I’ve no place to pray,” said a little girl in a pitiful voice one day, as her teacher was talking to her about prayer. She lived in a lodging-house, in three little rooms, with her father, mother and six brothers and sisters. There wasn’t much chance for her to get away alone, surely.
But her teacher told her she could sometimes slip away into one of the little bedrooms, and shut the door. There she could be alone with God, and the rest of the family wouldn’t miss her for a few minutes. Minnie promised to try it. Most everybody can find a lone corner for prayer if they want to.
I once heard of a man who worked in a large machine shop, who, after eating his lunch at noon, used to go inside an old boiler to pray. One of his companions found it out, and asked if he might come, too. Then others came, and after a while they had quite a little prayer-meeting in the old boiler, and souls were saved there.
I knew a man who lived in a small house, and always went out in the barn to pray. I also knew a young girl who couldn’t get a chance for secret prayer till all the day’s work of a large family was done, and then she had to go down into the cellar to be alone. But what sweet seasons of prayer she had down there in the dark!
We read in Acts 10:9 that Peter, when in Joppa “went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour.”
God is everywhere. If we cannot be alone, we can pray to Him in our hearts.
He can hear even a thought-prayer.
“The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers.” 1 Peter’s 3:12.
ML 07/17/1938