I enjoy praying publicly—leading others, together with me, boldly into the presence of God. I must confess that I find it much more difficult to pray alone, to have a disciplined, daily, protracted, private prayer time with the Lord.
My mind wanders, the digital world screams for my constant attention, and the busyness of daily life distracts me from a consistent, effective, personal, private prayer life.
Jesus’ Prayer Life
Jesus teaches us that our prayers should be directed toward God rather than performed to impress other people. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said:
“‘And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 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 6:5–6
Jesus was not forbidding public prayer. He Himself prayed publicly on a number of occasions, and the early church prayed together as well. Rather, Jesus was condemning prayer that is motivated by a desire to impress others—for human praise—and He was simultaneously encouraging private prayer that is naturally free from the temptation to posture oneself for the approval of man.
In His teaching in Matthew 6, Jesus emphasized:
- Sincerity over showmanship: Prayer is a conversation with God, not a performance for men.
- The importance of private fellowship with the Father: Prayer is a means of cultivating a deep, personal relationship with God.
- That God alone sees the heart: He notices what is done in secret, even when no one else does.
- That God rewards private prayer: He rewards what is done in secret in a unique and special way.
Jesus went away by Himself to pray alone before the Father on many occasions, providing an example for us to follow, demonstrating the importance of private prayer (Matthew 14:23; Mark 1:35, 6:45–46; Luke 4:42, 5:16, 6:12–13; John 6:15).
A concise summary of Jesus’ teaching on personal, private prayer in Matthew 6 would be, “Pray for God’s attention and appreciation (reward) and not for other people’s admiration.”
Pray Bold, Private Prayers
What is the boldest request you have ever made of God? And what led you to make such a confident request of the Almighty? When is the last time you made a bold or even audacious request of the Lord?
I had the privilege of teaching several men’s Bible studies this spring through the Book of Hebrews. After nine and a half chapters of setting forth incredibly rich doctrine on the Person and work of Jesus Christ, the author of Hebrews only then begins the application section in his letter to the Hebrew Christians, beginning at Hebrews 10:19.
Immediately before launching into the application section of his letter, the author repetitively summarizes a most profound biblical truth—that Jesus’ work on the cross in paying for our sins truly was a once-for-all-time accomplishment.
“And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. … But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” –Hebrews 10:10, 12–14
Once for all!
For all time!
By one sacrifice!
Truly, it is finished—one time for all time!
Jesus paid in full for all of your sins and all of my sins—once for all time!
Do we really believe that? Do we really believe that all of your sins and all of my sins were fully covered and cleansed by the blood of Jesus, which He shed 2,000 years ago, one time, for all sin, for all time? That’s what the author of Hebrews repeatedly emphasizes prior to making a profound application of this core truth of the gospel.
What then is the first application that he makes in Hebrews 10:19 after repeating such a powerful truth three times in only five verses?
It is that you and I have been granted, by God’s amazing grace, the right and the privilege to have constant, bold access into the very presence of our holy God.
“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” –Hebrews 10:19–22
By merit of Jesus death on the cross 2,000 years ago, once for all time, you and I have the truly unimaginable privilege to come very boldly into God’s holy presence at all times!
In recent weeks, this truth has rocked my world and reenergized my personal prayer life! I have concluded that personal, private prayer, which Jesus uniquely invites us into, is the ultimate, powerful expression of four key aspects of a healthy spiritual life:
- Bold, private prayer is the most pure form of worshipping God.
- Bold, private prayer is the highest form of demonstrating love for others.
- Bold, private prayer is the most strategic way to accelerate and achieve the mission of making disciples of all nations.
- Bold, private prayer is critical for winning our daily battles of spiritual warfare.
Don’t get me wrong; I am all for public prayer, for praying together regularly with one another! As Paul reminds us, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people (Ephesians 6:18).”
And yet, Jesus offers each of us a unique invitation—and promises us a unique reward—when we obediently commune with Him in solitary, private prayer!
A Personal Application
In an effort to grow my personal, private prayer life, I have recently started a new journal to help me be more consistent and more disciplined to obey Jesus’ command and to claim His promise and His prize in Matthew 6:5–6.
Do you believe Jesus’ promise?
Dallas Willard said, “We don’t believe something by merely saying we believe it, or even when we believe that we believe it. We believe something when we act as if it were true.”
For me, Willard’s words mean that I need to grow in the discipline of acting as though Jesus’ promise to reward closed-door, private, abiding prayer by being alone with the Father is true.
Because it is!
May the Lord bless you richly and reward you greatly as you grow in this grace of personal, private, intimate prayer and abiding with the Father!
Enjoy the secret rewards!
Prayer Moves the Mission
God works when we pray, which is why East-West is committed to passionate, consistent prayer for the unreached and our missionaries and national partners who serve among them. You can join us in the important work of praying for those living in the throes of spiritual darkness as we seek to reach them with the good news of Jesus in a way that transforms their lives forever.
