1285. Where Shall We Pray?

Where Shall We Pray?

"I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath or doubting" (1Ti_2:8).

Certainly the obedient and Spirit-filled believer should never be found in a place where he could not have liberty in prayer and full approach unto God.

1. The place to pray is anywhere, everywhere. It is not necessary to confine our approach to God to the sanctuary, set apart for worship. On land or sea, on crowded street or sequestered dale, the child of God may find access to the Father.

There is only one place where a believer cannot pray and that is in the place of disobedience, the place where God is left out.

The obedient and Spirit-filled saint can pray anywhere. Satan may imprison him, and shut him in away from his loved ones and away from his fellow saints, but he cannot shut him away from God.

2. The closet is a place for prayer. "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" (Mat_6:6).

We said above that the believer could not be shut in, away from God; we wish to say now, that the believer, in prayer, needs to be shut in with God.

There is a danger in public prayer. In public we are tempted to pray to the ears of men. The public prayer may easily be used as an opportunity to speak unto men to edification and instruction. Thus, prayer becomes more preaching to men, than communing- with God.

There is power in private prayer. When we are in the closet with God, when the door is shut and the people are all shut out, we are much more likely to open up our hearts acceptably to Him Who alone hears our voice. The closet prayer will have its power felt in public blessing. God will reward us openly.

3. The house top is a place for prayer. Act_10:9 : "On the morrow as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city. Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour."

Peter perhaps, found no closet handy, but he found the top of His dwelling a fit place to meet His God. Above him was the clear sky that opened toward the holy place of the Lord's abiding.

There must have been many precious hours spent there by the Apostle. He had been on Olivet's crest as His Lord had ascended up on High, he had seen the cloud receive Him out of sight and he delighted to lift his face upward and to commune with His Master and His God.

4. The mountain top is a place for prayer. It was there that the Lord often resorted to meet His Father. Many wonderful happenings occurred on the mountain tops, described in the Holy Scriptures, but none of them was more blessed than the prayer scene where Christ prayed and where He was transfigured.

Mat_17:1-2 : "And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them: and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light."

One other mountain prayer scene stands forth with exceeding value. It is described in Mat_14:22-36. Christ had sent the multitudes away; the disciples had been sent across the Sea of Galilee; the Lord had, Himself, gone up "into a mountain apart to pray."

While the boat was in the midst of the sea, tossed of the waves, Christ was alone in prayer, and they were, beyond doubt, the object of His care. So also, as we are in the midst of many sorrows and cares, our Lord is on the mountain top, at God's right hand, praying for us.

5. God's house is a place for prayer. It was Christ Who said:

Mar_11:17 : "Is it not written, My House shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves."

Certainly we have many suggestions that the House of God is a place for prayer. It is where two or three are gathered together that Christ promises to be present to bless.

While we place emphasis upon the secret prayer life, we must not fail to continue the prayer in the public place. There are many blessings dependent upon the united prayers of the children of God.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR