Prayer Closet

by Pastor Shawn Dewey

“When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, ‘Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.’ He was afraid and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven” Genesis 28:16-17.

Within the context of the above scripture, Jacob has had a dream where he sees a stairway to heaven and upon its steps are angels ascending and descending. Above the flight of steps stands the Lord God Almighty. So sacred and intimate is this place to Jacob that he dedicates this place and renames it Bethel, which in Hebrew means “House of God.”

I don’t know about you, but have you ever encountered a habitat of holiness, as I like to call it, where heaven and earth appear to merge within our time and space? Not that God’s presence ever ceases to surround us 24/7, but there have been places in my journey that will forever exist for me as sacred space. Some of those places for me have been amidst thirty-three acres of forests and trails among the hills near Wellsville, New York where my grandparents owned property. Another was Bethel Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota where I attended. There have been others.

The Holy Spirit can fill a place as easily as He can a person. The ancient Celts use to describe such locations as “thin places,” where the veil between heaven and earth becomes so fine that prayer is easier, and the still small voice of God is clearly heard.

Jesus mentions in Matthew’s gospel, “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:6). 

Friends, in the busyness of life we need to discover our own “thin places” where we may tune out from the bustle of life in order to properly converse with our Holy God. These sacred habitats will be unique to each one of us and the locations may vary from a back porch to a special chair in a room, but I encourage you to break away and search for that place where you can be embraced by His sacred presence. I guarantee it will transform your life.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8)