Behind Closed Doors
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6 “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. 7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8 “So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. 9 “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
You and me alone!!!
"But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
7 "And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8 "So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
9 "Pray, then, in this way:
Some prayer from children
Dear God, Please send a new baby for Mommy. The new baby you sent last week cries too much. Debbie, 7
Dear God, Who did you make smarter? Boys or girls? My sister and I want to know. Jimmy, 6
Dear God, Who did you make smarter? Boys or girls? My sister and I want to know. Jimmy, 6
Dear God, How many angels are there in heaven? I would like to be the first kid in my class to know the answer. Norma, 8
Dear God, How many angels are there in heaven? I would like to be the first kid in my class to know the answer. Norma, 8
Dear God, This is my prayer. Could you please give my brother some brains. So far he doesn't have any. Angela, 8
God, I read the bible. What does beget mean? Nobody will tell me.
Love Alison
Dear God, This is my prayer. Could you please give my brother some brains. So far he doesn't have any. Angela, 8
Dear Lord, Thank you for the nice day today. You even fooled the TV weather man. Hank, 7
Dear Lord, Thank you for the nice day today. You even fooled the TV weather man. Hank, 7
Dear Lord,Thank you for the nice day today. You even fooled the TV weather man. Hank, 7
Now lets get a little bit serious here.
Nowhere can we get to know the holiness of God, and come under His influence and power, except in the inner chamber. It has been well said: "No man can expect to make progress in holiness who is not often and long alone with God."
- Andrew Murray
I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had absolutely no other place to go. -- Abraham Lincoln
Pray, and let God worry. -- Martin Luther
Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?-- Corrie Ten Boom
There is a general kind of praying which fails for lack of precision. It is as if a regiment of soldiers should all fire off their guns anywhere. Possibly somebody would be killed, but the majority of the enemy would be missed. --Charles Haddon Spurgeon
When a Christian shuns fellowship with other Christians, the devil smiles. When he stops studying the Bible, the devil laughs. When he stops praying, the devil shouts for joy. --Corrie Ten Boom
Let the fires go out in the boiler room of the church and the place will still look smart and clean, but it will be cold. The Prayer Room is the boiler room for its spiritual life. --Leonard Ravenhill
So when we sing, 'Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,' we are not thinking of the nearness of place, but of the nearness of relationship. It is for increasing degrees of awareness that we pray, for a more perfect consciousness of the divine Presence. We need never shout across the spaces to an absent God. He is nearer than our own soul, closer than our most secret thoughts. --A.W. Tozer
The lover of silence draws close to God. He talks to Him in secret and God enlightens him. --John Climacus
“We are to be shut out from men, and shut in with God.” Andrew Murray
Andrew Murray
So again I ask Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?
I believe the spirit of the lord is speaking to our church to return back to the place of prayer.
Prayer brings forth an atmosphere, a position, a revelation, and His presents. Rev. Derrick Deon Marshall
Prayer brings forth a connection between God and man.
The one in heaven connects to the one on earth.
Prayer is the telephone that gives us access to the father, the creator.
And this phone has not busy signal. If we calls he answers.
3 On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul.
On the day I called, You answered me;
You made me bold with strength in my soul.
When we find this as a truth that we can call on the Lord no matter where and when we are. We find then strength and confidence for our soul.
5 From my distress I called upon the Lord; The Lord answered me and set me in a large place. 6 The Lord is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me?
From my distress I called upon the Lord;
The Lord answered me and set me in a large place.
6 The Lord is for me; I will not fear;
What can man do to me?
No matter how far you gone no matter how long you have been away. The good news is that through prayer you can turn and find again the presence of God
Paul says it like this.
8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,
But what does it say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART"
A friend of mine took his small son with him to town one day to run some errands. When lunch time arrived, the two of them went to a familiar diner for a sandwich. The father sat down on one of the stools at the counter and lifted the boy up to the seat beside him. They ordered lunch, and when the waiter brought the food, the father said, "Son, we'll just have a silent prayer." Dad got through praying first and waited for the boy to finish his prayer, but he just sat with his head bowed for an unusually long time. When he finally looked up, his father asked him, "What in the world were you praying about all that time?" With the innocence and honesty of a child, he replied, "How do I know? It was a silent prayer."
Here in our text Jesus says go into the inner room and close the door.
Jesus is not instructing man to follow a new ritual or religious tradition.
But a deep inter relational. To as Andrew Murray says close the door to men and open it to God.
To lose self, reputation and stand before the Father empty naked and unashamed
To totally open up your heart to him, in love and to find him in that secret place.
Where it’s you and Him alone.
Jesus is bringing them to the beauty of a prayer from the heart.
Unrehearsed, unmemorized truthful prayer.
Needy prayers, desperate praying. Emotional, asking and expressing to God the secret things that no one knows.
These are the prayers that we must shut the door.
This closing the door points to ones personal prayer life.
You its easy to have a prayer life in front and with others. But what about when no one is around.
It is in those private times where one can be honest before the lord.
I can’t tell you how many time I’ve been ask to speak at a church or event and the preacher or whom ever is on the mic goes on a long LONG prayer thing..
often time it is quite obvious, this person is trying to make up for their lack of prayer time.
tells us to
7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
God give us the ability to pour out and cast out all of our fears , pains, heaviness and cares on him. Because He cares and is able to carry the heaviness’s from our life.
Look at Hannah prayer in
11 She made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head.”
12 Now it came about, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli was watching her mouth.
13 As for Hannah, she was speaking in her heart, only her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk.
14 Then Eli said to her, “How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from you.”
15 But Hannah replied, “No, my lord, I am a woman oppressed in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the Lord.
16 “Do not consider your maidservant as a worthless woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and provocation.”
17 Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him.”
18 She said, “Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
She made a vow and said, "O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head."
12 Now it came about, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli was watching her mouth. 13 As for Hannah, she was speaking in her heart, only her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk. 14 Then Eli said to her, "How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from you." 15 But Hannah replied, "No, my lord, I am a woman oppressed in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the Lord. 16 "Do not consider your maidservant as a worthless woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and provocation." 17 Then Eli answered and said, "Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him." 18 She said, "Let your maidservant find favor in your sight." So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
She totally shut the world out and prayed with passion from her soul and God answered her.
When Hezwkiah got the report that we was to die he prayed
2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3 and said, “Remember now, O Lord, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3 and said, "Remember now, O Lord, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in Your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
In verse 18 he says
18 For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: They that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. 19 The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: The father to the children shall make known thy truth.
isaiah
18 For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.
19 The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.
And God heard this prayer and he moved giving him 15 more years.
Even Jesus had this honest moment with the father.
38 Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.” 39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” 40 And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? 41 “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.”
matt 26:38
matt 26:38
38 Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.” 39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” 40 And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? 41 “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.” 43 Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more.
38 Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.” 39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” 40 And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? 41 “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.” 43 Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. 45 Then He came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.
adds this to that story…
43 Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground. 45 When He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow, 46 and said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
43 Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground. 45 When He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow, 46 and said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
Then He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me."
39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will." 40 And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? 41 "Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."
42 He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, "My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done." 43 Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more.
adds this to that story…
adds this to that story…
Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground. 45 When He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow, 46 and said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not enter into temptation."
Its in those time of the greatest needs God gives his greatest strength.
