“But when you pray, go into your closet, close the door and pray to your Father….” Matthew 6:6
What do you think Jesus really meant when He said this?
Was He implying that I should try to find a happy place in my mind so I can feel a sense of calm and peacefulness?
Was the Lord hinting that I should shut my eyes when I pray to cut down on distractions?
Did Jesus mean that I should pray about what clothes to wear every morning?
Could He have been suggesting that if I can’t close my closet doors, that perhaps I have too many clothes?
Or was He instructing that I should
go into a closet
close the door
and pray?
Could you do it? Would you do it? Should you do it?
I mean, actually clear a place in an actual closet in your house, put a folding chair inside, and go sit on it for a few minutes every day. What would it be like to close your closet door and talk to God in there?
Nah, that can’t be what He meant. I’d feel foolish sitting in my closet, praying. What if someone heard me? That would be embarrassing. How would I explain my unusual actions? Surely He wouldn’t ask me to do something odd like that. What could possibly be the benefit of such a strange practice? I must be taking Jesus’ words too literally.
“Prayer is not learned in a classroom, but in a closet.” E.M. Bounds