I’ve been thinking lately about how much Jesus taught us both with his words and his actions about prayer. He taught us to go away completely by ourselves and to pray.

Jesus taught us, “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 6:6-7, NKJV).” What do we observe in these instructions? He said to go into a room (some versions even say closet), which tells us that we need to go to a place of quiet isolation.

Next, we are to pray to our Father who sees everything that happens in secret. This is hard to do, isn’t it? I’m a mom of five kids, so I know how hard it can be to carve time out to truly be alone with God. Recently, my pastor’s wife, who is now nearly an empty nester, said that for many years she would go into the garage, and then sit in the car to get some secret praying time with God. She said that sometimes, if she knew kids might be running through, she’d even recline her car seat and they’d run right past without seeing her. This was determination! This was intentionality and it was definitely worth the effort to get alone to speak to and listen to the Lord. This special woman has a vibrant Bible-teaching ministry and has led many others to salvation, and I have to wonder how many prayers the Lord answered because of her faithfulness in going to that “secret place.” This story challenged me to give a little more effort to go to a “secret” place to pray.

Not only does Jesus tell us to pray alone, but He also models this.

Not only does Jesus tell us to pray alone, but He also models this. Several times in the gospels, it is reported that Jesus goes away completely by Himself to pray. In Mark chapter 6, we read that after a long and assuredly exhausting day of ministering to the multitudes, Jesus sent the crowds away. He didn’t have his own home with a quiet room, so alternatively, he went up to the mountain to pray. A long, difficult day spent ministering to the spiritual and physical needs of the multitude left Jesus exhausted. But that hard day drove Jesus to prayer, not from prayer. I know that sometimes after being gone all day, working hard, I am tempted to run from prayer, not towards it. Shamefully, I don’t feel like talking to anyone, even the Lord! But if Jesus showed us this is what we are to do, there is worth in putting a stop to work at some point during our day, telling those around us that we need to step away, and going to an alone place to pray. I love what Matthew Henry, the great theologian said, “A good man is never less alone than when alone with God.”

Do you feel you’re too busy to make time for isolated prayer? I know that I often feel that way. But Jesus’ words and actions tell us we are never too busy to pray. In Mark chapter 6, we read that Jesus and His disciples had so much work to do including healing and preaching, that they didn’t even have time to eat. I know that I’ve had seasons like this. I think of seasons of newborns + toddlers, seasons where there has been a move, seasons of a new job or kids in a new school. Every minute seems so full that there doesn’t even seem to be enough time to eat. 

Perhaps you’re in one of those seasons right now. However, Jesus made the time to go up the mountain, to speak alone with his Father, to gain wisdom, and to ultimately receive the strength to complete his mission here on earth. We even read that when He went up to the mountain to pray, he “continued all night in prayer.” Wow! He even gave up sleep to talk privately with his father. In reality, it’s during these seasons of great stress and responsibilities that we need to pray privately more than ever. The good news is that we can ask God to help us creatively find times to pray during the most stressful times.

So, what can we count on if we obey Jesus and go to a secret place to pray? What can we expect if we say no to some really good things in life to carve out the time to talk with our father? Well, Jesus said, “Your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly (Matthew 6:7, NKJV).” I know that I would love the rewards of answered prayer perhaps of family coming to the Lord, for provision, or for wisdom. And let’s not forget the promise that “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:17, NKJV).”