Just Do It!
“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 is secret, will reward you” –Matthew 6:6, NIV.
A friend of mine used to lock herself in the bathroom to do her devotions–it was the only way she could get away from the rest of family for long enough to spend significant time with the Lord!
I think it was Susanna Wesley who used to sit in the corner of her kitchen with her apron pulled up to cover her face when she was having her “quiet time.” Her numerous children knew not to disturb her during those moments.
If there is one thing in my walk with the Lord (and there is more than one!) that causes me difficulty, that thing is prayer. I pray all the time, but carving out a time, a place, and then focusing exclusively on prayer as a routine matter, has been an elusive goal in my life.
The verse for today doesn’t deal with all the “issues” I can think of that are associated with maintaining a regular prayer habit. Jesus simply says “do it.” Contrary to what some believe, the Lord is not opposing corporate or public prayer by telling us to go into our rooms (or “closet” as the King James says it) to pray. In this, His famous Sermon on the Mount, He is simply placing personal private prayer in juxtaposition to how the Pharisees prayed. They prayed in the most public places only to be admired by those who heard them. And that admiration is all they were going to get from the effort! The true measure of a believer is not how wonderful his public prayer life is, but how solid his private prayer life is.
The “just do it” part grabs my attention. I can make endless excuses for the rather haphazard prayer routine that characterizes my life. In the end I need to see them for what they are–excuses that a little more self-discipline could easily overcome.
I don’t have to hide in the bathroom or cover my head with an apron. The worst that can happen is a cat jumping up on my lap. So, what’s the problem, Lynda? Just do it!
A friend of mine used to lock herself in the bathroom to do her devotions–it was the only way she could get away from the rest of family for long enough to spend significant time with the Lord!
I think it was Susanna Wesley who used to sit in the corner of her kitchen with her apron pulled up to cover her face when she was having her “quiet time.” Her numerous children knew not to disturb her during those moments.
If there is one thing in my walk with the Lord (and there is more than one!) that causes me difficulty, that thing is prayer. I pray all the time, but carving out a time, a place, and then focusing exclusively on prayer as a routine matter, has been an elusive goal in my life.
The verse for today doesn’t deal with all the “issues” I can think of that are associated with maintaining a regular prayer habit. Jesus simply says “do it.” Contrary to what some believe, the Lord is not opposing corporate or public prayer by telling us to go into our rooms (or “closet” as the King James says it) to pray. In this, His famous Sermon on the Mount, He is simply placing personal private prayer in juxtaposition to how the Pharisees prayed. They prayed in the most public places only to be admired by those who heard them. And that admiration is all they were going to get from the effort! The true measure of a believer is not how wonderful his public prayer life is, but how solid his private prayer life is.
The “just do it” part grabs my attention. I can make endless excuses for the rather haphazard prayer routine that characterizes my life. In the end I need to see them for what they are–excuses that a little more self-discipline could easily overcome.
I don’t have to hide in the bathroom or cover my head with an apron. The worst that can happen is a cat jumping up on my lap. So, what’s the problem, Lynda? Just do it!
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