“When you pray, go into your inner room and close your door” (Mt.6:6).
Taking time alone with the Lord is to forsake everyone and everything that surrounds you in the normal course of your day.
As normal as it sounds that a Christian must spend time alone in prayer, it is not something that comes naturally. The habit of prayer is hard fought for and maintained only with a cast-iron resolve.
Israel of old, when finding themselves in the grip of misery due to their sin, would cry out to God for deliverance. God in his mercy heard their prayers and helped them. As time passed and they returned to their old sinful ways, they didn’t cease from prayer. But theirs became the prayers of a spoilt child aware that their benefactor was listening. The Psalmist says of them: “They would flatter God with their mouths” (Psalm 78:36).
What is Satan’s response when he sees you enter your inner room to pray? Does he follow you in? If so, how do you keep him out?
Your prayers are the frontline of resistance against the forces of evil. James says, “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (Jm.4:7).
It is by submitting to God that you draw near to Him and find the strength to resist temptation. This is where prayer has its most devastating effect on the devil’s hold over you. What can he do but flee when you are in the presence of God?
To stay focused, you are going to have to give these times alone with the Lord some serious thought. Lists of needs and concerns are your best start. But don’t forget to deliberately spend time in thankfulness—again, a list is a good idea. The best thing about thankfulness is that it will naturally lift your heart unto the praise of God’s glory.
You will discover that your regular time alone with the Lord will give you the strength you need for your Christian service beyond your inner room – Praise the Lord!
So, submit to God, and you will drive the devil out of there!
John Staiger
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