How much time do you spend in prayer?

[SDG]

Originally Posted by stmatthew

Rico, Jesus commanded that "when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly". It is obvious that he expected us to pray (When thou prayest). It is also his instruction that we get alone (enter thy closet) and pray, and close out the world (shut thy door). We have a promise that God will hear our secret prayer, and reward us openly.

I am not trying to promote a ritualistic time of prayer. But how many of us go through the day praying as Rico stated he does, yet never take a definite time to be alone with the lover of our soul?

When Jesus told them to shut the door ... it has a broader context, Matt. It deals specifically w/ what MOW addressed in his post about letting the whole world know how much and when we pray.


Before we read these words, it's important to remember that Jesus spoke them in the context of a broader principle; and that broader principle is found in verse 1: "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds [or a better translation would be 'righteous deeds'] before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven." Our Savior is warning us against doing our acts of righteousness out of an unrighteous motive - that is, so that others will see us do them, and applaud us for them and think well of us. He tells us that if we do that, we may receive the temporal thing that we're after - that is, the approval of men; but we will not receive any reward from the Father.
And so in the context of that broader principle, He says;

And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, 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 6:5-6).

Also keep in my that there was no closet in most homes back then ... this expression referred to the inner room.