I think most, if not all, Christians believe this about prayer. It connects us with heaven–the eternal, the spiritual, the throne of God. This connection to heaven, to the Ruler of all power and authority, goes far beyond what our initial thoughts may tag. Below Thomas Brooks focuses on a much needed grace in our life. At least it is in my life. These are those benefits that we rarely see with the natural eye. The eye of faith should see them, expect them, and rest in them.

Consider the great prevalency of secret prayer. Private prayer is porta cœli, clavis paradisi, the gate of heaven, a key to let us into paradise. Oh the great things that private prayer hath done with God! Ps. 31:22. Oh the great mercies that have been obtained by private prayer! Ps. 38:8, 9. And oh the great threatenings that have been diverted by private prayer! And oh the great judgments that have been removed by private prayer! And oh the great judgments that have been prevented by private prayer! I have read of a malicious woman who gave herself to the devil, provided that he would do a mischief to such a neighbour, whom she mortally hated: the devil went again and again to do his errand, but at last he returns and tells her, that he could do no hurt to that man, for whenever he came, he found him either reading the Scriptures, or at private prayer. Private prayers pierces the heavens, and are commonly blessed and loaded with gracious and glorious returns from thence.

I am fully convinced that we [the Church] have merely scratched the surface of the powerful workings of our prayers. By prayers I mean much more than requests and cries. When we are in the place of prayer, that secret place with Him–Who rules heaven, earth, and the seas and all that is in them, there is no limit, no limit at all. What graces are flowing our way; what mercies unleashed; what snares, temptations, dangers, crisis, and powers against us are diverted from us, we never completely know. But I know that these graces and mercies happen and I don’t need to have physical confirmation before I believe that indeed the Lord works such graces into my life–daily, hourly, even minute by minute.

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Brooks, T. (1866). The Complete Works of Thomas Brooks. (A. B. Grosart, Ed.) (Vol. 2, p. 177). Edinburgh; London; Dublin: James Nichol; James Nisbet and Co.; G. Herbert.

The Puritan Pastor Thomas Brooks has been sharing motives and reasons for private prayer. This one is like the aroma of a prime steak coming off of the charcoal grill.  WHOA!   DISTRACTION!!

Okay, I’m back on track, mentally moving away from the thought of a grilled steak.

One of my main reasons for getting alone to pray and mediate on the Scriptures is for THIS REASON–to know Him and to hear from Him. Many believers have said to me, “I don’t really know God.”  or, “I wish I knew what God wanted me to do in this situation.” You may have said or thought similar things.  Pastor Brooks gives us guidance on these areas of knowing God and His will.

Consider that God hath usually let out himself most to his people when they have been in secret, when they have been alone at the throne of grace.1 Oh the sweet meltings, the heavenly warmings, the blessed cheerings, the glorious manifestations, and the choice communion with God, that Christians have found when they have been alone with God in a corner, in a closet, behind the door! When had Daniel that vision and comfortable message, that blessed news, by the angel, that he was ‘greatly beloved,’ but when he was all alone at prayer? Dan. 9:20–23, …

And so Cornelius is highly commended and graciously rewarded upon the account of his private prayer: Acts 10:1–4, … as he [Cornelius] was praying in his house, namely, by himself alone, a man in bright clothing—that was an angel in man’s shape, ver. 3—appeared to him, and said, ‘Cornelius, thy prayer is heard.’ He doth not mean only that prayer which he made when he fasted and humbled himself before the Lord, vers. 30, 31; but, as verses 2, 3, 4 shew, his prayers, his prayers which he made alone. For it seems none else were with him then, for he only saw that man in bright clothing; and to him alone the angel addressed his present speech, saying, ‘Cornelius, Thy prayers are heard, vers. 4, 31. Here you see that Cornelius his private prayers are not only heard, but kindly remembered, and graciously accepted, and gloriously rewarded. Praying Cornelius is not only remembered by God, but he is also visited, sensibly and evidently, by an angel, and assured that his private prayers and good deeds are an odour, a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable and well pleasing to God.

This is the same with Peter when he was alone on the roof top (Acts 9:12). So it was with the Apostle John when alone with God on the isle of Pastmos.

When Bonaventura, that seraphical doctor, as some call him, was asked by Aquinas from what books and helps he derived such holy and divine expressions and contemplations, he pointed to a crucifix, and said, ‘Iste est liber, &c., Prostrate in prayer at the feet of this image, my soul receiveth greater light from heaven than from all study and disputation.’ Though this be a monkish tradition and superstitious fiction, yet some improvement may be made of it. Certainly that Christian or that minister that in private prayer lies most at the feet of Jesus Christ, he shall understand most of the mind of Christ in the gospel, and lie shall have most of heaven and the things of his own peace brought down into his heart.

