2 Kings 4:17-37
He went in, therefore, shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the Lord (2 Kings 4:33).

Elisha shut the door because he needed to talk to God alone. He did not want the pain and the fear in the mother of the boy and his servant to hinder his faith. He prayed, and God answered him. The boy was revived.

Sometimes, we need to do this. When we know that we lack the faith to be bold to declare what we want openly, we can separate ourselves to seek God and ask Him to help us in His mercy and help our unbelief too.

The time spent with God gives us the opportunity to reflect on life and to thank Him for what He has done for us and ask for the grace to know Him more and please Him. Someone has said: “Private prayer, the quiet isolation in the chamber, where we may look into our own souls and weigh the value of things passing in the balance of eternity, where we may speak to God and feel how blessed to get away from the world … and then to pour forth our desires for holiness and for conformity to His unutterable glorious way… without such habits as these the whole religious life must become shallow, mechanical; a thing of opinions, doctrines, disputes, rather than the abiding blessedness
of those who are in communion with God.”

May the Lord draw us nearer to Himself; to seek His face more in privacy and become like Him.

Your Turn

• Pray as you have been inspired by the Spirit of God.

Hymn: Nearer to thee, nearer to thee, Lord.

Further Reading: Isaiah 38:1-8.