Christ Jesus’ disciples once asked him to teach them how to pray.
The Master’s thoughts on how to pray correctly were included in his Sermon on the Mount. At that time, he also explained the incorrect way to approach prayer, and showed the consequences of each choice. His recommendations to his disciples, recorded in the Scriptures, deserve both deep pondering and application. Jesus said, “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).
The Master first calls the person who will be doing the praying to attention. And we can respond with an open and willing mind and heart—with dedicated, precious moments of heavenly communication. It is not a frivolous or self-seeking choice. It is the deep and sincere desire to consciously know our oneness with God.
What does it mean to enter into a “closet” when we pray? In literal terms, this word could refer to a kind of storeroom in the houses of that time. It was in the inner part of the home, and it was typically the only part of the house that had a door. This suggests something in relation to our spiritual disposition; that is, a gathering inward, to a human being’s innermost depth; a closed door to interruptions. It’s being alone with God. Into this “room” we must go to pray.
Why the storeroom? It was the place where things of value and things the family used were kept. The storeroom symbolizes a room of assets. It was not an empty room. What is our storeroom? Our consciousness. That’s where we keep our dearest hopes and highest spiritual ideals, and it is in this space that we have to seek our Father-Mother God. The materialistic standards and interests that belong to the human self will be left outside. The influence of materialistic desires will be silenced. Leave behind those souvenirs or concerns of human and worldly living! Mary Baker Eddy clearly illustrates the importance of this approach in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: “Lips must be mute and materialism silent, that man may have audience with Spirit, the divine Principle, Love, which destroys all error” (p. 15).
In this sacred place we are in intimate communion with God, who gives us the spiritual ideas that bring solutions. This is the kind of inward gathering that we must exercise. This is possible because we carry our “storeroom” with us wherever we go.
We can think of God as our Father in a warm and familial way.
Now, let’s consider “Pray to thy Father which is in secret.” The holy mental environment of this communion is spiritual. Mind, or divine consciousness, knows everything we need, and knows our thoughts, even before we express them in words.
“Thy Father … shall reward thee.” This is the result of prayer according to Christ Jesus’ instruction. The Father is aware of the needs of His children and meets those needs. Science and Health echoes this idea: “Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need” (p. 494).
There are some translated versions of the Bible, in various languages, including English, in which the divine method of reward is indicated by using the word “openly” after “shall reward thee.” God’s love satisfies all human needs, and it’s open for all to see.
Shortly after Jesus’ introduction of how we should approach prayer, he offers the text that has become known as the Lord’s Prayer. There is much to explore within the verses of the Lord’s Prayer (see Matthew 6:9–13).
It’s so helpful to understand this prayer that Jesus provided, as well as its spiritual interpretation given in Science and Health (see pp. 16–17). Moreover, I’ve found that it can become even more spiritually substantial to the reader if he thinks of God as his Father in a warm and familial way. If we enter into the “closet” of prayer with humility and trust, we will not fail to grow spiritually.
