The Life of Private Prayer
CH (CPT) Keith J. Andrews
All Scripture Marked ESV: The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
When you think of prayer do you think of those public prayers that people make. Do you compare yourself with those who give wonderful lengthy prayers? The importance should not be put on your public prayer life.
But Matthew 6:6 says
6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Mt 6:6, ESV)
We as Christians need to have a private but consistent prayer life.
A prayer life that is daily. A prayer life that is personal. A prayer life that is meaningful. And a prayer life that builds your personal relationship with Christ.
The best example of this prayer life, a private prayer life, was Jesus himself.
This morning, we are going to look at some of the attributes of Jesus’ prayer life and use His example to see how we can develop a model of our own.
We see first that:
1. Jesus prayed on the mountain.
We see in Matthew 14:23 that;
23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, (Mt 14:23, ESV)
Then in Luke 6:12
…he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. (Lk 6:12, ESV)
I learned much about prayer by spending time at Ridgecrest, NC. Ridgecrest is a Baptist Conference Center and Spiritual Retreat in the mountains of North Carolina. It is a place where I’ve spent much time in prayer and Bible study.
I have spent so much time there that I can go on those grounds and tell you my life story. But the most important thing about Ridgecrest is that it has always been a place for me to meet God. It is a place that I can go to get away from what ever is going on around me, what ever distract me, or whatever troubles me.
I am able to focus on what God is saying to me. So I understand what it means to slip away to the hills--to go to a mountain and pray.
Do I think that you can only meet God on a mountain? No, but I do believe that specific places are places in which we can meet God.
I remember having prayer times when I was at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Many times, on the weekends, I would go hiking. Once, I went camping for that reason, just to pray. We go to a specific place, and as the verse says, we get alone with God. And when we get alone we meet God.
Another place that
2. Jesus prayed was in the garden.
Matthew 26:36 says;
36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” (Mt 26:36, ESV)
This was the place of Jesus’ most heart wrenching prayers. This is the most preached on and the most remembered place that Jesus prayed.
He prayed in the garden. He prayed for his disciples. He prayed for himself. And he prayed that God’s will would be done.
Several years ago, I went up to Ridgecrest to attend a groundbreaking ceremony of a building that now is on top of a familiar prayer garden at Ridgecrest.
It was sad to know that the “Prayer Garden” would be destroyed. But it was exciting to see the growth and the potential of this dear place.
The night before however, I was able to go and to spend some time in that prayer garden one last time.
I thought about how I had prayed through the years, right there. And I really don’t think there was a prayer that remains unanswered.
The garden was made up of Rhododendron and mountain laurel.
The focal point of the garden was a spring, called Johnson spring. And from there ran a small stream that flowed through the garden.
There was a bridge that looks almost like a covered porch deck that was built over this small stream.
It is here that I prayed about the Army. I prayed for Monica, before I knew her. I prayed about seminary. I prayed about college. I think, I prayed about everything in that spot.
I think I understand this passage about Jesus praying in a garden.
One translation of this passage calls it an olive grove. And I can see the olive trees growing all around the garden.
There may have been a spring, and stream flowing through, with a bridge.
Jesus went to the garden. A place of seclusion. A place of peacefulness. A place where he could focus on what God had to say to him.
Jesus prayed on a mountain, in a garden, but
3. Jesus also prayed in the Wilderness
Luke 5:16 says
16 But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray. (Lk 5:16, ESV)
Jesus didn’t always need a special garden or a special mountaintop to pray. But he would slip off into the wilderness. He would take a walk through the woods and pray. In that way he would be alone.
Sometimes it is good, just a walk out your back door and pray. There is enough out there to spend time alone.
To stop and listen to the wind, created by God. The trees created by God. The birds, created by God. To take a breath of God’s creation, and pray. It is a simple place to get alone.
We need those places. We need places like that in our lives. We need mountain tops or gardens or just simply wilderness.
So we can get away and focus on what God has to tell us. When we make it a habit of getting alone with God, it is then that we can begin a fulfilling life of private prayer.
Another attribute of Jesus’ prayer life was that:
4. Jesus prayed regularly in the Morning.
We’ve seen in the last several passages that Jesus prayed at night. He prayed at different times of the day.
But Jesus did pray in the morning.
Mark 1:35 says
35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. (Mk 1:35, ESV)
Many times, the emphasis is placed on the time of day that Jesus prayed.
However we have seen that Jesus prayed at different times of the day. But I believe the true point of this passage, is that Jesus went out alone and that he had a specific time to pray.
We live in a busy world. I get up early in the morning. By 9:00, my morning is over. Something comes up by that point that will distract me from prayer.
I believe that Jesus’ main objective in prayer was that personal private time with God. No distractions. Just time with God. And that needs to be our objective as well. To take some time alone to spend with God.
