As I discussed in previous lesson, Prayer is having fellowship with God. Our life is a journey of having fellowship with God. As Enoch walked with God, we walk with God and become more and more intimate with Him. Hallelujah!
Prayer is personal and private first!
In this journey of having fellowship with God, you must make time to sit with God and seek His face. This is your private time in fellowship. The entire day I have fellowship with God but there are few hours in a day that are dedicated to God alone – where it is just He and me.
It is important to pray with our family members and friends but prayer is a personal matter first. Jesus, our prime example of prayer did pray with His disciples but His priority was His personal time with His Father. Look at this verse,
But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
Matthew 6:6
Jesus said go into your room and shut the door and then pray to your Father. Prayer is personal first. Prayer is private first. The Lord wants to have a personal relationship with you. Just you and Him.
Shut the door means move away from distractions.
In your journey of having fellowship with God, when you take some hours to have private and personal time with God, make sure you shut the door. You don’t want anything or anyone to disturb your sweet time with Jesus. Keep your phone away. Don’t take your newspaper when you go for your private time. Tell your family members not to disturb you for the allotted private time of fellowship.
In this private time, the Lord wants your complete attention. He deserves it. Give it to Him. Let nothing distract you. As you behold the Lord and worship Him, you will be transformed from glory to glory. These are precious moments of fellowship and intimacy. Such moments are difficult to describe and articulate in words. You will receive unusual boldness, divine wisdom and supernatural favour. In His presence, your words and your presence becomes saturated with the power and the glory of the Holy Spirit. My personal time with Jesus is the greatest joy of my life. I will not trade it for anything!
Plan for your private prayer time
Some say, if it has to happen then it will happen. No! If you are serious about your personal time with Jesus, you will plan for it. Sleep early so you can get up early and be with Jesus. If I were to describe the Bible in one word, it would be ‘fellowship‘. It’s all about having fellowship with God. Therefore be excited about personal time.
If you need to cancel some meetings, do it but keep your time with Jesus. Never say, I don’t have time for personal prayer. The problem is never with the time, the issue is always with priorities. You will always make time for what is important for you.
Don’t get so busy working for Jesus that you have no time to sit at His feet. Remember, He is the Vine and we are the branches. Our supply comes from Him. If we don’t sit with Him, like Martha of old, we will burn out and become frustrated. Plan your entire day around your personal time with Jesus! For this is most important and precious part of your life.
Let’s look at some verses that reveal the importance Jesus gave to His personal time with the Father.
Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.
Mark 1:35
Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away. And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.
Mark 6:45-46
Let’s look at Peter’s personal time with Jesus!
The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour.
Acts 10:9
Let’s look at Daniel’s personal prayer time
Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.
Daniel 6:10
Jesus went to a solitary place to pray. Peter went to the housetop to pray. Daniel went to the upper room of His home to pray.
Prayer is a personal and a private matter first. Move away from distractions and be with Jesus! Read His Word. Worship and Praise Him for who He is. Sings songs and minister to Him. Thank Him for what He has done. Tell Him how much you love Him. Listen to Him and He will lead you to your green pastures and make you sit beside the still waters. Sweatless victories and toil free prosperity! Your Father will reward you openly and the world will see it!
Your Victorious Life 