew 6:5-7

 

“When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place” Matthew 6:6

 

These instructions of Jesus to His followers are very clear and, in case someone wants to interpret them allegorically, describes the prayer life of many Old Testament saints. Abraham reasoned with God alone—Genesis 18:22-32; Isaac— “And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening” Genesis 24:63; Jacob—“Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day” Genesis 32:24-28. David found it necessary to pray and meditate alone with God—

 

“As for me, I will call upon God, and the LORD shall save me. Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice” Psalm 55:16-17.

 

Daniel also, three times a day was found in private prayer—such was his daily routine—

 

“And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days” Daniel 6:10.

 

Before he set out on the day’s business Daniel spoke with His God committing every circumstance to Him. At midday, should problems have arisen for which he needed guidance; he was there in his room with his heart lifted up in prayer. At the end of the day, when he had completed his dealings with men, he made it his business to wait upon God in His room. Thus Daniel was guided, strengthened, encouraged, and instilled with the wisdom of God.

Paul, a practicing Pharisee, one of those whom Jesus denounced for their public display of prayer and fasting, after his conversion, spent many hours in private prayer—Romans 1:9; Ephesians 1:15,16; Philippians 1:3,4; 2 Timothy 1:3, etc.

Our greatest example of all is Jesus, He whom we are commanded to imitate.

 

“And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there” Matthew 14:23.

 

“Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed” Mark 1:35.

 

It appears from the scriptures that Jesus enjoyed praying in the mountains, and He prayed alone in the wilderness. He prayed in the early morning and evenings and sometimes all night. The night before He would choose His twelve disciples He spent in prayer alone, apart from the crowds, alone with His Father.

 

“Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles” Luke 6:12-13.

 

These mighty men of God and our Savior Himself knew the value of and practiced private prayer. How much more then should we set aside a place, a room, where we can share our heart with our redeemer. Our place of private prayer will, in a very real sense, become His chamber where we can frequently hold a tryst with God our Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

This is not to say that a Christian husband and wife should not pray together, for this has to be one of the great encouragements they can have in their marriage and Christian walk. There is, however, a communication between the individual and God that cannot be duplicated by any other means than one on one sessions with the Almighty.