Matthew 6:6 (CEB)
But when you pray, go to your room, shut the door, and pray to your Father who is present in that secret place. Your Father who sees what you do in secret will reward you.
I have a secret prayer space, a place I share with God alone. He hears what I say (think) during my private prayer time — things no one else knows. And that’s a comfort.
You too have a secret prayer place. It’s where you share your dreams, frustrations, doubts and questions. You, your secrets . . . and God.
It’s almost spring!
I love the four seasons: winter, spring, summer, fall. Each season is special.
There are four seasons to my prayers, too.
Humbly pray through all four seasons.
Forgive me, Lord,
when I fail to see You at work in the silence of winter;
for believing those springtime seeds are my own doing;
for thinking I’m the power behind summer’s growth;
when I take credit for the autumn fruit.
Thank You, Lord, for all You do.
There are seasons of blessings.
Answers to prayer roll down.
Doors open. Opportunities line up.
John 1:16 (AMP)
For out of His fullness [the superabundance of His grace and truth] we have all received grace upon grace [spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift].
God’s timeline includes well-watered seasons.
Psalm 63:1 (NIV)
You, God, are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
where there is no water.
Yes, there will be dry seasons of prayer.
Times when God seems far off.
Times of waiting.
“Never give up prayer, and should you find dryness and difficulty, persevere in it for this very reason. God often desires to see what love your soul has, and love is not tried by ease and satisfaction.”
St. John of the Cross (1542-1591)
The weather comes in seasons —
and so does prayer.
There are seasons of life:
Which season are you in right now?
Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens.
This headline in my newsfeed caught my eye:
“Fasting from meat for Lent? Check out these seafood restaurants.”
Jesus said,
Matthew 6:17-18 (ESV)
But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Head out for seafood. No one will know you’re fasting.
I don’t think this is the “in secret” Jesus had in mind.
God calls us to fast for good.
Isaiah 58:6-7 (MEV)
Is not this the fast that I have chosen:
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the heavy burdens,
and to let the oppressed go free,
and break every yoke?
Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry
and bring the poor who are outcasts into your house?
Fasting — it’s more than what you give up.
There’s more to fasting than food.
John Chrysostom was the Archbishop of Constantinople at the turn of the fifth century AD. His well-spoken sermons earned him the name “golden mouthed.” He packed a lot of wisdom into a few words.
