But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Matthew 6:6, NKJV

Prayer. Have you taken time lately to consider the majesty of prayer? As I was having my quiet time this morning, I opened my prayer list and paused for a moment to think about what I was doing: entering into the very presence of the living God – the creator of all things; the sustainer of all things; the sovereign ruler over all things. I was about to engage in personal conversation with God. Read that last sentence again, and this time take time to think about it – to really think about it. Prayer is engaging in a time of personal, one-on-one, conversation with God.

As of November, 2022, the population of earth reached the 8,000,000,000 mark. Eight billion! My mind can’t quite grasp that number. Eight billion individual persons living on this planet right now. That is mind-boggling to be sure.

And the invitation offered to us by Jesus is to enter into our private place of prayer, close the door, and begin a conversation with God, who sees and hears in secret. Now please don’t rush past this. Take some time and give serious consideration to this important matter. When you go into your prayer room – wherever that prayer room is – the distractions of the world do not hinder God from hearing you pray. You have His undivided attention! He sees, and hears, you as you converse with Him.

This is truly amazing, is it not? When I think about my own ability to focus on something, it doesn’t take much to distract me. I am so easily distracted by the least little thing. When I begin to pray, my mind is all of a sudden filled with so many thoughts – of things I need to do, of people I need to see, of places I need to go – and I am, all of a sudden, pulled in a hundred different directions.

But God, who sees and hears us from our secret place, is never distracted. The Bible invites us to come into the presence of God, to spend time conversing with Him, believing that He is there with us, listening to our every word.

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

1 Peter 5:7, NKJV

Take your time reading this verse from the J.B. Phillips translation of the New Testament:

So, humble yourselves under God’s strong hand, and in his own good time he will lift you up. You can throw the whole weight of your anxieties upon Him, for you are His personal concern. 

1 Peter 5:7, JB Phillips translation

Don’t miss those last words: You are His personal concern. He cares for you, personally. He is there with you, in that private place, all distractions aside, listening intently to your prayer. With everything else going on in the world, with the needs of 7,999,999,999 others demanding His attention, He invites you to meet with Him in private. His ear is bent toward you when you enter into that room.

Please don’t rush past this. Please take a few minutes to think about this matter of conversing with God. Take time to thank Him for this amazing privilege. Give serious consideration to the majesty and magnitude of what you are doing every time you engage in conversation with God. You are His personal concern!

Until next time:

Blessings!