Prayer is a challenge

One of my friends used to say, “I need to have a quiet time with God every day. If I miss one day, God knows it. If I miss two days, I know it. If I miss three days, everyone knows it.”

Chambers says, “Unless in the first waking moment of the day you learn to fling the door wide back and let God in, you will work on a wrong level all day; but swing the door wide open and pray to your Father in secret, and every public thing will be stamped with the presence of God.”

That quiet time consists of reading and studying the Word of God, and prayer — which includes petition, praise, thanksgiving, and listening.

For me, daily reading is easy. I credit my mother’s example for this habit of a daily time focused on the Lord. Kudos also to my sister who was saved through the witness of a missionary in a country that forbids missionaries. When she came home to discover we were now sisters in Christ, she told me how to have a quiet time. I’d been reading the Bible for years without understanding it, but Jesus came into my life just before she arrived, and my habit soon became as important to me as eating. Her method (read until something jumps out at you, and then write it down) has stayed with me for fifty-five years.

However, prayer has not developed so easily. I realize that my spiritual enemy will put up with me listening to God speak, but not doing what He says, and certainly not praying in His will. This is a mysterious teamwork that ‘moves mountains’ and changes lives — mostly mine. Jesus said this about prayer:

“But 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.” (Matthew 6:6)

Prayer is about being alone with God. The Bible also says, “Pray without ceasing,” which means having that attitude of communion with God at any time and in all situations, but I can’t pray without ceasing in a closet. However, I’ve learned that praying in that secret place is vital in learning how to pray wherever and whenever.

Yet as Chambers says, this is not as easy as it sounds. My wandering thoughts conflict with my best intentions. Sometimes those wanderings can turn into prayer requests, but most of the time my easily distracted mind wanders to my to-do list, or other responsibilities and distractions.

I also have trouble praying in a static location like a closet. Strange as it sounds, doing two things helps me focus on one thing. So I go for a walk or ride my stationary bike — with my prayer list in hand. The movement keeps me from looking at the sink full of dishes or my craft table with a half-finished project, and if I am outside, I’m not distracted by the phone (even if I don’t answer it) or by the dust on the dresser.

My prayers are not static either. If I pray for missions on Monday, church on Tuesday, and so on, I wind up using rote prayers — praying with my mouth but thinking about something else at the same time. To overcome that distraction, I’ve found a way to keep my prayer list revolving. I’m also learning to listen more so the Holy Spirit pops in pray thoughts that are not on my reminder list.

Besides the names and needs, I use pages with the words of familiar songs of praise. I’m not a great singer, but that is okay — singing aloud and praying aloud helps my focus. If I am outside, I just turn it down a bit.  

Determining to pray without ceasing is like going to war. It is a battle, more difficult some days than others, yet there is that promise that spurs me to continue: “My Father who sees in secret will reward me.” And He does.

Listening is part of following . . .

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1)

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. (John 10:27)

One important thing about following the Shepherd is being able to hear His voice so I know where He wants me to go and what He wants me to say and do. Learning to listen is as great a challenge as learning to obey. It makes no sense to not listen; after all, this is the Creator God of the universe who died for me and now speaks to me. But since I tend to be inattentive, He often uses experiences in difficult places to teach those lessons and also test my grasp of them.

The Old Testament says Joseph was tested when, “His feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron; until what he had said came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him.” (Psalm 105:18–19) Joseph listened and God blessed him.

The New Testament says of Jesus, “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil . . . . And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time. And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee . . . .” (Luke 4:1–14) Satan tempted, but God was testing. This was His plan, and Jesus passed each test by listening to God’s Word and using it in response.

Times of isolation and hardship teach me to listen. If I do not learn to hear Him in silence and when my ears are straining, then I will never hear His guidance in the marketplace, or when talking with family and friends, or when life is busy, noisy, filled with stresses and responsibilities.

