Church Bulletin – March 26, 2017

“When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret.”  Matthew 6:6

In prayer there must be deliberateness – the secret place, the inner chamber, the fixed time, the shut door against distraction and intruders.  In that secret place the Father is waiting for us.  He is as certainly there as He is in heaven.  Be reverent, as Moses when he took the shoes from off his feet!  Be trustful, because you are having an audience with one who is infinite sympathy and love!  Be comforted, because there is no problem He cannot solve, no knot He cannot untie!  God knows even better than we do what we need and should ask for.  He has gone over every item of our life, every trial, every temptation – the unknown, the unexpected, the glints of sunshine on the path, and the clouds of weeping.  He listens to our forecast and requests, and rejoices when they accord with His infinite foreknowledge; or He may give us something better and more appropriate to our case.  ‘He will recompense thee.’  If He does not remove the cup, He will send an angel to strengthen; if the thorn remains unremoved, He will give more grace.  You may be sure that, in some way or other, your heavenly Father is going to meet your particular need.  It is as certain as though you heard Him say, ‘Go your way, your prayer is heard; I will undertake, trust me, leave all in my hand!’  When you have once definitely put a matter into God’s hands, leave it there.  Do not repeat the committal, for that suggests that you have never made it.  Your attitude thenceforward is to look into God’s face, not to ask Him to remember, but to say, ‘Father, Thou knowest, understandest, carest!  I know whom I have trusted, and am persuaded that Thou wilt not fail.’  There is a prayer which is without ceasing; but surely that is not the reiterated request for the same thing, but the blessed interchange of happy fellowship.  Use not vain repetitions, as the heathen, who think that they will be heard for much speaking, but count Him faithful that promised!  This reckoning of faith is probably the loftiest attribute of prayer, for faith is the quiet assurance of things not yet seen!  – F.B. Meyer