"I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting."
1 Timothy 2:8
Being asked to pray always is a common request in the scriptures, and it kind of goes along with praying everywhere. Closets are mentioned in the scriptures specifically a few times as symbolic of private prayer versus public prayer, but I don't think that it actually has to be a closet. :) I used to have some great conversations with God in my car. I couldn't close my eyes for those, of course, but communication with God comes in many forms (including raising up holy hands), and since we need to pray always, and everywhere, it's okay to adapt sometimes. (Though taking time when we can for more formal prayers where we kneel and bow our heads and pray in the manner that he asks shows additional respect to our Father.)
I like the "without wrath and doubting" part here as well. It's not good to pray angry, just like it isn't good to have a discussion with anyone when we are angry. In order to let the spirit in, we have to let the negativity out. As for doubt, that's going to happen, but lots of times in the scriptures God asks us to doubt not, and overcoming our doubts is just as important as believing. We need to be perfect in both things. Of course, just like belief, we don't have to do it all at once. It is a process, as we learn to have more faith and less doubt each day. Doubting doesn't equal failure. The very process of prayer is an exercise in belief though, and as we do the best we can when we pray to suspend our disbelief (and our anger), the easier it will be to hear God and feel the spirit over our own emotional static. God asks us to overcome these things for ourselves, so we can hear him, not because he is afraid of our wrath. :)
Today, let's do our best to pray everywhere and always in whatever places we are, without anger and doubt. As we are mindful of God in our everyday lives, we will be able to feel his mindfulness of us, and that will help us have his spirit with us everywhere we go as well.
1 Timothy 2:8
Being asked to pray always is a common request in the scriptures, and it kind of goes along with praying everywhere. Closets are mentioned in the scriptures specifically a few times as symbolic of private prayer versus public prayer, but I don't think that it actually has to be a closet. :) I used to have some great conversations with God in my car. I couldn't close my eyes for those, of course, but communication with God comes in many forms (including raising up holy hands), and since we need to pray always, and everywhere, it's okay to adapt sometimes. (Though taking time when we can for more formal prayers where we kneel and bow our heads and pray in the manner that he asks shows additional respect to our Father.)
I like the "without wrath and doubting" part here as well. It's not good to pray angry, just like it isn't good to have a discussion with anyone when we are angry. In order to let the spirit in, we have to let the negativity out. As for doubt, that's going to happen, but lots of times in the scriptures God asks us to doubt not, and overcoming our doubts is just as important as believing. We need to be perfect in both things. Of course, just like belief, we don't have to do it all at once. It is a process, as we learn to have more faith and less doubt each day. Doubting doesn't equal failure. The very process of prayer is an exercise in belief though, and as we do the best we can when we pray to suspend our disbelief (and our anger), the easier it will be to hear God and feel the spirit over our own emotional static. God asks us to overcome these things for ourselves, so we can hear him, not because he is afraid of our wrath. :)
Today, let's do our best to pray everywhere and always in whatever places we are, without anger and doubt. As we are mindful of God in our everyday lives, we will be able to feel his mindfulness of us, and that will help us have his spirit with us everywhere we go as well.
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