Matthew 6:5-6
King James Version (KJV)
5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
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.
When I quote this scripture, I take it seriously. I do not judge anyone for worshiping, praying, or practicing different traditions than my own. As Christians, everyone of us follows the Lord in the way in which we feel convicted to do so. I will be honest though and say that this is a topic that we disagree upon with the UPCI. We aren't contentious about it. We just feel differently about it. As plain Chriatians we try not to be ostentatious. When we are at a worship meeting we seek to have a personal communion with God. We personally feel the best way to go about achieving this is to pray in private in a prayer closet.
You may be wondering what a prayer closet is. For us, it is simply a room with no windows that is dedicated to praying. A room with no distractions.
We are pentecostals, we feel that the best way to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost is by individual prayer. We are not apposed to two or more people praying together, there is scriptural justification for it's relevance. However we do feel that it is up to the said individual to decide if that is what they want. It is up to them to ask, we will not press ourselves on an individual that is seeking that blessing.
This is a topic that we feel strongly about. Inside of this topic we also feel that women are to pray with women, and men are to pray with men where group prayer is concerned.
The furnishings of the room are irrelevant as they are not strictly specified in the word of God.
It is appropriate to expect young girls that intend to use a prayer closet to be wearing a prayer covering. Likewise with boys, it is expected that their hair is short in accordance with 1st Corinthians 11. Even in ones home, modesty would be expected in a prayer closet, it is what is righteous.
There is no abuse in using the room to study the Bible or to sing unto the Lord or to worship him in other ways, including dancing. The room is intended to be dedicated as a sanctuary in the house. There is freedom in the Lord and this room is intended to remind the said saints of that.
This room can be any size, whether it be repurposed from a room used for clothing, storage, or even a garage. The intention is what matters. A garage, though seeming crude, would offer plenty of room for a piano and dancing. It would be glory to the Lord.
To truly feel liberated in prayer with the Lord, I would suggest not keeping a clock or watch in the room. Even five minutes of prayer can seem like three hours, and sometimes three hours feels like five minutes. This is a blessing from the Lord.
The current generation of Christians has it as it's responsibility to pray for today's lost generation of unbelievers. We must disassociate with routines and a lukewarm relationship with God. We are called to be the light and the salt of the earth. In order for that to take place we must be proactive as Christians, as the saints of God that we proclaim we are. Let us not falsely claim a name on the coat tails of our forefathers. We are the saints of today, and as saints At All, it is our responsibility to liv and act as such, even if the actions are a private communion with God that only we personally will know about.
To God be the Glory, I pray he blesses you abundantly.
In the name of Yeshua, Amen
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.
When I quote this scripture, I take it seriously. I do not judge anyone for worshiping, praying, or practicing different traditions than my own. As Christians, everyone of us follows the Lord in the way in which we feel convicted to do so. I will be honest though and say that this is a topic that we disagree upon with the UPCI. We aren't contentious about it. We just feel differently about it. As plain Chriatians we try not to be ostentatious. When we are at a worship meeting we seek to have a personal communion with God. We personally feel the best way to go about achieving this is to pray in private in a prayer closet.
You may be wondering what a prayer closet is. For us, it is simply a room with no windows that is dedicated to praying. A room with no distractions.
We are pentecostals, we feel that the best way to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost is by individual prayer. We are not apposed to two or more people praying together, there is scriptural justification for it's relevance. However we do feel that it is up to the said individual to decide if that is what they want. It is up to them to ask, we will not press ourselves on an individual that is seeking that blessing.
This is a topic that we feel strongly about. Inside of this topic we also feel that women are to pray with women, and men are to pray with men where group prayer is concerned.
The furnishings of the room are irrelevant as they are not strictly specified in the word of God.
It is appropriate to expect young girls that intend to use a prayer closet to be wearing a prayer covering. Likewise with boys, it is expected that their hair is short in accordance with 1st Corinthians 11. Even in ones home, modesty would be expected in a prayer closet, it is what is righteous.
There is no abuse in using the room to study the Bible or to sing unto the Lord or to worship him in other ways, including dancing. The room is intended to be dedicated as a sanctuary in the house. There is freedom in the Lord and this room is intended to remind the said saints of that.
This room can be any size, whether it be repurposed from a room used for clothing, storage, or even a garage. The intention is what matters. A garage, though seeming crude, would offer plenty of room for a piano and dancing. It would be glory to the Lord.
To truly feel liberated in prayer with the Lord, I would suggest not keeping a clock or watch in the room. Even five minutes of prayer can seem like three hours, and sometimes three hours feels like five minutes. This is a blessing from the Lord.
The current generation of Christians has it as it's responsibility to pray for today's lost generation of unbelievers. We must disassociate with routines and a lukewarm relationship with God. We are called to be the light and the salt of the earth. In order for that to take place we must be proactive as Christians, as the saints of God that we proclaim we are. Let us not falsely claim a name on the coat tails of our forefathers. We are the saints of today, and as saints At All, it is our responsibility to liv and act as such, even if the actions are a private communion with God that only we personally will know about.
To God be the Glory, I pray he blesses you abundantly.
In the name of Yeshua, Amen
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