Lord’s Day, Vol. 4 No. 24

(1) Our Closet Prayer Life

Matthew 6:6 “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”

There is an intentional (not an accidental) concealment of the praying saint in his private prayer. The door is shut to ensure privacy. His blessings come not from men but are divinely bestowed from heaven above by his Father!

The following is a page out of the diary of David Brainerd, a missionary to the American Indians, on Monday, June 14, 1742.

“Felt something of the sweetness of communion with God and the constraining force of His love. How admirably it captivates the soul and makes all the desires and affections to center in God! I set apart this day for secret fasting and prayer, to entreat God to direct and bless me with regard to the great work I have in view, of preaching the gospel; and that the Lord would return to me, and show me the light of His countenance.Had little life and power in the forenoon. Near the middle of the afternoon, God enabled me to wrestle ardently in intercession for absent friends. But just at night, the Lord visited me marvelously in prayer; I think my soul never was in such an agony before. I felt no restraint, for the treasures of divine grace were opened to me. I wrestled for absent friends, for the ingathering of souls, for multitudes of poor souls, and for many that I thought were the children of God, personally, in many distant places. I was in such an agony, from sun half an hour high till near dark, that I was all over wet with sweat. Yet it seemed to me that I had wasted away the day and had done nothing. Oh, my dear Jesus did sweat blood for poor souls! I longed for more compassion toward them. Felt still in a sweet frame, under a sense of divine love and grace; and went to bed in such a frame, with my heart set on God.”

May the Lord revive our closet prayer life. Amen.

(2) When Ye Fast

Matthew 6:16-18 “Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.”

Fasting is a valuable aspect of Christian living in forging a closer walk with God. It is the laying aside of the common necessity of food and drink for a short season for the purpose of spending more uninterrupted time of communion with God in prayer and study of His Word. There are divine blessings from fasting. Daniel fasted that he may obtain wisdom to understanding God’s will for His people. “And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes” (Dan 9:3). It is an earnest and sincere humbling of self to let God be pre-eminent in our hearts. However, we must not have the mistaken notion that we can become more spiritual by punishing our bodies through abstaining from food and drink. This religious exercise must not be used to judge whether a Christian is more spiritual. The secret of true fasting is to fast secretly. It is not the act of fasting but the true spirit of fasting that our Lord wants to teach us. We must endeavour to be established firmly on correct principles of piety that please God.

Jesus teaches that fasting in secret is pleasing to the Father and He promises to bestow blessings for such consecration. Fasting in secret and not in ostentation will speed us along the path of true devotion. This is the life lived by faith and not by sight. We do not need the approval of man to authenticate our spiritual vitality. True spiritual vitality comes not from man but from God. Therefore, we are to keep, watch and guard our hearts with all diligence. Our Lord wants us to examine our hearts. We must realize how important it is to protect and to preserve the purity of our hearts from the pollutions of the depraved nature that still resides within us. The way we go about our religion will give away the true condition of our hearts. Fasting is such an acid test. Hear this testimony of a pious minister of God. “A day of fasting is of great assistance to the soul, for the better performing of holy duties, such as meditations, reading, and hearing the word, prayer, examining, judging, and reforming a person’s self; both because his spirit is better disposed, when he is fasting, to serious devotion; and the mind being so long taken wholly off from the thoughts, cares and pleasures of this life, he may be more intent and earnest in seeking God.”

May the Lord help us to draw closer to Him! Amen.

Yours lovingly,

Pastor Lek Aik Wee