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The first thing the Lord teaches His disciples is that they must have a secret place for prayer. Everyone must have some solitary spot where he can be alone with his God. A. Murray
Do you have a solitary spot where you can be alone with God? I recently converted a corner of my bedroom into a prayer chamber. I moved a special chair into my room and placed a table next to it. It has my bible, my books and an extra soft sofa throw scattered around. This new spot is now my hallowed ground. I try to go there every morning for at least thirty minutes. Sometimes I study, and sometimes I talk to God, but always I listen. I listen for His still quiet voice to penetrate the noise of the world and my busy, scattered thoughts.
Do you long to be alone with your Abba Father, or do you avoid the intimacy that solitary communing brings? When we pray in community, it is sometimes easy to wear a mask. No matter how hard I try to surrender to the Spirit's leading, the performer in me likes to come out and rear its ugly head. I wonder if my words sound eloquent. I wonder if I've covered everyone's requests. Basically, I'm focused on myself!
It is harder to keep the mask on when we are alone with God. In this inner chamber, the child becomes intimate and vulnerable. The very breath of the heavenly Father mingles with the breath of His child. In this solitary place we lose sight of the world and its concerns. We draw near to God and He draws near to us. Here the Spirit leads us in a dance of surrender, guiding us into the truth of His love, the truth of His Word, the truth of our "childlike trust of the Father" (Murray).
As long as in our worship of God we are chiefly occupied with our own thoughts and exercises, we shall not meet Him who is a Spirit, the unseen One. But to the man who withdraws himself from all that is of the world and man, and prepares to wait upon God alone, the Father will reveal Himself. As he forsakes and gives up and shuts out the world, and the life of the world, and surrenders himself to be led by Christ into the secret of God's presence, the light of the Father's love will rise upon him. A. Murray
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| Photography by Trisha Fry |
Matthew 6:6
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 reword you openly.
Never actually thought about this before. Thanks for the idea.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, thank you for your comment. I pray the endeavor of creating your own "secret" space will be one that is rich and full of blessing. Give yourself a lot of grace when getting into the habit.
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