The author of this devotional booklet I’m reading offers instructions for prayer. Today he says to find a place or environment to pray without distraction or interruption. He realizes this will be difficult for some and tells of a lawyer who prayed on his daily commute be learning how to become deaf to distractions. He imagined himself meeting with Jesus and built “a chapel in his soul” so he could spend time in prayer on a train.
Jesus said, “When
you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in
secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Mothers with
young children know that the only way they can escape behind a closed door is
when their little ones are asleep!
As an aside, Jesus also offered instruction in what to
pray, not using “empty phrases” thinking we will be “heard for our many words”
but to follow this pattern . . .
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom
come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our
daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For if you forgive
others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you
do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your
trespasses. (Matthew 6:6–15)
I’ve read this many times, but this morning noticed the
priorities. First, honor our relationship with God and each other. It is “our
Father” not “my Father.” Then exalt who and where He is. Ask regarding His rule
and will, knowing He is sovereign. Finally, ask for daily needs, daily
forgiveness, and daily protection from temptation and evil. Jesus emphasizes
the need for forgiveness by repeating its importance.
As for a place to pray, Jesus went to lonely places in the
wilderness and on mountains. That would be nice, but not possible for everyone.
However, it does point out that I can pray outdoors.
Isaiah prayed in the temple where he “saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train
of his robe filled the temple.” (Isaiah 6:1) I can pray in my church, a place
of worship.
Moses talked to God in the wilderness beside a burning
bush that was “burning, yet it was not consumed” and God called to him out of
the bush saying, “Do not come near; take
your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy
ground . . . . I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of
Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” From there, God gave Moses instruction for
the important part he would play in the history of God’s people. (Exodus
3:2–11) I can pray in the wilderness as Moses did.
Samuel was just a small boy asleep in the temple of the
Lord when the Lord called to him.
At first he thought it was the voice of the priest, but was told otherwise and
to return to his bed. Eventually, the boy responded with “Speak, for your servant hears” and communed with God from the
place where he slept. (1 Samuel 3:1–10) I can pray lying on my bed.
The Bible has a host of other examples. My preferred place
is to pray while I am walking. This helps me shut out distractions,
particularly if I go outside. When I stay in, my to-do list, a ringing
telephone, and a host of other things tug at me. The only problem with walking
outside is that I tend to pray out loud, and that can gather unwanted
attention.
As I read these and other passages this morning, I’m
thinking that having a special place might help in setting a habit, but what
about those times when I cannot go to that place, or am on holidays? For that
reason, I like the lawyer’s idea of building a chapel in his soul. Then, not
matter where I am, I am taking my place of prayer with me.
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