There is no service wherein Christians have such a near, familiar, and friendly intercourse with God as in this of private prayer; neither is there any service wherein God doth more delight to make known his truth and faithfulness, his grace and goodness, his mercy and bounty, his beauty and glory to poor souls, than this of private prayer. Luther professeth, ‘That he profited more in the knowledge of the Scripture by private prayer in a short space, than he did by study in a longer space,’2 as John by weeping in a corner got the sealed book opened. Private prayer crowns God with the honour and glory that is due to his name; and God crowns private prayer with a discovery of those blessed weighty truths to his servants, that are a sealed book to others. Certainly the soul usually enjoys most communion with God in secret.

When a Christian is in a wilderness, which is a very solitary place, then God delights to speak friendly and comfortably to him: Hosea 2:14, ‘Behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak friendly or comfortably to her,’ or as the Hebrew hath it, ‘I will speak to her heart.’ When I have her alone, saith God, in a solitary wilderness, I will speak such things to her heart, as shall exceedingly cheer her, and comfort her, and even make her heart leap and dance within her.3 A husband imparts his mind most freely and fully to his wife when she is alone; and so doth Christ to the believing soul. Oh the secret kisses, the secret embraces, the secret visits, the secret whispers, the secret cheerings, the secret sealings, the secret discoveries, &c., that God gives to his people when alone, when in a hole, when under the stairs, when behind the door, when in a dungeon! When Jeremiah was calling upon God alone in his dark dungeon, he had great and wonderful things shewed him that he knew not of, Jer. 33:1–3.

Ambrose was wont to say, ‘I am never less alone, than when I am alone; for then I can enjoy the presence of my God most freely, fully, and sweetly, without interruption.’

And it was a most sweet and divine saying of Bernard, ‘O saint, knowest thou not,’ saith he, ‘that thy husband Christ is bashful, and will not be familiar in company? Retire thyself therefore by prayer and meditation into thy closet or the fields, and there thou shalt have Christ’s embraces.’

A gentlewoman being at private prayer and meditation in her parlour, had such sweet, choice, and full enjoyments of God, that she cried out, ‘Oh that I might ever enjoy this sweet communion with God!’ &c.

Christ loves to embrace his spouse, not so much in the open street, as in a closet; and certainly the gracious soul hath never sweeter views of glory, than when it is most out of the view of the world. Wise men give their best, their choicest, and their richest gifts in secret; and so doth Christ give his the best of the best, when they are in a corner, when they are all alone. But as for such as cannot spare time to seek God in a closet, to serve him in secret, they sufficiently manifest that they have little fellowship or friendship with God, whom they so seldom come at.

Seriously though, does this not draw you to find a place to be alone with God and His Word?  I mean really, as good a prime steak off the charcoal grill is, this is the ultimate! Note again the quote from Ambrose, and may it stick with you:

‘I am never less alone, than when I am alone; for then I can enjoy the presence of my God most freely, fully, and sweetly, without interruption.’

God reveals Himself and shares His mysteries to those who pursue Him in the secret place. He’s promised to reward those who spend that time with Him. He speaks to the heart that is quiet with Him.  How about it? You?

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Brooks, T. (1866). The Complete Works of Thomas Brooks. (A. B. Grosart, Ed.) (Vol. 2, p. 174). Edinburgh; London; Dublin: James Nichol; James Nisbet and Co.; G. Herbert.

Hi I’m Fletcher, a friend of Jeff Beard and a member of his church. I’m a reader, lover of Church history, and the Bible. I also have friends from a variety of Christian traditions and believe that even though we are different, our differences are an opportunity to learn and understand. My hope is that this look at Henri Nouwen’s book will give you something new to think about that might scratch a spiritual itch and that God might be pleased to use to draw you closer to himself. Soli Deo glori

In Making All Things New, Henri Nouwen calls us to consider the spiritual life from a different perspective. He shares the conviction with St. Ignatius of Loyola that God is always speaking; thus it is our job to learn to listen.

The obstacle to the spiritual life

The problem is that we live in an age of constant activity and stimulation. We are occupied with so many things; we are busy. When we are not occupied with our activities, we are preoccupied with concerns about what might happen; thus our minds are as full or fuller than our lives. This fullness leaves little room for the spiritual life: it leaves little room for us to listen for and hear God’s voice.

Nouwen says that the results of this occupation and preoccupation is boredom, resentment, and depression.

• Boredom comes from doubting the value of the things we do. We feel that they don’t matter to anyone else.
• Resentment comes from feeling used by others.
• Depression comes from feeling “guilty” about living. We begin to feel bad about our lives and doubt their value.

The call of Jesus

Jesus calls us to a life where God’s loving Spirit is at the center and is active. This is the call to “seek first His Kingdom”. Nouwen understands this kingdom as entering into the love relationship that exists between the Father and the Son. This is what Jesus prays would happen for us in John 17. We enter into this relationship by having the Holy Spirit in our lives communicating this love to us.

Because God’s Spirit is at the center, our life is no longer fragmented by all these occupations and preoccupations. These things are now organized around loving and being loved by God and walking in obedience to the Father just like Jesus did. Not obedience from fear of punishment, but from love.

In Greek (and English), the idea of obeying is closely related to listening. So for Nouwen seeking God’s kingdom means listening to His voice and communing with Him. We will then live out our listening by doing what He says out of love, not fear.

