Last week we unpacked Jesus’ command to “pray in secret.” In powerful fashion, Jesus set us free from performative religion—where prayer, giving, or fasting is done for attention, to bolster one’s sense of importance, status, or worth. If you want to make room for God, find an actual place (room) to meet God in secret. I think the same thing that is true of character, is true of prayer. Who you are, and what you do in secret, is who you really are. You might look impressively religious Sunday morning but God who is in secret sees who we are in secret.
But praying in secret isn’t just about becoming cave men, retreating for retreat’s sake. At first, the shelter of a cave seems to provide a measure of safety and security. But if we’re not careful, a torrent of evil can be released in secret. Think about what happens when you are alone, left to yourself.
In Galatians 5:19-21 The Bible talks about the “works of the flesh.” When were left alone, we become incredibly vulnerable. Maybe our intention is to pray, to spend time with God, but then the flesh starts working you over. It’s often in private, in secret, in times of isolation, in the cave… that a torrent of evil begins to flood our minds. Every habit begins as an act. Every act begins as a thought. In secret, its like the flesh rears its ugly head to take our minds captive to do its will.
• There we are in secret and thoughts of “sexual immorality, moral impurity, and promiscuity” pour into our minds (v19).
• Idolatrous thoughts. An “idol” is anything we exalt to the center of worship in our hearts. Literally any created thing can become an idol. An idol is that all-consuming desire you chase day and night. “Sorcery.” In the most elementary sense, sorcery is about manipulating (bending) spiritual forces or powers or entities to do our will. How quickly prayer can become more about trying to manipulate or bargain with God than simply submitting to his will or worshipping him (v20)!
• In secret our thoughts turn to “hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy” (v.20-21). The fruit of the spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. But not when we’re brooding in our dens, in our caves, in secret. It’s the works of the flesh that monopolize our focus. We name our enemies and rivals. We entertain how to best speak our mind, get even, settle the score. How to make things work for our good, even if at expense of others.
• In secret, our thoughts turn to “drunkenness, carousing.” The other night I called a friend of mine, his name is Chad. Have you ever noticed that when someone has a vice, or an addiction, everyone in their cell phone only has a first name or just a nickname? You have a weakness but you don’t want to take down your enablers, so you just call them by first name, or nickname. The other night I called Chad, thirty minutes after his store closed. Chad runs that taco shack in Southern view—Chaditos. So I was like, “Hey Chad, what are doing? I need a taco. Can you hit me up? Can you meet me down at the corner store? I’ve got the jitters, I can’t sleep, I can’t relax.” Chad should have never given me his cell!
• But in secret, an ember of desire can be fanned into an all-consuming forest fire. Our desperation, our hunger for real food (much less Word of God), our thirst (much less for Living Water of Spirit) can be eclipsed by the yearning of the flesh. That craving for caffeine, for sugar, for a smoke, for a drink, for a drug, for pornography, to pull lever of slot machine, … The most dangerous place an addict could ever be is often alone with their flesh working them over.
I didn’t mention it last Sunday because I wanted to talk about it today. Jesus doesn’t just command us to retreat into secret, he commands us to retreat into secret with a plan. In almost comedic form (though I doubt he was just trying to be clever for clever’s sake), in Matthew 6:7-8 Jesus says, “When you pray, don’t babble like the Gentiles, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words. Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him.” Don’t go to God and just verbally vomit all over the place. Don’t go to God and let your mind drift off to some dark, idolatrous, hateful, self-destructive space. Have a focus, a purpose, a plan.
The Bible teaches about this pretty consistently. Matthew 6:7… don’t go on babbling like pagans. 2 Corinthians 10:5… take every thought that sets itself against a knowledge of God captive, and make it obedient to Christ. Colossians 3:1-2… set your hearts and minds on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Philippians 4:8, “Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things.”
If I could offer you just one piece of advice on prayer it would be this… when you pray, tether your mind to Christ’s mind. Tether your mind to God’s Holy Spirit. Tether your mind to God’s very words—to Scripture. If you don’t tether your mind to God’s word, your mind will get caught in the currents of your own flesh, and your thoughts will drift from the hallowed and sacred to the obscene. A babbling mind is an unspiritual mind. Babbling prayer is ineffective, powerless.
In his book, “worry cry argue fight pray first” Chris Hodges mentions a number of passages we can use, to anchor our prayer times. One example is the Lord’s Prayer, in Matthew 6. Consider the elements of this prayer:
• “Our Father in Heaven” – Consider the goodness of God;
• “Hallowed or Holy be your name”—consider the greatness of God;
• “Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”—consider the agenda of God. By the way, Galatians 5 warns us that when our mind is adrift, consumed by the dark works and will of the flesh, such a person cannot inherit or participate in the Kingdom or reign of God.
• “Give us today our daily bread.” This is the cure all for idolatry. The secret to satisfaction is to realize everything we most need is found in God. God is the source of life, love, truth, and every good and perfect gift. All that you need ultimately comes from him. So go to the source! Philippians 4:4-6, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:12-13, “I know how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me.”
• “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” – Consider the grace of God. We go to God in prayer and we let Christ flip the script. Instead of saying, “This is how justified I am to spew my hatred, my anger, my bitterness…” you say, “apart from Christ I have no more justification than my worse enemies.” You say, “God, forgive me, a sinner.” You say, “God help me to forgive my debtors.” You say God, “replace the works of my flesh with the work of your spirit…replace my hate with your love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, self-control.”
• “and do not bring us into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.” There is no darkness in your life (nor in your thoughts) that is too dark for God. Here is an idea… invite God into your thoughts. James 1:13-14 says, “No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am being tempted by God,” since God is not tempted by evil, and he himself doesn’t tempt anyone. But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.” God break the satanic chain of temptation-thought-desire-action-sin-death in my life!
Instead of “babbling” we go into secret, to the father who is in secret, with a plan. We go to have a real conversation, and to really make room for God, and to invite him to have his way within us, within our relationships, within our world. You can use the Lord’s Prayer as a kind of theological outline not just for praying to God, but for knowing God more deeply. God help me know your goodness, greatness, your perfect purposes, plan, will, your blessings, your favor, your transformative grace, your power to save me from real sin and real death.
We did a series on Psalm 23. “ The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need. He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters. He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; our rod and your staff—they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.” Doesn’t sound like babble to me. Pour content, structure into your prayers.
Consider Paul’s prayers in Ephesians 1, 3, and 6. Consider short prayers like the prayer of Jabez in 1 Chronicles 4. Long prayers like Ezra and Nehemiah.
We did that series on Encountering God based on the Tabernacle in Exodus 15. Chris Hodges suggests we use each station or element of the Tabernacle as a plan for prayer. You come to the Gathering of Thanksgiving and Praise. You come to the altar, and consider the great cost of mercy, God shed his blood for you. You come to the laver, and invite God to wash and purify your soul. You come to the candlestick, and ask God to lead you by his Spirit. You come to the table of showbread, and ask God to nourish your soul. You come to altar of incense and extol the beauty and utter worthship of God. You don’t leave your knees before arriving at the mercy seat of God—and praying his mercy and grace be extended not just to us but the nations!
But don’t just babble before God. Really have a conversation. Open his word and ask God to teach you how to pray.