Just before Jesus taught the Lord’s Prayer, He made some mysterious statements.
“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Mt 6:6-8 ESV)
Note that Jesus was not saying that we get a reward when we talk much while praying. What news, anyway, could surprise Him who is all-wise and all-knowing? However, Jesus promised a reward when we pray
(1) in our room
(2) shut the door and
(3) pray secretly
Well, it seems clear that He did not speak of praying in public, neither in a church building nor in front of others elsewhere. The prayer Jesus was speaking of here, is the mystical prayer which reveals the Father’s love for His children. Finally, such a prayer does not even need words. It is enough to bring into focus that God is HERE and NOW and that He is always listening. And if we realize that He knows about all things we might need and that He really cares for our needs, we might see that prayer indeed is about seeking God’s loving presence – only.
Trying to “translate” the features of the mystical prayer, one might describe them as follows.
(1) We should seek His presence without anyone around us who could distract us from focussing on Him.
(2) We should shut the door, not necessarily the real door of a room but especially our eyes which symbolize the door to the visible world. Actually, we are meeting the invisible God who can merely be seen with the eyes of the heart as soon as He has enlightened them.
(3) Nobody needs to know that we are praying to God – it is a secret between God and us, that means, all things that might happen in our mind, soul, and body when we get in touch with God are a secret between God and us. Indeed, it is a both mysterious and wonderful thing to encounter the eternal God through prayer.
What (this) prayer is NOT…
I. Prayer is not about Bible reading – although some verses might pop up in our mind too. When we concentrate our attention on the person of God or Jesus, we can experience real, spiritual life. If we rather prefer reading the Bible as a substitute for prayer, we will miss that life as Jesus stated,
“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.” (Jn 5:39-40 ESV)
II. Prayer is not about lamenting or whining because we can get rid of our anxieties before we truly pray.
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Pt 5:6-7 ESV)
III. Prayer is not about praying what we think we ought pray for or about what others say we should pray. No rituals, no pre-fabricated prayers from others, no empty formulas will ever be able to bring us into His presence.
“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” (Col 2:8 ESV)
“[…] human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.” (Col 2:22-23 ESV)
IV. Prayer is not about telling God what and when He ought to do all things in our sight, not even about telling Him how He should change us so that we could be more godly (in our own eyes). All those changes in our hearts – that is, healing old wounds and taking away any covetousness and evil desires – which God wants to do inside us happen while getting in touch with His Spirit, that means, while praying. It is never necessary to tell Him what we still lack. He knows it and He will change us – in His time. Not before…
Okay, I admit, it does not appear to be really good news at the very first moment since our busy minds which love to make blah blah want TO DO something as well, don’t they… Alas, there is nothing to do but to wait for God who, eventually, will calm our restless minds with His peace. And with His joy, His love, and patience, and faith, and hope, and with all good things imaginable.
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (Js 1:17 ESV)
Note again: All things come from Him, even the possibility to find Him through prayer.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” (Mt 7:7-8 ESV)
Our “job” is only to ask Him to help us and to seek Him, again and again. Daily. It is not necessary to seek Him longer than five minutes a day in the beginning. The longing for more of His presence will finally come from Him as well.
However, five minutes should be possible, right? 😉
Wow Susanne that is some good stuff that you said..I will want to re-read that again when I get home from work this afternoon..my own personal experience with God is that he is the father that I never had and I just enjoy talking to him through out the day and when I need strength or wisdom I love trusting him to be that for me..it makes my life so much easier than when I try to handle life on my own.
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Oh, Kenneth – your comment has been VERY encouraging for me. Thanks so much for writing THIS! 🙂
So sorry to hear that you never had the father you needed, my brother. However, I was glad to read that you “just enjoy talking to him through out the day and when” you “need strength or wisdom” and that you “love trusting him to be that for” you. Very well said! Indeed, you are right, it is way easier to live with God than trying to do the whole stuff alone.
[Emphasis added]
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The cud is determined by what was previously eaten, I would assume. Our prayers(at least mine) are determined often by what I have eaten – spiritually speaking. So, I would answer to the question,”is prayer about chewing our cud”, often it is. However, that is not all of my praying.
I am blessed by reading your writings. Thank you for being my sister.
