#141: To Pray... (Part 2): Be alone with God.

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“Whenever you pray, be sincere and not like the pretenders who love the attention they receive while praying before others in the meetings and on street corners. Believe me, they’ve already received in full their reward.  But whenever you pray, go into your innermost chamber and be alone with Father God, praying to him in secret. And your Father, who sees all you do, will reward you openly." Matthew 6:5‭-‬6 TPT

Last week we left off with Jesus knowing for sure that we would pray (because we are like Christ) and He is here to guide us further in this kingdom lifestyle.

When you pray (because we will), a fundamental question must be answered: are you praying to God or to man? The obvious answer to this question is that prayer is communication to God and not man. And it is in this light that Jesus admonishes us today; if you are praying to God, then get alone with God, be alone with Him. He says this in two points:

1. Men do not need to see you: Jesus calls this hypocritical, insincere and pretentious if you need credit from men about your prayer life. Do you always want your neighbours or roommates know when you pray? This is beyond being loud or not. It is about intent. You could be loud and yet not praying to be seen. Jesus is talking here about people who pray till they get a comment from their fellowship member as giving them a thumbs up. If you need men to commend your prayers, you are praying to catch their attention and you are praying to them. Jesus ends by saying that their comments are your reward. Do not expect anything from God because you were not praying to Him in the first place.

2. Be alone with God: But whenever you pray, go into your innermost chamber and be alone with Father God, praying to Him in secret. This is sequel to the previous point. Go into your innermost chamber. Comments from the brethren cannot get to you there. This may be a physical innermost chamber and this may very well be you praying in public and shutting everything and everyone out. Jesus does not say we should not pray in public. He knows that prayer is a kingdom lifestyle and sometimes you may just need to pray in public and in which case you must remember you pray to God; so create an innermost chamber and get in there - alone with God, full attention on Him, expecting a response from Him alone. Ignore your surrounding. Assume you are in His throne room. Create that scene. Get personal. Shut yourself in with Him, alone with Him. At this point, things get personal. At this point, prayer orchestrates and oils a personal relationship with the Father.

When you have shut yourself in alone with God, then God sees you and you alone. Not you with a crowd. You may be in a group, but God is interested in you and not your prayer partners. That is how personal and intimate God is with us in prayer. Be careful not to come along with the noises outside; shut them out. And Jesus says that the God who sees you will reward you. You have His attention, and in answer to your request, you come out of the prayer room not the same way you entered. You come out with answered prayers, with more strength, with God beside you. And it will be evident to all.

Thought: if you can go in alone with God, you will come out together with Him ready to perform signs and wonders on your behalf.

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