THE SECRET SAUCE OF PRAYER
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:6
The Bible can really punch you in the face sometimes right? I mean, just read this verse about prayer. As most of you know, I was raised in church. I was raised in prayer meetings and prayer before just about everything. Prayer has encompassed my life nearly every day in all sorts of ways.
So, when I read this verse, I get a bit of a chuckle. I chuckle because of the way we think prayer works and what the Bible says about prayer. Let me be clear, I’m not a prayer expert, nor do I want to be. I’m only making observations about prayer. Reading a verse like this causes me to think about prayer differently for me as well as others.
How do you pray? Does this verse convict you at all? Most would say probably not, however, if you’re a part of a church or ministry, you might be.
Media and social media has transformed how we live life. Just yesterday I was at the barber shop and overheard my barber talking about a conversation he had with another client. He was pumped about the conversation, so pumped that he leaned over to another barber and said, “I wish I recorded that conversation, it would have gone ‘viral’ for sure.”
When I heard that statement it caught me by surprise. I was surprised that instead of focusing on a great conversation they had, they were focused on the fact that it would go viral or, that other people would notice it.
Isn’t that the culture right now? Will people notice me? And when I say people, it’s usually strangers that you’ve never spent any time with. Isn’t that odd that people would care so much about what strangers think about them or what they do?
This thought brings me to another thought which is, “how much of our lives are being lived for the approval of people who don’t matter?”
If you’re on social media, ask yourself why?
Why do you hang out with the people you hang out with?
Why do you dress the way that you do?
Why do you listen to what you do?
Why do you watch what you watch?
These are just questions to think about “why” you do “what” you do. This is exactly what is happening in this verse in Matthew. Jesus is saying, “hey, when you pray — get somewhere where you and I can talk. We don’t need everyone, I just want to hear from you.”
Jesus isn’t looking for a broadcast prayer, he’s looking for time with you. He’s not looking for you to tell everyone you’re praying — He’s looking for you. In a world and culture right now that shares “everything,” Jesus only wants to hear from you — that’s it.
I wonder if that changes anything about how you pray or when you pray or even why you pray? I do know that it changes how I see it and how I value it.
Prayer doesn’t have to be some weird mystic 💩. It’s a conversation with God between you and Him, that’s it. Those conversations are so valuable that He wants only to hear from you about it.
This isn’t the time for this idea, but the idea I do have is — “I wonder what God thinks about social media?” A whole nother moment for that thought but something to consider.
Wherever you may be — I hope you do pray and take the time to sit down with God. You don’t need to broadcast it, you just need to be present — in his presence. Be inspired, smile big and put courage in someone else.
Love. a.
