In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us how to pray.  Since prayer is so critical to our overall spiritual wellbeing, His teaching is very valuable.  This is what He said:

Matthew 6:6 (ESV)
⁶  But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

This is just one important area of prayer, but let’s focus on it tonight.  First, we notice that Jesus does not say, “if you pray,” but, “when you pray.”  To Jesus, it was a forgone conclusion that true citizens of His kingdom would make the practice of prayer a regular routine in their lives.  

Luke 18:1 (ESV)
¹  And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (ESV)
¹⁷  Pray without ceasing,

If we are going to pray most effectively, we must not only make a habit of praying, but also pray the right way.  Jesus said, “go into your room and shut the door.”  The word room here is tameion and refers to a place of privacy such as a secret chamber or closet (Strong).  This manner of praying is in contrast to the hypocritical praying of the Pharisees which was condemned by our Lord.

Matthew 6:5 (ESV)
⁵  “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

Unless one is praying with a group of people, prayer is meant to be private.  It is a wonderful and spiritual time that we can spend alone with our heavenly Father.  It is not a time to draw attention to ourselves in an attempt to show others how spiritually-minded we are (there is never a time for that).  It is a time of adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication.  It is a time when we can draw near to God in an act of sincere devotion.  We can do this with others, especially with our families in the privacy of our homes, but there are times when we should pray all alone.

The picture of going into a closet and praying is meant to suggest that we go someplace where we can be free from distractions.  To pray to our full potential, we need to be completely focused, away from children, television, or anything else that will be disruptive to our thoughts.  A great time to pray is early in the morning when it is less likely that anything will interrupt us.  David said, “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I plead my case to you” (Psalm 5:3). 

Do you have a prayer room—a place you go to be alone with God and pour out your heart to Him?  If not, you should designate such a place.  It is a great way to draw near to God.      

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.