But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.                                                                                     Matthew 6:6 NIV

 

Dear Friends and Members of IBC,

Last week we began to look at some steps for new and renewed followers of Jesus, focussing on the need to habitually, diligently, study the Bible. I hope that the S.O.A.P Bible study method has helped a few of you. This week I want to emphasise our need for regular times of prayer.

Now, we might know that 1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to pray ceaselessly. So, whether we are on the bus, the train, or walking to our next appointment, our hearts should have a continuous attitude of prayer, always inclined towards the One who inclines His ear to hear us pray. But when we pay attention to what Jesus tells us about prayer, here in Matthew 6:6, we also notice that He instructs us to have a set, private place where we can pray. The door of the room should be closed. It should be done ‘in secret’. Why might this be the case? With the limited amount of Biblical instructions that we have from Jesus on prayer, why might He emphasise this?

Because it’s about relationship.

When I have something that I really want to say to my wife, I don’t do it in a crowded bus, in the middle of a café, or on the way to work. We go into our living room, close the door, and speak privately, when we are just one-on-one. And Jesus wants us to do the same when we talk to our Heavenly Father. What is said between us and Him is important, it takes priority.

As Christians, there is often a tension between our relationship with God and doing things out of a sense of duty. We might need the discipline that duty can bring with it, and we need to regularly pray regardless of whether we feel like it, but it can’t simply become an obligation. Prayer involves all of ourselves. It require our mind, body, and soul. It’s about reaching out and talking personally with the Living God who loves to hear us pray to Him.

Let’s remember that praying and reading the Bible don’t make us Christians. We pray and read the Bible because we are Christians. Because this is how we grow in our knowledge of God, we grow in our relationship with Him.

God bless you

James