Matthew 6:6 “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you”

Solitude and silence, stillness and calmness, and mostly, a lack of distractions is what should be sought in a place to pray. A closet, where no one can see me; my room, where I can look as foolish as I want and not care. A place where the outside world does not intrude and there are no distractions in the form of what people will think of me, or worries about what I will buy for supper, or will I offend this person if I don't stop what I am doing and talk to them. My relationship, our relationship with Christ is extremely personal. It involves no one else and thus should not be dependent on others in any way shape or form for anything.

Praying in public is all well and good, and for some people it is necessary. I remind you to persevere in your prayers for pastors and elders and those in authority. To truly spend time with God, though, requires yourself and He with no interference. Would you go out for a special dinner with a close friend, or a spouse and take with you everyone in the house or neighborhood to listen to you two talk about private matters? No! This is the same with God and you. Spend the time alone with Him, not seeking the approval of anyone else, not where you can be judged on the qualities of your prayer or the rhetoric or the grammer, but instead remember that God knows the meanings of your heart and the words don't matter as much because He already knows.

I particularly like the way the King James/New King James versions translate the verse. They read “And your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” This basically states that your prayers will be answered in the same way that you seek God. You seek Him, not caring about the distractions or thoughts of others, and He answers in a way that shows them that you have something there that they don't. God rewards not in secret but with a magnanimous hand, allowing all the glory to come to Him.

Seek God earnestly. Seek Him devotedly. Seek His will constantly. Mostly learn to listen. You can't learn to listen for His still, small voice in the rush of traffic or the bustle of work. You can't learn to listen in a crowded café with the latest best selling novel. You can't learn to listen with your music blaring or your cell-phone ringing, or your computer chattering at you. You can only learn to listen in the quiet places of your life.