SOMETHING WE ALL CAN DO:  PRAY

"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

Last week, we began looking at some things that every Christian can do.  It is almost intimidating to look at very gifted Christians.  In fact, it is easy to get discouraged when we compare our talents with those who are greatly gifted by God.  Whether you feel talented or not, there are things you can do in the Lord's work.  Last week, we learned about something all Christians can do:  believe.  Faith is a major key to today's subject.  Today we are looking something else all Christians can do:  pray.

I do not intend to write an extended essay on the subject of prayer.  There are many excellent books about prayer that are available.  Instead, I want to encourage believers to pray.  Let's be honest about it.  Prayer can be hard work. Our flesh tends to fight against us when we pray.  Additionally, the devil can bombard our minds with other thoughts, distracting us from prayer.  Our appointment calendars can get so full that time with the Lord gets crowded out of our lives. 

Yet we need to pray.  We need the Lord each moment.  We need His provisions, power and protection.  Prayer is not just a spiritual discipline; it is a necessity of life.

For the Christian, prayer is more than a religious exercise.  Prayer is the means by which we communicate with God. 

There's no better expert on the subject of prayer than Jesus.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught His followers many practical lessons for life.  Among the instruction He gave, Jesus gave us specific insight about personal prayer.  Our text today is Matthew 6:6.  From this verse, Jesus teaches us how to pray.

1.  PRAY INTENTIONALLY.

First of all, we should pray intentionally.  Jesus said, "But thou, when thou prayest..."  He didn't say, "If thou prayest," but "WHEN thou prayest..."  The Lord expects us to pray.

I realize that there are times in which the Lord leads us to pray spontaneously.  That is wonderful.  I still believe that we need to intentionally set aside time daily for prayer.  Set aside time daily to meet with God and talk with Him.  Prayer and the Word go hand-in-hand.  I suggest that you plan a time daily to read from the Word and pray to the Lord. 

Pray intentionally.

2.  PRAY PRIVATELY.

Also, we're taught to pray secretly.  Jesus said, "... enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret."  Jesus is not teaching us that it is wrong to pray in public.  Jesus prayed in public several times.  There are many instances when public prayer is needed.  However, most of our praying should be done privately.

Jesus said "... enter into thy closet..."  If you're like me, there's not enough room to even get in your closet, yet alone spend time in prayer in there.  What Jesus is referring to in this text is a special, quiet place, free from distractions.  I've heard of people who've built a special, small room in their house just for prayer.  They refer to it as their prayer closet.  I like that.  However, you don't have to make major changes to your home.  You just need to find a private place to meet with God.

The emphasis on private prayer is in sharp contrast to the Pharisees' form of prayer.  Pharisees prayed publicly just to be seen and praised.  Jesus wants His followers to avoid that.  Instead, He wants His people to pray in private.

3.  PRAY EXPECTANTLY.

Finally, we should pray expectantly.  Pray with faith.  In fact, R. A. Torrey wrote that believers should focus, by faith, on the Lord before praying.  Faith is a vital part of effective prayer. 

Jesus promised, "... and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly."  This is an exciting guarantee from Jesus: we will receive a reward for our prayers!   We should pray with such confidence.  In Matthew 21:22, Jesus said, " And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, BELIEVING, ye shall receive" (emphasis added). 

By faith, we approach the throne of grace when we pray.  By faith, we focus on the One who occupies that throne, which allows us to address Him personally.  By faith, we talk with Him, knowing that we'll be rewarded for our prayers.  By faith, we know that He hears and will answer our prayers. 

Pray intentionally.  Pray privately.  Pray expectantly.  Put Jesus' teaching to practice in your own life.  If we prayed according to Jesus' instruction, we may be amazed at the things the Lord does in response to our prayers. 

What a blessing and privilege it is to pray!  Take time to pray --- and then pray throughout the day.  Paul wrote, "Pray without ceasing." 

God is here with us.  He is available to hear our plea.  Call upon Him in prayer today.

That is something all us can do.