Jesus says to us: 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. Matthew 6:5. Apparently prayer should be practiced in humility. Prayer, Jesus tells us, is not for show or to draw attention to ourselves but rather an opportunity to seek the mercy, power and love of God.
In this time of year in our part of the world perhaps we can think of the grayer days, the darker days as our seasonal quiet place. Very soon we will be able to throw open the windows of our homes to let the sunlight stream into darkened corners. But until then when the gray skies sheath the winter days perhaps we can seek God in the quiet shadows of our seasonal closet.
God has allowed the rhythms of nature to remind us of our dependence upon Him. Winter seems stark, cold and indifferent but it can also be quiet, still and serene. Like the morning hours of every day, the beginning months of the year offer opportunities to seek God when the days are shorter and the nights are longer.
Someday soon the sun will always shine. Someday soon we will be able to stand in the light of the glory of God and bask in the presence of the great King. But for now the shadows still lay upon this earth. For now our world is more monochromatic than we would like. And yet prayer is still possible. Prayer is still powerful.
Prayer, whether it is in the darkness of the early morning hours or in the full light of day,connects us with heaven above. Like a knife, prayer cuts through the clouds of winter and pierces the power of principalities to link us with our Father. In fact we are never nearer to God than when we pray.
So when you are experiencing the dismal darker days of the year consider the time you have been given as your winter closet. A place in time where you can seek the sovereign of all things in the solitude of the season. Our heavenly Father is waiting to receive our prayers in the glorious city above: in the city that is always resplendent with the glory of God and where no shadow can eclipse the presence of our great king.
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