"But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you." Matthew 6:6
Did you ever notice that, In Matthew 6, Jesus instructs us how to pray before He instructs us what to pray? Only after He commands us to go away by ourselves, shut the door behind us and pray to our Father in private does He give us what to pray...the Lord's prayer (v.9-15). Coincidence? Of course not. Does it make a difference in what order we do things? Absolutely. By shutting the door "behind you" and shutting out the world, you can free yourself from life's burdens, deadlines and worries and give your uninterruped attention to Christ. We need His presence and instructions for the day, and every day, as Psalm 143:8 tells us, "Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; For I trust in You; Teach me the way in which I should walk; For to You I lift up my soul."
It's no wonder then that so many people use running as a way to close the door on the world and open another to God. As a busy parent, wife, husband, caretaker, etc., sometimes going into your closet (KJV) and shutting the door doesn't assure you of uninterrupted, quiet time with God. Getting out and going running can. No one wants to follow us on a long run right? Running assures solitude! What better way then to get away? And there is that added bonus - exercise calms the mind and body allowing a person to think more clearly and hear God more powerfully. What a gift exercise can be.
The best part is that anyone can do it. Your quiet pace is the perfect place where you can find Jesus. Some of us are quicker and some slower but God is our running partner at any speed. While getting out for a run or walk is a great way to spend time alone with the Lord in prayer, it's not the only way. Make it a priority to set apart time for Him any way you can. "Then your Father who sees everything, will reward you."
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Thank You that, through the death of your Son that we can come directly to You anytime, anywhere and anyway. Your presence is a gift beyond measure that we don't deserve and may we never take for granted. Spending time, alone and uninterrupted with you is a blessing not a burden. May we crave that time and search for it as "treasure". In your precious name we pray, Jesus. Amen.
Happy Running!!!
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