Create or Renovate Blog Series
“But as for you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
The NASB translation of Matthew 6:6
I really like the NASB version of the scripture above because it allows me to make the point oftentimes overlooked and not discussed. You may have been enticed to create, renovate or decorate that room designated to rack our clothes and arrange our shoes. For me, I love the idea of the enclosed, one way in one way out, intimate space where clothes hang, shoes sit, and accessories waiting to accompany and accent the next great look. Sounds sacred?
Whew! What a blessing this closet pictured here would be.
Ok, let me focus. You may have the luxury or have defied the design intentionality of the bare space where you paste your scriptures, tape your decrees, and stick pin your declarations, confessions, and affirmations.
I believe the spiritual objective should be to purposefully create a space where the manifested glory of the Lord is invited and permeates with intentionality and strategy (more on that in part 2). That space where when we go in and shut the door behind us we settle into the sacredness and sanctity of heaven. Where heaven touches earth. That space where "thy kingdom comes" and we welcome and saturate in God's wraparound love that envelopes us. It is when this happens we begin to move from ashy knees and unanswered prayers to oiled knees, answered prayers, divine instruction, and clarity.
With the excessive amount of “closet items” I have (do not judge me, I am in an ongoing season of purging) I have not had the opportunity YET to create a physical prayer closet. However, I do have my sacred place in my home where the spiritual showdowns take place. The place where I pray for every heart that this podcast will touch.
A Divine Difference
Before I go any further I want to set some clarity clauses. First by way of definitions and then by divine attention. Merriam Webster defines create as "to bring into existence". They define renovate as "to restore to a former better state (as by cleaning, repairing or rebuilding).
Now I would like to bring your attention to the word "closet". As we move through this journey and experience you must understand that there are two types of closets that I am referring to. If everything that I mentioned above that a prayer closet can be was limited to a physical space in your home, what the heck would you do when away from home?
When I am home and I feel overwhelmed by fear, anxiousness, depression, or get the five-alarm prayer request, I can run into my sacred place-prayer closet and shake heaven and shut hell down.
However, when I was away from home and the challenges come, I felt exposed and spiritually naked, and un” closeted.” When I feel I am sitting not in a closet but in a big open space exposed to all of the unwanted elements of life. When I am away from home and it feels like all hell is breaking out around me.
Once during a traumatic dilemma, I just wanted to get home to my prayer closet. The place where heaven met earth for me. Amid the internal noise of ringing in my ears, I heard the Lord tell me – “Daughter, enter the closet of your heart I am there and I am here.” At that very moment, God was showing me that my heart was the "prayer closet" always with me and always accessible. Our hearts are the place that is empowered and equipped in our tangible prayer spaces.
Since that discovery, when I enter my “prayer closet” or “sacred space” I am strategic and intentional in making sure that unlike tangible items creating and decorating the walls, my heart is searched, purged and scriptures are tucked deep within the chambers of my heart.
So, this is why I chose the NASB translation of Matthew 6:6 as I did. I want to encourage you to commit this scripture to memory and when you read the words, “go into your inner room” let this resonate as your tangible closet or sacred space and the inner chambers of your heart.
Ultimately we want the peace that God hears us and will answer us.
In Colossians 3:13 (AMP), Paul writes, "Let the peace of Christ [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise]. To this peace indeed you were called as members in one body [of believers]. And be thankful [to God always]. Praying daily creates and generates the inner calm that comes from walking with Jesus daily. And that peace is found where? In our hearts which I called my "mobile prayer closet."
I know you are wondering but there is not a door to my heart I can close, no privacy. Oh yes, there is my sister! Let me close this blog by sharing a true story. It was several years ago when I was working for a company and the building that had I think about 30 floors.
There were about maybe 12 of us in training when the weather turned bad and the tornado sirens began to start blaring. We all looked out the window and it was look really bad and scary outside.
One lady, who I will never forget said these words, "Y'all better stop looking at what is going on outside and get in your prayer closet." She got up and quickly walked into a corner of the room, with her face to the wall she got down on her knees and begin to pray! Her actions told me a whole lot about her and it stuck with me.
Maybe it's in your car, against a wall, in a stairway, or in a bathroom. There may be no way or time to prepare for the need when it arises. However, the prayer closet of our hearts is always with us. We just need to make sure we keep it empowered and equipped in our tangible prayer closets or sacred spaces.
I am going to end with a scripture and prayer as a mandate for your heart condition. Proverbs 4:23 says, Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
I added two other blog posts that deal with the heart for you to enjoy until next time as I pick up on part 2: Prayer Closet: Renovate or Create
Purposefully Yours,
Greta BE...
P.S. The release of my new Purpose-Focused Prayer Journal will be released soon. Head over to www.armoredforpurpose.com to make sure you are notified!
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