Alone With the Father
“When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret.” (Matt 6:6)
A CapitalOne commercial advertisement asks, “What’s in your wallet?” The ad speaks to the buying power for one who possesses this certain credit card. The possessor of the card has a capacity for all their needs and purchasing power unimaginable. The advertiser’s claim “it is the only card that you will ever need.” The same can be said about the power and presence of God. For the soul filled by the presence of God and strengthened with His power, God is all we ever need. The place where the child of God comes to know the infinite power and intimate presence of God is in their secret place through the power of prayer. Our scripture passage leads us to consider that God might be asking “Who’s in your closet?” The closets in our home are places where we store personal items. A secret closet is the spiritual place where the child of God can take their personal issues, private concerns and pressing matters to their heavenly Father who listens and lovingly answers “according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:19). The secret place is an “alone-time” with God to “shut thy door” to the demands and distractions of the world outside, get away from the busyness of day-by-day striving, searching, and seeking, to recline in the arms of your Father who desires your presence more than you could ever imagine. The secret closet is a safe place where the child of God comes to openly and honestly “pray to thy Father which is in secret,” commune with their Father, and receive His cleansing, His forgiveness and be restored into His fellowship to become radiant with His abounding presence. My friend, there is no greater invitation and no greater use of time than to “enter into thy closet, and…pray to thy Father which is in secret.” Today, God is calling all His children to “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning” (Joel 2:12). He sincerely desires that all would come to know “Who is in your closet.” I imagine that it was the secret closet where the song writer learned to sing and proclaim to the world “Jesus is all the world to me, my life, my joy, my all…He’s my Friend.” Thank You Father for Your invitation and desire to meet with Your children alone and in secret. Help me to shut the door to the world and be alone with You, learn of You, and lean on You. In the blessed Name of Jesus. Amen.