Ultimately we need God’s grace to bring us to this place where we enter into this loving relationship between the Father and the Son and can hear God speaking to us. That said, the church has recognized ways that can help us get into the soil so that we can grow. Nouwen offers two.

Two ways to commune with God: solitude and community

Nouwen defines a spiritual discipline as “the concentrated effort to create some inner and outer space in our lives where this obedience can happen” (p. 68). The obedience he refers to is “obediently standing in the presence of God” listening (pg. 67-68).

Solitude

The first discipline we need is solitude. By solitude, Nouwen means solitude – time and space away from other people, books, phones, TV, and things to think about. We need time and space to do nothing but listen to God’s “still small voice”. He notes that we may do this in many places and in many ways, but that simplicity and regularity should be our guides.

If you have ever tried to quiet your mind and just listen, you will recognize that that our occupations and preoccupations pop into our minds and crowd in on our attempts to listen. Rather than directly fighting them, Nouwen suggests that we use the words of Scripture (a Psalm, Gospel, Epistle, etc.) or some short prayer (The Jesus Prayer, etc.) to gently redirect our thoughts back to listening to God. Nouwen doesn’t mean reading a whole chapter or a long prayer. A sentence or two should suffice. The goals is seeking silence and solitude to hear God speak.

Like me, you may wonder if the Evil One might speak into this silence. This silence-seeking smacks of Eastern Meditation, does it not?

St. Paul says that “no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says ‘Jesus is accursed!’ and no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit.” (I Cor 12:3, ESV). St. John says “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.” (I John 4:2-3, ESV). So we have a simple test. As we listen for God, if what we hear denies Jesus or leads us from Him, then that wasn’t God. If it leads us to Him or to the things He loves, then that is God.

Community

By community Nouwen means a community of people who are full of the Spirit and are listening for God. As we learn to listen in our own solitude, we will recognize God’s Spirit in each other. We can also be silent together and listen for God together.

As an aside, St. Ignatius said that community was important for discerning the will of God. When we feel that God is speaking to us, we should seek the wisdom of our Spirit-filled brothers and sisters in Christ and see if God has communicated anything to them about this. Other Christians can point us to Scripture that can offer insight and confirm or deny our feeling that God has spoken to us for God will never contradict what He has revealed in Scripture when we listen to Him in prayer.

Closing thoughts

Regardless of whether you accept Nouwen’s recommendations about what practices will best help you seek God, I hope that you will recognize the effects of busyness and the lack of mental space and solitude on your spiritual life. May you begin to create the space you need to commune with God.

May we begin to create the space and time we need to hear God and connect with Him. May we live from Him as our center rather than the “many things” that occupy and preoccupy us. May we create space to be with each other and hear God’s Spirit together and in each other. Amen.

The Puritan Pastor gives us another reason for making private prayer a thing to seek and exercise.

Secret duties shall have open rewards.1 Mat. 6:6, ‘And thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.’ So, ver. 18, God will reward his people here in part, and hereafter in all perfection. He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him in a corner. They that sow in tears secretly, shall reap in joy openly. Private prayer shall be rewarded before men and angels publicly. How openly did God reward Daniel for his secret prayer! Dan. 6:10, 23–28. Mordecai privately discovered a plot of treason against the person of king Ahasuerus, and he is rewarded openly, Esther 2:21–23, with chap. 6th. Darius, before he came to the kingdom, received privately a garment for a gift of one Syloson; and when he came to be a king, he rewarded him openly with the command of his country Samus.2 God, in the great day, will recompense his people before all the world, for every secret prayer, and secret tear, and secret sigh, and secret groan that hath come from his people. God, in the great day, will declare to men and angels, how often his people have been in pouring out their souls before him in such and such holes, corners, and secret places; and accordingly he will reward them.

I don’t seek my God in solitude prayer because of His promise to reward me, but neither should I brush off His promise. The truth is, I DO SEEK A REWARD when I seek Him in prayer. The reward that I seek is Him. The highest reward that we could gain from spending time alone with our God is spending time alone with God. Think about it: I am able, by the righteousness of Jesus Christ that He has imputed upon me, to confidently commune with the High and Holy One; The Sovereign One; Creator of heaven and earth; and the One who suffered and died for me. I can commune with the Spirit of the Living God, the One who brought life and light to my darkened and lifeless soul. Me in the presence of the Holy Trinity.  Me, who I know is prone to wander, and full of vileness under the pure light of holiness, can spend time in divine fellowship with the King of Glory, the Father of Lights, and the Spirit of Truth. This isn’t a “someday in heaven” reality. This is a here and now reality. So go ahead and top that invitation.

He alone is reward enough. Yet, He has promised more to those who seek Him in solitude and sincerity. I think that this promise goes along with Him doing more than what we could think or ask.

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Brooks, T. (1866). The Complete Works of Thomas Brooks. (A. B. Grosart, Ed.) (Vol. 2, pp. 173–174). Edinburgh; London; Dublin: James Nichol; James Nisbet and Co.; G. Herbert.