Now what about your prayer life? How can you develop a life of private prayer?
First, you need to schedule time. You need to take time, block it off on your schedule, to pray. For many Christians, that time is in the morning.
The morning is when you are at your best. It is a time when you have the most strength. It is when your mind has the least amount of distractions. At the end of the day, many times you are tired. Many times, you also have a lot on your mind. These can distract you.
Another reason to pray in the morning is the fact that you can pray and know all day long that you began the tasks for that day in prayer. But whatever time you pick, schedule it.
Make an appointment. We don’t miss our meetings and our SP times.
Don’t miss your appointment with God.
Second, pick a location. The best way is to find a location where you know you will not be distracted. Get alone.
Try to meet God there every day. But may I suggest, that once in a while, that you withdraw to the wilderness.
In the morning, I like to run to the SSA and back, this is a time for me to be completely alone. There are places that you can withdrawal. Another favorite time and place for me is at night. There have been several times that I have gotten up at 0200 to pray for a route clearance patrol, and I am the only one walking around out there. I can see the stars and listen to the silence.
Take time to get away, be safe, but look for ways to withdrawal.
Once you get to your place to pray, Begin with silence. Take time to clear your head. Focus on what God wants to say to you. Just be quiet.
Probably the scariest thing that I do is to be quiet. I mean I have to talk. I have to talk all of the time. Something is continually running through my head.
But I must shut down and listen. Listen intently on what God would have me to hear from him.
After some time of silence. Begin to read from the Bible. You should have some sort of plan.
Most people would agree that sporadic Bible reading can be discouraging. If you have never had a quiet time, I have given you, in your handout, a devotional guide so you can have a plan each week.
There are several different types of plans out there—one year Bibles, devotional books like Oswald Chambers, for you to use.
The key is that you spend time reading the Bible.
After you finish reading. Spend time listing quietly again. I would also suggest that you keep a journal. Record God’s message to you. What is he saying? What are you saying? Take time to write it down.
My rule for journaling is to fill the page once you begin it. My journal was started in the eighth grade. I have many prayers. Many conversations with God recorded.
And I look back and I see God’s hand on my life. As a guide to me. As he directs me. It gives me much strength during the dry times.
Then, after you’ve done that,
Pray
As you begin to pray, you can pray through the Lord’s Prayer or you can use the simple formula: ACTS
A--Adoration
C--Confession
T--Thanksgiving
S--Supplication
A is for Adoration
First, take time to pray to God. Acknowledge that you understand how great he is.
Psalm 96:4
4 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be feared above all gods. (Ps 96:4, ESV)
He is worthy of praise for an infinite number of reasons. But, for starters—he is your creator, he is all powerful, he is all knowing, he is everywhere, and he is revered and feared by all who oppose him.
C is for Confession
Second, we need to confess. Confess what? Sin. Sin is anything that you think, say, or do that makes God unhappy. That is a lot of things. A lot of things we let go unnoticed. Think. Say. Do.
The Bible says that we must confess them.
I John 1:9 says,
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 Jn 1:9, ESV)
How do we do this? By a simple prayer in the Psalm 38:15-18:
15 But for you, O Lord, do I wait;
it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.
16 For I said, “Only let them not rejoice over me,
who boast against me when my foot slips!”
17 For I am ready to fall,
and my pain is ever before me.
18 I confess my iniquity;
I am sorry for my sin. (Ps 38:15-18, ESV)
T is for Thanksgiving
After we have confessed our sin, we thank God for all he has done.
I Chronicles 16:34;
34 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!
(1 Ch 16:34, ESV)
I Corinthians 15:57
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Co 15:56-57,ESV)
We have so many things to be thankful for. Just look around. Most of what we have today, is not shared by the people of Iraq and many of the people of the world. We need to be thankful for what we have.
S is for Supplication
Then we pray the prayers of supplication, which is a long word for asking for things.
John 15:7
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.(Jn 15:7, ESV)
Take time to go through a list of needs for yourself and others. And, Jesus, adds pray for your enemies as well.
Thi is an opportunity to use the back of your devotional guide to list your prayer requests.
Pray about you NAIs—your named areas of interests—pray about what you are concerned about. Those are your areas of interest. Pray for your units. Pray for your families.
It doesn’t matter what formula you use, or even that you use a formula. The important thing is that you spend time each day before the father in Prayer.
Do you know the father? The Jesus says if you know him you know the Father. So how do you know him? First, you understand why you need to know him. You need to know him because he loves you.
But you are separated from him because of your sin. That sin will lead to death. But, because God loves you so much, Jesus died on a wooden cross to pay the penalty for your sin.
And by accepting that payment, you can not only know the Son and the Father, you can spend eternity with them in heaven.