But learning to listen is a challenge. It is best perfected when praying alone. “But 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.” (Matthew 6:6)

I sometimes chafe at my wilderness experiences, but mostly am thankful for them. So many of God’s people find themselves alone and in that solitude or difficulty our ears become more finely tuned so we can . . .

Give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! (Psalm 105:1–6)

As the psalmist says, listening helps me remember the wonderful things He has done, His miracles, and His judgments. Best of all, listening builds my intimacy with Him.

Heaven is like…

I’m one of those results-oriented people. That is, if I cannot see any response or positive outcome, then I’m less inclined to continue. Learning how to persevere in obedience, regardless of visible results, is a tough lesson for me.

Today’s devotional reading begins with this verse again:

In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? (John 14:2)

However, the author of the reading takes off in a rewards mode. He says that palaces on earth are built with some rooms greater and more costly than others. That is, one might be the king’s chamber, another for his heir to the crown, others for other children, their attendants and officers in the household, and still others for the servants.

He says Solomon’s temple was filled with rooms of different degrees too, such as the holy of holies where the high priest alone might enter, the holy place, where the other priests might enter, the inner court for the Levites to live and do their duties, plus the court of Israel and the court of the Gentiles.

He goes on to say that in a spiritual sense, people will have different degrees of honor and glory in heaven, and some will dwell nearer the throne than others. Some will be next to Christ. Does this mean the rooms He is preparing are of various degrees of honor? Is this about different activities like it is here where He sets people in His Body, the church as it pleases Him —one is the eye, another the ear, another the head, and so on?

My first thought was that if this is true, I will be on the outer fringes and with about the same status as my little toe. Many others have achieved much more for God. But then other verses came to mind…

And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” (Luke 13:29–30)

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. (1 Corinthians 12:21–25)

God’s value system is not the same as ours. We tend to lift up those who are honorable here on earth, who accomplish great things. While they should be respected, many Scriptures talk of how Jesus honored the weak and despised. He isn’t interested in an earthly show of godliness either and even said that His Father rewards good deeds done in secret! (Matthew 6:6, etc.)

Thinking these things upset my earlier thoughts, not that I now figure I will be close to Jesus and those far more mature and godly will be farther away, but I’ve concluded we cannot possibly know these things. We dare not add our ideas of what is grand or who is to be rewarded to the simple promise of Jesus to His confused disciples. He told them God made a heavenly dwelling place for His people and that He was going on ahead to get it ready for them.

This means no speculation about my position in the palace, only humble gratitude that I will be there and total obedience until He arranges that final move. I like surprises and I’m content to let this be one of them.

Prayerless?

Yesterday and the day before, I had trouble praying. I could not concentrate. Even worse, I didn’t feel like praying. I’ve not been angry or upset with God and have no idea why the desire and even the ability to pray were not there. In the past, when I’ve felt that way, I prayed anyway, but not these past couple of days.

Sometimes I wonder if the Holy Spirit sets me up. It isn’t that He produces this lack, but certainly if He withdraws, then my sinful nature has lost my only resource to do anything that God wants me to do. It feels as if I have been unplugged.

Now, as I sit in an airport and open my Bible, today’s devotional reading offers me this… and this is why I wonder if I’ve been set up.

But 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. (Matthew 6:6)

The reading says that my prayer closet is faith’s stronghold. It is here that faith arms itself for daily conflict. If there is silence in that closet of prayer, death speaks throughout the house. When that door is allowed to rust on its hinges and that place of prayer is deserted, then the home of my heart is vulnerable to Satan and sin will come in and move me away from God. 

What can I say? I’ve already told God that I agree with Him. Prayerlessness usually means that there is sin in my life, or that I think I can handle life without it (and without God). It seems to me that I am aware of my helplessness, and not aware of any particular sin, except that sin of silence when He bids me come and talk to Him. Is He giving me a taste of being unplugged so that I will not take Him for granted? Or is there something else going on?

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God, You know all things. I don’t understand this. I’ve been exhausted, but that is not an excuse. Today, feel like it or not, grant me the grace to pray.