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Yes, I fully agree with you, Pat.
From my own experience I know that I always need some time to “chew my cud”, that is, to meditate on those things that are on my mind until I can (really) begin to pray. It is quite normal, I guess. And I know that I always need God’s help to focus my attention, more and more, on His loving person. Experiencing His both tender and passionate LOVE in an intimate way through prayer, finally, makes me forget everything else (sorrows, fears, anger, doubts – and even good things 😉 ).
Well, I am happy to hear that you feel blessed by my writings – makes my heart leap with joy, my dear sister. And I gladly admit that I am grateful to God that He blessed me with getting to know YOU. 🙂
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well I said I would read what you wrote when I got home from work and I did–I noticed that word–enjoy–and that’s it–I enjoy God talking to me and me talking to him–what more could you ask for in a relationship.
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Amen, Kenneth. 😉
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Our “job” is only to ask Him to help us and to seek Him, again and again. Daily. It is not necessary to seek Him longer than five minutes a day in the beginning. The longing for more of His presence will finally come from Him as well.
Will he helped even do our job and seek Him if we ask Him to daily give us that desire? And to be humble before truth?
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He will help us in all things, Kathryn, because we cannot do anything apart from Him (Jn 15:5). Sometimes in the past I thought that I prayed and sought Him, but later I realized that God was “there” before and that He was the ONE to draw me toward Jesus, for it is written,
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” (Jn 6:44 ESV)
By the way, my sister, since I am really at my wits’ end as for giving you helpful answers regarding your anxiety attacks, I thought the link to the following blog which exclusively deals with that very problem might be helpful for you. If you like, see http://prayerforanxiety.com/2014/05/15/what-causes-anxiety-medical-and-spiritual-factors/.
May God richly bless you, Kathryn!
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Thank you Susanne, you’ve been so kind. Please never stop praying for me, and especially for daily turning from pride and living in the truth. That The Lord will help me see and hear and be His.
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You’re welcome, Kathryn.
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Amen to your article -The apostle Paul talks about prayer without ceasing I think that would be some of what you are sharing. it would have to be an attitude of the heart to be possible and in Rom.8:26-27, it speaks of us not knowing what we should pray for as we ought and the Holy Spirit helping us in our weakness and making intercession for us according to the will of God. I have been following the Lord for 38 yrs and the last 15 or so yrs I have been going through some radical changes in my believes and one of them is prayer. it is moving in the direction you are sharing about. More of a relational time with the Lord and listening and speaking those things I hear the Lord saying to speak. A little note for Kathryn – the Lord shared with me a few yrs ago about praying for people even if He gives me nothing to pray for the person (and I only want to pray what the Lord is telling me to pray ). He reminded me of the high priest going in before before the Lord in the Holy of Holies. He had an ephod over his heart with jewels representing the twelve tribes of Israel so every time he went before the Lord the tribes were with him. it is the same with me with the people He had placed as a burden on my heart, that when i went into a personal time with Him the burden (person ) came also if I prayed specific prayers or not the person was covered in prayer. ( untill the burden is released ) I am sure the Lord has put you on the hearts of many of His saints .
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Oh, thank you so much for sharing details about your prayer life, Wayne, and for mentioning that the Lord has put Kathryn on the hearts of many (since this is my very impression as well). There is nothing to be feared for her even though her thoughts might go haywire from time to time. Thoughts are only thoughts – no more, no less.
Yes, I have been talking about prayer without ceasing which is a gift from God. And amen to people whom God has put as a burden on your heart. I do know how it feels. It is sometimes extremely painful to suffer spiritually with those who suffer. Not uncommonly it feels like dying…until the burden has been released, as you perfectly said above, my brother.
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Thank you, dear friends. There are many things I fear and want to plead for prayer for, but what an encouragement to trust that The Lord is concerned.
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Though I do ask that, if The Lord confirms that He would be pleased with this prayer for me, you will both pray that I will be able to trust and take joy that Jesus is my savior.
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Your post reminds me of some earlier posts I drafted and I have been wanting to write about. You said it so well. May I put a link to yours in my post as I am writing a post similar to it?
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Of course, dear Ngozi, put a link to that article in your own post! I feel honored if you do so, my friend. Thanks so much for your edifying words. 🙂
May God bless you immensely!
