Matthew 6:6 (NIV) “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

One of the things that Jesus did while He was here on earth was to teach us how to pray. He taught us the Lord’s Prayer, which gives us a template of what to pray for (who to pray to, how to approach Him, what to pray for, etc.). He also taught us the importance of private time with God the Father. Have you ever thought about why Jesus gave this instruction for privacy when we pray? It’s because since we have a deceitful heart, we may pray in a certain way in an attempt to impress others who may be around you when you are praying. You would be posturing instead of connecting with the Father. You could also be easily distracted if you prayed out in the open with other people around. Finally, if you pray in private with God, that means that you really believe in your heart that He exists and that He rewards those that diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6) because there would be no other reason for you to do so.

When you learn to pray as Jesus taught us, you begin to really connect with the Spirit of the living God and you find that there is life in His presence. When there is a true relational connection, your spirit and your soul are revitalized and you begin to cherish your time in secret. You begin to see Almighty God as not only your Lord and Savior but also as your Abba. Prayer becomes more that just an exercise that you were taught to do or something that you can check off your to-do list and turns into something that you look forward to because you need time with your Abba. You learn that you can just talk to your Abba about everything without holding anything back because He knows it all anyway. That frees you from having to make believe that you are okay when you are not okay as we do many times with our loved ones and with the people around us. It becomes a precious time where your heart is ministered to by the love of the one that loves you so much that He did everything in His power to make a way for you to meet with Him in a very real way.

Every believer needs time with their Abba and it’s good to know that you can go to His throne of grace at any time and wherever you find yourself. When in need, just find a place to be alone and allow His presence to minister to you. And just as a wonderful privilege and practice, make it a habit every day to spend meaningful quality time with Him. Time with Abba is a gift that Jesus has made possible. Take advantage of this beautiful gift.

Pastor Joey Vazquez