"But you, when you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, shall reward you openly." - Matthew 6:6
We are living in the time of the Laodicean Church, which we are told is "rich and increased with goods" (Revelation 3:17). Therefore, most of us are too busy to spend much time in prayer.
MAKE ROOM
For us to enter our "closet" (set apart place) to pray requires that we actively and determinedly make room, where there is no room. For us to establish a "set apart time and place" for prayer, and then maintain this time for prayer, does not come easily.
Therefore, we must place a high value on the time that we spend alone with the Lord, or it will be overtaken and replaced with activities. This "set apart time to be alone with the Lord" must constantly be contended for.
Our Lord is very sensitive about "room being made" for Him, as, when He was born into this world, there was "no room" in the inn. Thus, when anyone of us actively determines to make room for Him, He quickly notices and responds.
Our Lord, who "sees in secret, will reward us openly." This speaks of His "approbation," or divine favor resting upon us – all that we are, and do.
HIS DIVINE FAVOR
The effort that we take to make "room" for Him, and then spend time with Him alone, is the key to His approbation (divine favor), resting upon our spiritual life experience.
"Your Father which is in secret... shall reward you openly." Comparing Isaiah 50:4 with Mark 1:35 reveals to us that Jesus began each day in prayer alone with His Father:
"The Lord God has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: He wakens morning by morning, He wakens My ear to hear as the learned." - Isaiah 50:4
"And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He (Jesus) went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed." - Mark 1:35
After this "set apart time," when Jesus ministered, the favor of His Father resting upon Him was evident.
"The officers answered, 'Never man spoke like this man.'" - John 7:46
"And they were astonished at His doctrine: for He taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes." - Mark 1:22
At the end of time spent alone with Jesus, we may or may not feel spiritually regenerated, but later, we will notice that everything is going better than we had expected, or deserved.
ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
We are living in the time of the Laodicean Church, which we are told is "rich and increased with goods" (Revelation 3:17). Therefore, most of us are too busy to spend much time in prayer.
MAKE ROOM
For us to enter our "closet" (set apart place) to pray requires that we actively and determinedly make room, where there is no room. For us to establish a "set apart time and place" for prayer, and then maintain this time for prayer, does not come easily.
Therefore, we must place a high value on the time that we spend alone with the Lord, or it will be overtaken and replaced with activities. This "set apart time to be alone with the Lord" must constantly be contended for.
Our Lord is very sensitive about "room being made" for Him, as, when He was born into this world, there was "no room" in the inn. Thus, when anyone of us actively determines to make room for Him, He quickly notices and responds.
Our Lord, who "sees in secret, will reward us openly." This speaks of His "approbation," or divine favor resting upon us – all that we are, and do.
HIS DIVINE FAVOR
The effort that we take to make "room" for Him, and then spend time with Him alone, is the key to His approbation (divine favor), resting upon our spiritual life experience.
"Your Father which is in secret... shall reward you openly." Comparing Isaiah 50:4 with Mark 1:35 reveals to us that Jesus began each day in prayer alone with His Father:
"The Lord God has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: He wakens morning by morning, He wakens My ear to hear as the learned." - Isaiah 50:4
"And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He (Jesus) went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed." - Mark 1:35
After this "set apart time," when Jesus ministered, the favor of His Father resting upon Him was evident.
"The officers answered, 'Never man spoke like this man.'" - John 7:46
"And they were astonished at His doctrine: for He taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes." - Mark 1:22
At the end of time spent alone with Jesus, we may or may not feel spiritually regenerated, but later, we will notice that everything is going better than we had expected, or deserved.
ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
