Pray to Jesus In Secret

PART 6 “Pray to Jesus In Secret”

Today, I want to talk to you about something very special — praying in secret.

In Matthew 6:6, Jesus says, "When you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you in the open." That means when you pray alone, away from the busyness of this maddening world, God sees you. And He promises to bless you openly.

Now, let’s think about Daniel.

In Daniel chapter 6, he was about 80 years old. Yet even at that age, he found himself the target of jealousy and hatred. Some officials, in the court of King Darius, were threatened by Daniel's integrity and conspired against him. They manipulated the king into signing a law that would trap Daniel — a law that forbade prayer to anyone except the king for 30 days.

But Daniel didn’t panic. He didn’t argue with the King or the officials. He didn’t run from the problem!
He simply went to his room, opened his windows toward Jerusalem, and prayed — just as he had always done.

Now, what happened next as a result of non-compliance with the king's orders was that Daniel was thrown into a den of hungry lions.

In verse 22, Daniel testifies: “My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths.”

God protected Daniel.

Then, in verse 24, the very men who had plotted against Daniel were thrown into that same den. And this time, the lions didn’t hold back. They tore these men down and feasted on their flesh.

Daniel didn’t have the strength to fight back. He was old, outnumbered, and helpless in the world’s eyes — but he had an entire army in heaven on his side, therefore:

He just needed to do what he always did — pray in secret and trust in the Lord.
Friend, you don’t have to be powerful. You don't need contacts to put you in the right places. You just need to stay faithful in prayer and let God handle the lions.

God sees you. God hears you. And in His perfect time, He will fight for you.

When you do that — like Daniel — God will reward you in ways you can’t imagine.

Thomas Watson said: Prayer... delights God's ear; melts His heart; and opens His hand.

Amen!

MORE SERMONS ON PRAYER:

The power of persistent prayer!
ASK, SEEK, KNOCK (MATT. 7:7-8)

Shalom, brothers and sisters, let us together understand the power of persistent prayer, as beautifully promised in Matthew 7:7-8

Matthew 7:7-8 7. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Considering Hebrews 11:6, which states, "without faith it is impossible to please God," emphasises the fact that these actions must be rooted in faith to be truly effective.

Therefore, when you ask, ask in faith, trusting in God's willingness and ability to give. Only then can you have the assurance of receiving.

Seek with unwavering faith, believing that you will indeed find what you are looking for.

And when you knock on the doors of God's kingdom, do so in faith, confident that the door will be opened to you.

Without faith, the act of asking becomes uncertain; the promise of receiving wavers because the connection with the giver is rooted in faith. For without faith, it is impossible to please God, so do you see the connection between faith and receiving.

Similarly, seeking and knocking without faith may not yield the intended results.
In the original Greek text, Matthew 7:7 highlights a continuous action: "keep on asking," "keep on seeking," and "keep on knocking."

Let's revisit verse 7: "Keep on asking, and it will be given to you; keep on seeking, and you will find; keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you."

This isn't about making a single request. Instead, it's an encouragement to persistent action. Think of it like this: from the moment you learn about your pregnancy, you begin a continuous conversation with God about your hopes and plans for your child – their education, their future marriage, their relationship with God, and so forth. It's an ongoing dialogue, not a one-time prayer...

A call to persistent asking, seeking, and knocking, all done in faith. Furthermore, this verse extends a universal invitation, open to all – the rich, the poor, clergy, laity, Christian, Hindu – everyone is included in this invitation to approach the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

However, verse 8 reveals a filtering of the people in place: "For everyone who asks - receives" - this is a broad and inclusive statement, encompassing all who approach God with a request.

"And the one who seeks finds" - the language becomes more specific, highlighting the individual who is actively engaged in the pursuit of God.

"And to the one who knocks, the door will be opened" - this is the most specific of the three, suggesting a persistent and determined effort to enter.

This promise, "ASK, SEEK, KNOCK" isn't merely about obtaining material possessions or earthly desires. Instead, it points towards gaining access to eternal life and communion with our Heavenly Father.

Consider the parable of the prodigal son. The prodigal son initially desired his father's wealth but not a relationship with him. He wanted the gifts without the giver. Only when his self-centred pursuit led to emptiness and despair did he realise the abundance and security in his father's presence. His return, marked by humility and a desire for a relationship with his father, was met with open arms. This illustrates that true fulfilment comes not just from receiving, but from entering into a right relationship with the Father through faith and persistent seeking.

Let me leave you with this question ... When you ask, seek and knock, are you seeking to build a relationship with your father or merely focused on HIs blessings?

(Last Part 6) ... thankyou for reading

To follow Living Daily with El -Shaddai


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