Secret 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

I have about 4 different posts working their way around my head and in deciding which one to write first, I came across this passage as I was seeking pictures, I knew I had to do this one first.

Plus I am still struggling with the wording on one of the other 3.

Upon reading this passage, I felt calm about the way I pray.

I try to seek complete solitude, mostly because I am distracted easily.

At the Altar, if others are there, I hear them, moving around, sniffling, whispering etc...

And that doesn't allow me to concentrate fully on my communion with Him.

I need the freedom from distraction, as well as the privacy, in order to bare my soul.

I don't have a prayer closet, nor do I always pray on my knees, I don't always close my eyes, rarely do I do it out loud and I don't have a specific time of day to do it.

I pray in the morning when I get up, and while I would like to spend the first few minutes of my morning with Him, before the day actually begins, life sometimes just doesn't allow that.

He is the last one I speak to though before I go to bed.

I need this time with Him and I need it alone.

The intimacy I have come to crave can only come from Him, otherwise I may end up doing something very stupid to hinder my walk.

Prayer is a way to communicate with God, and by praying, it will allow you to become closer and more connected with Him.

What happens if you don't know how?

You are sitting there right now saying to yourself, "I can't"...

Don't worry, He has you covered there as well.

The Holy Spirit will help you when you don't know how, or in the times when you just can't.

There are some things you need to know in order for your prayers to be successful...

Things you have got to have before you go to Him...

A humble heart.

A wholeheartedness when you seek Him

You have to have faith.

Righteousness.

And you have to obey.

Now, don't be like me and think that because you came to Him just as I described above, and because He doesn't answer your prayer the way you prayed it, that He isn't listening.

He is listening, the question is are you?

Your prayers have to line up with His will.

That is the lesson that took me forever to learn.

I could have saved an awful lot of tears, had I learned that early on.

Sometimes no matter how hard you pray, the answer is just no.

Praying can be the most frustrating time of your life, you need that one thing I seem to never have, patience.

Just because you tossed out a prayer doesn't mean He is going to answer you right then and there, it could take days, months and sometimes years.

When your prayer is answered, just the way you want, there is no way to describe the feeling.

You almost float through your day, checking to see if your feet are even on the ground at times, giddy and smiley and at a complete peace within.

When your prayer isn't answered the way you wanted, it can knock you straight on the ground, leaving you breathless and full of tears and confusion, wondering what you did the first time to get your prayer answered and if it is possible that you did something different this time.

More often than naught, this is where I find myself, flat on my back, tossed within what seems to be a never-ending storm, a mountain so high and so wide, I just can't seem to see around it, emotions swirling so much throughout the day, that just taking a deep breath hurts.

In my "worldly" mind, my prayers and His answers are a contradiction to His word, however, if I delve deeper, look past man and world, have mercy at what I find.

I find my Father, in all His glory, pruning me, removing all that is in the path, He has planned out for me.

This morning started out rough, and I admit I didn't pray like I normally do, and during the process of getting things done before I left for work, as I am stressing about court coming up and work and what in the world I am going to do next, not really praying just basically letting Him know I had just about had enough, I didn't have room to carry anything else,

I heard this from Him,

"I know what is around the corner, I can see it, you do not, I do, stop fearing."

Even when I am not technically praying, He is still with me, listening, soothing me, calming my fears, chasing away the demons I so desperately try to hang onto, I am His daughter, and I can see, when I calm down enough to look at the bigger picture, that His hand is in everything I do.

The turning point in your prayers will come, the moment you choose His will over your will, plain and simple, even when it is something you want with every breath you take, even when your emotions are telling you that you are going to take this stand and never give in, even when your heart says this (whatever "this" may be) is the way it should be.

It may take you crying out to your Father, perhaps, like me, after you hit rock bottom, when you are left with no other choice and He becomes the last resort, though I would strongly suggest you get to this place before you hit rock bottom, as it will save you unnecessary pain.

Whatever it takes to get to this place, remember this; His love is pure & His trust is complete.

Though you may never agree nor ever understand why you are in this place, He will lead you in the right direction, as long as you submit to His will.

The sooner you learn that this isn't about you, but about Him, and the complete and unconditional love He has for us, the path He wants each of us on and His perfect will, the sooner your prayers will touch Him & His heart.

KUTLESS
Everybody's Scared To Death
When They Decide To Take That Step
Out On The Water
It'll Be Alright