Come to the Prayer Room in 2024
“Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.” Matthew 6:6 MSG
God has good plans in store for you this year. He wants to bring you into exciting new places, heal your pain, provide for every need, restore relationship, and bring joy to your life and family. He does this not from afar, but by being in a close relationship with us. Teaching us his heart, his character, and his love for us as a good Father.
The way to relationship with God is by spending time with Him. We meet him in the Prayer Room—which is simply a quiet place that we can be alone with God. This can be a favorite chair, a park we like to walk in, or a quiet room or closet. The idea of Prayer Room is to get us thinking about where and when we talk with God, free of noise and distractions.
When we spend time in His presence and listen to His voice, we make room for Him to show up in our life. We learn to depend on Him as we get to know His heart for us and find out He has good things in store!
It can be tempting to view prayer time as another box we need to check. But God doesn’t ever want us to come out of a sense of duty. This is not a time to perform or pray perfectly, in fact, God asks us not to do that! He says “come as you are;” he wants us to be ourselves, as honestly as we know how. The Prayer Room is not a duty or obligation, it’s a place of life and fulfillment for us!
A good rhythm for prayer time is 1) start with gratitude—why are you thankful for God? This opens the door to relationship and puts our focus on Him. 2) pour out your heart—don’t censor your emotions, give him your pain, hurt and fears. 3) listen to His voice—sit quietly and see what you hear/feel. God might give you a picture, impression or speak through His word.
What you receive from Him in that moment will bring new perspective, lift your anxiety and fear, and draw you closer to Him! We can be changed from the inside out as God fills us with His peace and grace and assures us of His love for us.
I want to encourage you to intentionally make room for God in 2024. He wants to give you revelation about that struggle you are in. He knows the next step for your child. He wants to reassure you regarding that medical diagnosis. We could walk through these things without Him, but we don’t have to.
Taking this simple step will change your life. You will find rest, grace, and help and experience His great peace. Join me in the Prayer Room this year—God is waiting for you!
-Pastor Cari