Real Prayer is a Private Matter

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.”
~ Philippians 4:6-7

The bible encourages you to present your requests before God, no matter how minuscule they might be. And when you come before God, tell Him exactly how you feel about your situation. That is why Jesus said your prayers should be made in the privacy of your closet.

“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

Notice that God not only answers secret intimate prayers, but He goes out of His way to reward them; probably because of the authenticity and lack of showiness invested therein.

When you come out from your closet, you can do ‘packaged’ prayers. For instance, “O Lord I love thee; Thou art the king.”  That may be okay in church. There may be nothing wrong with packaged, professional, aesthetic prayers. However, when vital matters are at stake, you go behind closed doors, lie on your face and tell God exactly how things are. Real prayer is a private matter.

God says, “Present your request”; even if that request is a bill of three dollars. You might feel too ashamed to say it openly in church. It might be awkward for other members of the congregation to know that you are praying for  six dollars, or that you are asking God to remove the itching on your skin. It might be embarrassing! You usually don’t come to church and start praying: ‘God, I’m jealous of this sister who is so well dressed; please help me to overcome jealousy.” Now, nobody does that. But in a place of privacy, you can tell God the truth – the way it is.

The bible says that when you do this, the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

Praise God.

Memory Verse:

Philippians 4:6-7

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank you that I can take my minutest concerns to you; and that I don’t have to pretend about them. Thank you that I can keep things real with you, in Jesus’ name.
Amen.