A Pause to Ponder God's Word
"Prayer Closet - Prayer Group"

My daughter was actively conversing with an Internet friend via a "chat room." On the screen was a window which was split in half. The upper part was what my daughter typed and the bottom half was her friend's response. All of a sudden a tone sounded and another window appeared with an invitation for my daughter to "talk" with another person. I watched, in amazement, as she began held two separate conversations at the same time. After a short period of time another window appeared and a third person and window were added. At this time my daughter wrote to all three friends the same message asking them to form a group. They agreed and soon there was one window on the screen and everyone's message appeared in the one box, with there name proceeding their message.

As I watched this take place, I began to think about prayer. Prayer is a mysterious multi-faceted gift. It is conversation with God. It is one of the most powerful Spiritual tools (weapons) that God has given us. It is private and public. It is personal and corporate. It is simple and complex. At times prayer flows with intimate ease and delight. Other times it is heart-wrenchingly hard and wordless. We have much to learn about prayer and we need to do it far more often. The great Christian scholar and author, Elton Trueblood, stated it well when he said, "The school of prayer is one from which no one graduates." But what does this have to do with the chat room group?

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus tells His followers to "go into your room , close the door, and prayer to the Father" (Matthew 6:6). There is nothing more intimate and beautiful than the closet prayer. Just me and Jesus spending time together. We are talking back and forth. There is only "one window," just Jesus and me in the secret place. What blessed sweet communion there is found here.

In Acts 4:24 -31 Peter and John returned to the house prayer group after being arrested, interrogated, and ordered not to preach Jesus any more. Upon hearing the report of what has happened to Peter and John the whole group "with one mind raised their voice to God"* in prayer. The prayer that was prayed is recorded for us in the passage. This does not mean that everyone miraculously prayed the exact same words. It means that there was a oneness of heart and mind about the request. One lead in prayer and the others joined in with wholehearted affirmation. There was such unanimity that their minds and voices were one. There was no discussion about what should be prayed. There was no dialogue concerning the words to used and the request to be made. This was Holy Spirit, love for God guided unanimity. The prayer that was prayed was meant to be heard not only by God but by the others that were in the room. The prayer was not prayed to impress the others in the room, nor was it a sermon disguised as a prayer. Jesus spoke about this in Matthew 18:19 saying that when two are three were in agreement they would receive what they ask for. Such prayer is like the "one window" where everyone is involved in the prayer to God!

When it comes to personal or corporate prayer, we tend to emphasize on over the other, either in practice or by word. Scripture reveals that it is not either/or, it's both! They are of equal importance in the Christian's life. God tells us through His Word that we are to go onto our room and close the door and we are to go "to our own people" to pray with one voice and mind. Jesus modeled this for us. There were times when He withdrew from the crowd and "went to a dessert place" to be with the Father. And there were times when He took the disciples to the garden (in fact it is noted in Luke that on the night when Jesus betrayed He "went out as usual with His disciples" to the garden to pray). To neglect either personal or corporate prayer severely weakens the body (church) and is spiritual suicide.

John Wesley noted that "God does nothing except in answer to prayer." Elton Trueblood believed that the church's greatest sin is "prayerlessness." It is essential beloved that we heed the Biblical admonition to "pray continually in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests (Ephesians 6:18 and 1 Thessalonians 5:17) and PRAY!

Keep Close To Jesus
Pastor Gerry


A Pause To Ponder God's Word is written and distributed by Gerald Whetstone, Ordained Elder and teacher in the Church of the Nazarene. These devotionals may be transmitted, duplicated, used in part or in entirety without permission for nonprofit purposes only. Responses welcome. To Subscribe Click Here.
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