Pursue Personal Prayer

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. (Matthew 6:6)

In Matthew 6, the Gospel writer recorded Jesus's teaching on prayer. Jesus instructed His followers to enter into their closets to pray. The closet symbolizes a private, undisturbed place to talk to God. When you pray, you need to focus solely on Him. That means blocking out all distractions and things that may try to take your focus away from Him. That may mean turning off or putting away your cell phone, not having the television on, and finding a private place to be alone with God.

While corporate prayer is powerful and essential, the intimate moments we spend alone with God are crucial for our growth and relationship with Him. Just as our bodies need daily nourishment, our spirits require daily communion with God. This time allows us to speak to Him, share our hearts, and listen to His guidance.

Choose a specific time each day to meet with God. This could be early morning, during lunch, or before bed. Consistency helps build a habit of prayer. Find a quiet place where you can be alone and free from distractions. This could be a room in your house, a park, or a car.

When you make it a point to pursue personal prayer, Jesus' promise is clear: God, Who sees what is done in secret, will reward you openly.

Practical Application

Prayer is talking to God and listening to Him. When you spend time in private prayer, make sure you also have a time of silence, allowing God to speak to your heart.

Isaiah 26:20; Isaiah 65:24

Pray When You Are Attacked

Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy. Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity: Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words (Psalm 64:1-3)

What is your first step during times of distress? What is the first thing you do when people try to cause problems for you? In Psalm 64:1-3, we hear a prayer of David, who cries out to God for protection from his enemies. He vividly described the threats he faced and explained that they were attacking him with not just physical but also verbal attacks.

Have you ever been attacked verbally by others? Many times, the words of hate and anger feel like they hurt more than even physical violence. David didn’t whine or complain. His first move was to go to God in prayer.

David’s prayer gives us a powerful example of what it means to seek God in times of stress and distress. When our normal inclination is to respond in attack or find ways to defend ourselves, God teaches us to get ourselves into a posture of prayer first. When we pray, we open ourselves to see things and people like God sees them. Prayer helps us acknowledge our protection and see others as the puppets of the enemy - not the source of the attack. “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). Your prayers can bring about change, both in your life and in the lives of others.

Practical Application

Think of individuals who may have wronged you, hurt you, or whom you find challenging to love. Don’t view them as the enemy. Pray for their salvation and deliverance and that God would change the direction of their lives.

Psalm 27:7; Psalm 34:4

Pray for Others

And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: they have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation. And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians speak and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever. And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people. (Exodus 32:7-14)

Exodus 32 begins with God informing Moses that He had seen the Israelites' sin. Almost as soon as they were freed from Egypt, they quickly abandoned everything they knew about God and created an idol, saying that their deliverance from Egypt came from a gold calf.

The Lord’s response was one of righteous anger. He called the Israelites stiffnecked, indicating their stubbornness and unwillingness to follow His ways. God told Moses that He would wipe out the people and start over again, but Moses interceded. Moses’ prayer was not just that the people would survive but that they would honor God’s name. Moses’ intercession saved the Israelites from destruction. There is power in praying for others and going to God on their behalf, even when they have made bad decisions.

Practical Application

Be willing to intercede for those who have turned away from God. Your prayers can help deliver them from destruction and restore them to the right relationship with Him.

Psalm 106:45; Jeremiah 18:8