Much love,
Susanne
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You are very welcome. I am glad to see God’s children living in Him. Confirmation of what He places in our hearts, through each other is amazing.
Thank you for being a vessel.
God bless you too x
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Mmmmhhhh…… Thanks for your kind words, Ngozi! ❤
Also, thank you for confirming the truth with your comment on here, too.
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Pingback: HE teaches me to “pray” | SERVING JESUS HERE
Thanks so much for the link to my post, dear Ngozi! 🙂
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Well my prayers have been done wrong. A lot of my prayers are asking for Mercy or forgiveness and asking for evil to be fully removed from me. I some times just pray for help.
I do thank you.
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You’re very welcome, Fred. Most important is that we pray. Not so much in pre-formulated patterns, but that we approach God as we approach one another and share our most intimate concerns with Him because He is our best friend.
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Oh yes, Susanne. This whole plan of creation and salvation is about intimacy with our Father in heaven. All things are ours IN Christ, even the most intimate relationship ever imagined with the Father that Jesus has with Him… that is ours, too! Everything that Jesus did on earth and continues to do in heaven at our Father’s right side as He makes intercession for us is done to restore us into a perfect faith and love relationship with His Father!!! As Paul wrote, “ALL things are yours and you are Christ’s and Christ is God’s.” James wrote,
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (Jas 1:17, KJ2000)
God is the “Father of lights.” Jesus is “the true light that lights the every man that comes into the world.” Jesus is the very Son of God and as such manifests His light to the world. But James wrote that God is the Father of LIGHTS (plural). The greatest gift of all is the gift of sonship, that we ALL might have the same relationship with our heavenly Father that Jesus has… that we might also be many lights as the children of the Father of Lights. What a perfect gift from our Daddy!!! We were called by Jesus, “The light of the world” (Matt. 5:14).
Oh, what a perfect unity Father has in store for us! (And now for my favorite passage. Drum roll………………………)
“That they all may be one; as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that you have sent me. And the glory which you gave me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:” (John 17:21-22, KJ2000)
You see, it has always been about intimacy with the Father and the Son… ONE IN THEM! This is where our light comes from! The world cannot believe in what it can not see, so our Daddy in heaven has chosen to bring us into intimacy with Him so that we also might shine forth among those in the world who do not know Him yet. The glory of God is His supernatural light… the Shekinah Glory of God that shone forth from the Ark in the Holy of Holies. Did you get what Jesus said? “The glory which you gave me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:”
Glory, light, fellowship, intimacy and ONE.
Lord Jesus, bring us into the fullness of the Father’s glory and do whatever needs to be done to get us there. Amen!
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Drum roll…. hahaha XD That is indeed one of your most quoted Scriptures, Michael! 🙂
Amen to your prayer, my brother.
What you shared about the Father of lights, the light of the world – Jesus and us – was something I have been thinking about today as well. What a coincidence… 😉
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Susanne! HAHAHAHAHAHA! There are no coincidences in the Spirit. 🙂
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Aha? What does that mean? 😉
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In reality, Susanne and I were communicating together via the internet earlier today and the Spirit took over and soon He was showing us things from a most wonderful heavenly viewpoint. His presence was so powerful that it could not be denied.
So, what I shared in the above comment about intimacy and light sprang out of that conversation we had in which we BOTH felt the peace, love, unity, fellowship and light of the Father and the Son together.
“What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
leaning on the everlasting arms;
what a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
leaning on the everlasting arms.
“O how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
leaning on the everlasting arms;
O how bright the path grows from day to day,
leaning on the everlasting arms!”
Somehow the words to this old hymn fit. What a wonderful privileged it is to be in their eternal love and fellowship!
“But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shines more and more unto the perfect day.” (Prov 4:18, KJ2000)
Thank you, Susanne, for your wonderful part in what God is doing in this hour and thank you, Father, for including us. ⭐
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That was so sweet by you. Thank you, Michael! 🙂
Thank you, too, very much, for being part of that wonderful heavenly relationship God has bestowed on us. I will be forever thankful to God that He reveals His Son in and through us the way He has been doing.
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Susanne, so will I. May we continue to walk in His light together with the Father and the Son. 🐻
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Amen, Michael. 🐱
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