Jesus said, "When you pray, go into your own room, shut your door and pray to your Father privately. Your Father who see all private things will reward you." He made prayer sound more like a secret rendezvous than a spiritual discipline.
Where do you meet with God?
It's funny how different times in my relatively short experience of Christian life I've found myself in a variety of prayer "closets". I often met God on an early morning run, my running shoes covered in a layer of Mexican desert dust while my heart centered in Christ as the sun rose over the mountains. Sometimes it was the quiet deserted sanctuary of the church on campus, all echoes and cool freshness, no matter the temperature outside. Then there was the season of grabbing a blanket and a thermos of coffee and walking down to the sand, finding a spot to join the waves in their continual praise of the Almighty.
Currently, this is my place to meet God.
My favorite is to be sitting down at the table with a cup of freshly brewed coffee, my bible and the specific verses on index cards outlining my prayer requests, a playlist of worship songs playing over the speaker, and a sleeping toddler in the other room. It's sweet.
When I think about what all these places have in common, it's amazing to me, first of all that the God of the Universe met me in all those places. Also, I'm struck by God' faithfulness in teaching me and guiding me to what works for me. I think it's safe to say we, as God's children, have different prayer styles, unique settings that draw us to our Father. Over the years I've learned mornings work best for me, something about starting the day with Him. Music is always a big part of getting my heart in sync with God. The view helps too. But the most important thing I've learned regarding prayer is the depth and richness added by praying God's Word back to Him. Ultimately, He knows better than I what I need, what my friends and family need, what the nations need, what the day holds, and from experience I can say He faithfully leads me to the Scriptures that move my heart to partner with Him in what He's doing. That's a beautiful thing.
Switching gears, lately I've been challenged to listen to my own words as I pray. Do I sound like I really believe that Jesus Himself sits across the table from me? Listening, asking questions, smiling, reaching out His hand with compassion in His eyes. Is prayer just a way for me to process my own thoughts? Does it feel more like my words are just drifting away into space? Or is it a true rendezvous--a conversation between good friends? I desperately want the latter. That's what has me getting up from the table feeling rested, centered, ready as I go to attend the, "Mama! Mom!" cries coming from down the hall.
What works for you? Where do you meet God--right now, or where have you met Him in the past? I'd love to see a photo!
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