The Shopping List..

Dear Friends,

“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.”(Matthew 6:6 NIV)

I am learning daily that I must close all doors to the world, so that I can properly open myself up to God in prayer. For the longest time, I have taken the needs of the world into my prayer closet with me. My question to myself is, if I am taking my worldly needs with me, have I properly closed the door? Truth is, there is never nor has there ever, been a moment in my life that I don’t need something. I either read or heard a man say, “If it’s not a breakthrough for our business, then it’s something to do with our spouses. Then, if it’s not our spouse, then it has something to do with our children or family. If it’s not them it our job, our boss, our neighbors. It’s the color our skin, the size of our houses and bank account. It’s the level of degrees we pursuing, and our health issues.” You get the picture there is always going to be a need.

These needs leave me creating a shopping list for my prayer closet. Am I being properly open to receive from God, when I already have a list when I close the door. Prayer should become a place where I die to the world (and all the list of needs) and live to Him. Communing with Him, basking in his presence, and receiving fresh oil (His spirit). God knows we have need of

all these things, but can I encourage you as I encourage myself? It’s time for us to set our personal needs aside, and seek God for who He is, and not just for who I need Him to be. If he becomes the center of my focus, then guess what?? He will fulfill my list of needs, without me having to bring them into our intimate time together.

Matthew 6:7-8, “7 When you pray, there is no need to repeat empty phrases, praying like those who don’t know God for they expect God to hear them because of their many words. 8 There is no need to imitate them, since your Father already knows what you need before you ask him.”

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, show me how to properly go into my prayer closet and close any physical and spiritual doors that I have open, so that I can properly commune with the Father, and hear from Him. In Jesus name, amen.

Not Another List,

Chanda Rose