The Closet, the Power

Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore. (Ezra 10:1)

When Jesus said that our prayer should originate from the closet, He not only talked about privacy, but especially about power. That is why He said that what we will be doing in the closet will be made evident in public.

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. (Matthew 6:6)

Ezra knew that secret long before those words were spoken.

That was the reason he went into prayer when he discovered spiritual corruption and defilement.

And the results bailed him out. What he was doing in his closet was enough to send a powerful conviction on the guilty parties. And it went as far as being willing and ready to take action.

That is what the closet does. It gives God space to show off. That is why we are advised to hide in that closet. People will only see the results of our investment in that closet.

Glorying in public praying elevates you above God, many times behaving as if He is your servant. Even His answering our prayers under those times does not result in the growth of our faith and worship, unless it is faith in us and our exertion. That is why that kind of prayer is called the prayer of hypocrites. We even use scripture as bait for God to be compelled to act in our interest.

There are therefore two key things that compose the closet; praying in secret and consistent scripture intake. That is what made Ezra powerful.

Jesus as our example withdrew from ministry to the closet. No wonder He said that He did only what He saw His Father doing. That is one clear product of the closet.

Will you develop the closet as your prayer strategy?