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The Prayer Closet
We chose to live in the Projects to make a difference. It helped, of course, that financially we were well under the government income guidelines.
We moved into our minuscule apartment and settled in for years. We are still here. It is HOME!
There is an adorable galley kitchen that leads into the small living room. The far side of the living room holds a sliding door that opens onto a 5x2ft patio slab. Behind the living room is a bedroom that contains… just our bed. Off that is our tiny bathroom.
We love it. It is home. For a short while, it also even served as a community church.
Always it served as a place where people came to pray and be prayed for.
The living area has two second-hand sofas and a folding table that holds our old computer for our online ministry website work and serves as our table for all our meals. It is a perfect home for us and we love it.
One day, we read again Jesus words in Matthew chapter 6:
5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6 But thou, 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.
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
Never had we lacked for anything here. Our minimal lifestyle had been lived by both of us for many years. We desire nothing more.
But now, we realized we needed a Prayer Closet!
I opened the water heater closet. In the back of the small enclosure was, obviously, the water heater. There was, however, a small space of about two feet wide before it. Perfect!!!
Thank You, Lord! You have given us the Prayer Closet that we desired!
We dragged in one of our two folding chairs that normally surrounded our folding/ office/dining table.
I now had much of that two-foot wedge of space taken up. I might add that the hot water heater closet also held a midsized red plastic bucket, a mop, a broom, and a half can of brown paint awaiting the next project my husband took on.
In that space, Bruce and I took turns individually praying.
Did I mention that God was also in there with us?
Whether it was Bruce or me in there, God was always there with us.
In fact, He was always with us when we prayed no matter the location.
We were humbled that He never left our hearts and was forever a part of us, listening, answering, drawing us ever closer as we prayed.
Between our church and community, we were on three prayer teams, had many other needs we prayed for, and had our huge family and friends that we kept before the Lord always.
There was much to pray about.
The Apostle Paul tells us how to pray.
pray without ceasing, 1 Thessalonians 5:17 NKJV
Thus, we knew that this beautiful business of praying was something that we would never grow too old to do, or arrive at a time where prayer was not vital, not critical, or unneeded.
Prayer was indeed to be continued unceasingly.
Never did a day go by that we did not go to the Lord in prayer.
Many times prayer was not IN our prayer closet but outside of it.
Like the mop, broom, and bucket within its small walls, there was the element of actively working out some of those prayers.
God would let us know of something we should be aware of, and as we talked to Him about it, He would remind us that there were things we could do ourselves to fix the situation. There might be a need we could take care of for a family member, a friend in need, or a neighbor. Maybe it was taking a meal to someone or praying with or for someone.
It was in our “mop and bucket” time, outside of our prayer closet, that God often used us.
Sometimes, God showed us that we might be some help in the situation we had prayed about.
Sometimes, we simply stood back and realized we could do nothing and God answered our prayers, fixing the situation miraculously. Often, we watched Him put the pieces back in ways we never would have thought of.
Through it all, we grew even closer to our wonderful God.
Prayer brings us into an even closer, beautiful fellowship with Him.
The prayer closet has become our favorite place in our little apartment.
Bible verses can be taped to the inside of the door, along with prayer lists, and thoughts that God gives you during your time of prayer and fellowship.
LISTEN to what God is telling YOU.
He IS the One Who has the answers. He has the power and perfect solutions. Our God is the Great Physician, and He LOVES us more than we can ever grasp.
So open your clothes closet, or your hall closet, or yes, maybe your water heater closet and make it YOUR Prayer Closet.
YOUR adventure with God is about to begin.
Just ask God to join you there, and then simply PRAY.
Miracles are about to happen