3 Minute Read
Prepare Your Heart
To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.
Read God’s Word
A Verse for Today
Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.
Acts 16:13 (CSB): “On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate by the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and spoke to the women gathered there.”
Reflecting on God’s Word
“The place of prayer” appears to be a designation for the location where Jews in a city would gather for prayer, Scripture reading, and other acts of worship and prayer. Since the location in Philippi was not in a building, it would seem that the Jewish requirements of having at least ten Jewish men had not been met. So, the ladies were meeting near a river under the open sky.
When I look at this, I can’t help but be reminded that it is helpful when there are designated places of worship and designated places of prayer. Churches should have a specific place (whether it is a building, under a tree, or by a river) where they meet to enjoy each other’s company while engaging in heartfelt worship of our God.
But it is also beneficial to have a specific place and time for personal prayer. I have discovered that if I don’t have a place and time to pray, the day will get started, and it might be difficult to carve out a time for prayer. There have been times when I enjoy prayer while I’m walking my neighborhood, or praying while sitting on my living room couch early in the morning, or praying while walking in the worship center of the church I pastor.
In this brief article, I encourage you to set aside a specific location and time each day to pray. And then fiercely protect that time so that nothing keeps you from enjoying fellowship with your God.
Spend Time in Prayer
- Ask God to help you set a location and time to pray; then fiercely protect that time for personal prayer.
Going Deeper
If you want to dig a little deeper into a location for prayer, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:
Sharing
If this post has been helpful to you or if you think it could help others, please consider tapping one of the social media buttons below to share it on your favorite platform.
____________________
Matt Ellis is the pastor of White Hall Baptist Church in Richmond, Kentucky (whitehallbaptistchurch.org)
Matt’s Musings 
I find having a specific place to go to in prayer is HUGE! Thanks for sharing this reminder!
LikeLiked by 1 person
And the link to “what is a prayer closet” was great too! I remember reading about John Wesley’s mom, Susanna, who had 19 children, and she would put her apron over her head as her “prayer closet!” Wow!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had a lovely friend that taught me this principle and I try to encourage others to give to God that alone time….It is best time of my day!
LikeLiked by 1 person