WHY DO WE NEED A PRAYER CLOSET?

Where is your prayer closet? For a busy, working mom, it might be the bathroom. Perhaps yours is on a certain bench under a tree. It might be at your office desk during your quiet lunch hour. Regardless of your choice, it can become the most important place you spend your time—the place where you hear God speak through His Word or His still, small voice and the place where you can unload your burdens to the Lord and honor Him with praise and thanksgiving.

ETERNAL PERSPECTIVES        By Sally Bair

Kennels and Closets

When my pup grew tired of playing, or listening to the noise of people, she would retreat into her dog kennel. Wild animals, too, often seek refuge in their homes. Even we humans love to come home after a long day shopping, at school, or meeting with others.

We all need a quiet place in our homes where we can pray and retreat from family, noise, and other distractions. Time spent in intentional prayer in our “prayer closet” will bring spiritual growth, change, or healing. It will teach us about our heavenly Father and give us revelation into His Word. It will help equip us to participate in His Great Commission, to draw others to Him through His love in us.

Unfortunately, prayer is often a neglected discipline in the life of believers. Lack of prayer means lack of victory over sin. It means our spiritual light is dim and it means we’re content to live in the status quo, which gets us nowhere. Lack of prayer means we aren’t disciplined enough to develop a strong, relational bond with Christ. It means we lack commitment to Him. It means telling a friend, “Let’s get together sometime,” knowing it won’t happen, rather than, “Let’s meet tomorrow at one o’clock.”

We may think, “I pray every day.” Or, “I worship God in the great outdoors.” I too love to pray and sing while out enjoying nature. But that’s not the same as setting aside a particular place and time for one-on-one, intimate prayer with Christ.

A friend shared a dream he had recently. He sat in a dilapidated, disordered, tiny house located in a vast valley. Surrounding the valley, fires raged. He was unable to put them out. His interpretation of the dream: his prayer closet wasn’t in good order, so he remained powerless to quench the fires of sin that surrounded him.

Jesus frequently retreated to a quiet hill for a whole night in prayer with His heavenly Father. We need to find a quiet place to retreat with God. It’s vital to our spiritual health.

“Rejoice always; pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Lord, help us to be intentional, disciplined, and committed in spending time with You each day. We want to be victorious, vibrant servants for You.   In Jesus’ name, amen.