Good Morning All,
Matthew 6:6; “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.”
I remember a story about a little boy who
had a hard time in school. He wasn’t
that popular; he wasn’t that smart and he wasn’t that athletic. He didn’t have the newest clothes or toys and
he never had any money to buy anything at the store. Most days he would just kind of mope through
the day except on Thursdays. On
Thursdays, he seemed a little more alive, a little happier with life. He would hurry home from school because it
was Thursday. He loved Thursdays because
on Thursday his mother would take the eggs she had collected into town and sold
them. After she did this she would buy
him a piece of hard candy. When he got
home, his mother would give him some lemonade and the piece of candy. Then they would sit and talk about the day
and what was happening. Thursdays were
alright; it made up for the rest of the week.
The little boy had something to look
forward to and he saw it as a time of leaving the boring and sometimes painful
day behind. He loved the quiet time with
his mother. He liked the candy and the
lemonade. He liked telling his mother
about the day and how she listened and would make him laugh. We all need times like that. We need times when we can get away from the
weight of the day. We need some time to
refresh our batteries. For us as Christians,
we have a thing that we call prayer that can serve the purpose well.
When Jesus told his disciples to go into the
room and close the door, it was not out of embarrassment or fear. Rather it is meant to ring about our
focus. We do not need or want any
distractions at this time. This includes
praying in a manner that is more designed to impress the world rather than open
our heart to God. It can be a time of great healing for us as
we speak of our fears and our sorrows and though we know that Jesus isn’t a
genie who grants us wishes and solves all our problems and he is not an ATM
machine that simply spits out rewards for prayer. God’s plan is too big for
that, and somehow it includes the hard times as well as the good times. But
Jesus does promise never to leave us or forsake us, and sensing that kind of
closeness in prayer can be a powerful thing for us when we to feel accepted,
loved, and cared for.
We may face struggles and pain but we do
not face them alone. With prayer,
especially if we take time to truly pray, more than a quick thank you for lunch
or a short “I need” petition but rather a time of prayer that is regularly
scheduled; we can feel a closeness to God that may be absent otherwise. Regular daily prayer can train our mind to
seek God and his peace and hope first and by seeking him first; we will find the
contentment that we desire.
Father, we look to you for all of our needs and you
fill them. Lead us by your Spirit to
seek a closer time with you and a deeper sense of hope in your Word. Lead us to know that you hear us and that you
answer all our prayers. You know the
plans that you have for us and they are plans to prosper us. Lead us to trust this promise. In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.
God’s Peace,
Pastor Bret
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