#4548 – Shut the Door

Good morning people who step away from the many distractions of life

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.

The context of what Jesus was teaching here was about the motivation for prayer. We are not to pray in order to be noticed by and applauded by other people. The religious leaders of the day were doing exactly that, and Jesus said this was not the purpose of prayer.

Today I want to lean into the one phrase of ‘close the door’. I believe there is a powerful invitation to all of God’s people.

Life is full of distractions; things (good and bad) that pull our attention away from what God has called us to do. We don’t get distracted because we are bad, but because we are alive.

Overcoming distractions takes wisdom, as well as discipline. And in this instruction of Jesus concerning prayer, I see such wisdom. ‘Close the door’ is both a physical instruction that deals with the motivation of being noticed by others, but I feel Father saying today that it is also about closing the door on distraction.

Right now, as I type this, I have my headphones on with worship playing quietly, and I have closed the door on whatever is outside of what I am presently doing. My phone is on silent, I am praying in the Spirit, feeding myself on spiritual truth, and leaning in deeply to God. It’s in this place of intentionally closing the door that Father told me to write what is currently flowing.

So, today, I celebrate making time with God a part of our whole day. I celebrate spending time with God as we go, as we work, as we live life. I really do. But I also know the essential need and the absolute privilege of closing the door and being alone with our Heavenly Father. This is His invitation to you and I today, and also over the upcoming holidays season.