Spirituality Information

Praying in Secret


"But thou, 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

There was a time when I thought I could not turn to God. I became pregnant after a weekend with a friend, I thought this disqualified me from God's love and help. But my fear got the better of me, and I had nowhere else to turn. I've written about other aspects of this time in my life before, but what I want to focus on today is how God responded when I confessed my situation to Him and asked for help.

One of the things I was most concerned with in my initial fear was how this pregnancy would be received by those who knew me, and by those who didn't. Would I be judged? Would the baby be judged, perhaps be considered less of a person because of my marital status?

So when in answer to my prayers for help I only felt God's great love, I gained the courage to bring up this question. What could I do to protect my baby from being hurt by my mistake?

And God's response was, "You made a mistake then, but you're not making one now."

I had decided to keep the baby, you see. In my heart of hearts, I felt this was the only option. I wanted my child from the moment I knew about the pregnancy.

And the passage above from Matthew came to mind. I think this was the first time I really had prayed to God in secret. I had told no one about the pregnancy yet, not even the father. I had thrown myself into God's care first, and He was strengthening me.

From this prayer, I got this clear comforting message that God could see into my heart. He knew how I really felt about this baby, and He knew my deep desire to do right. He knew the sincerity of my internal promise to stop the self-destructive behavior that had gotten me into this situation, and He accepted that as enough.

I felt the truth of the words, "Thy Father who seeth in secret shall reward thee openly."

To me, this meant that everything would be okay. I'd be able to support us, I'd be able to handle whatever came my way from friends and family, and I'd be able to make the changes I needed to give my child a stable, happy home. There would be open acknowledgement of my secret connection to God.

This is over 14 years ago now, and it's all come true. The self-destructive behavior dropped away, I don't even miss it. I couldn't now ask for a better life; each day brings new occasions for gratitude.

All because of that simple spiritual law that Jesus shared with us so long ago.

Laura Matthews is a spiritual healer in the US Northeast. Visit her Website at: http://www.lbmatthews.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Examiner.com

The spiritual tragedies in Obama's choice of Pastor Rick Warren
Examiner.com - 2 hours ago
by Saniel Bonder, SF Spirituality Examiner Most people aren’t thinking a whole lot, right now, about the Pastor Rick Warren/Obama Inauguration controversy. ...


San Carlos honors Geronimo's courage, spirituality and intellect
Arizona Silver Belt, AZ - 5 hours ago
Unfortunately, very little has been publicized, which portrays the human side that embodied him with courage, spirituality and intellect. ...
REZ ISSUES AND FORUM: Poverty Vs. Community Development -Part 2 Arizona Silver Belt
all 2 news articles


United Press International

Day 3: Oprah's Best Life Week - Spirituality
CBS 4, FL - 13 hours ago
Next up - how to be enlightened through spirituality. "I know that this whole life experience here is really a spiritual adventure," said Winfrey. ...
Oprah's Best Life Week continues with spirituality advice, Suze ... The TV Guy
Click for photo gallery New York Post
Oprah hits home once again Waukegan News Sun
MarketWatch (press release) - Oprah.com
all 9 news articles


Los Angeles Times

A closer, faster walk with thee
Los Angeles Times, CA - 18 hours ago
Publishers and pastors are serving up God on the go via books, e-mails, even podcasts for busy Americans hungry for spirituality. By Duke Helfand So you're ...


Transcript: Oprah panel on Larry King Live
CNN International - 18 hours ago
He is the spiritual adviser to Oprah. He will be a guest on Oprah's Best Life week tomorrow. How is Oprah fitting spirituality into all of this? ...
Oprah's Best Life Week Begins On CBS4 CBS 4
Oprah Winfrey Embarrassed By Her Weight NewsBlaze
Oprah's New Year New You for her and us Examiner.com
CBS 4
all 164 news articles


Scripture baking blends spirituality and cooking
nwitimes.com, IN - 17 hours ago
BY MARIA NOEL GROVES Most modern bakers probably don't associate The Good Book with pulling together a batch of their favorite treats, but during the late ...


Business Partners Love Stories, Spirituality of Show
The Epoch Times, NY - Jan 5, 2009
What Mr. Ranvaska appreciated most about the show was the spirituality of the stories. “Really, if you listened carefully, you got the meaning and the ...
Artist: It Is 'very spiritually uplifting' The Epoch Times
Music Producer: A Feeling of Serenity, a Type of Spiritual Nirvana The Epoch Times
Human rights lawyer: ‘a combination of history and spirituality in ... The Epoch Times
The Epoch Times - The Epoch Times
all 92 news articles


Science and spirituality
Express Buzz, India - 4 hours ago
“This is as much about spirituality, the inner space, as it is about what’s outside. Do we need spirituality in an age of Science? Yes, we do. ...


JESUIT SPIRITUALITY NOW TAUGHT ON TELEVISION
Catholic Online, CA - Jan 6, 2009
Fr Gallagher is an expert on St. Ignatius of Loyola's Rules for Discernment and how these core insights stimulate our spiritual growth today. ...


Skya Abbate Writes, Bind Each Other's Wounds, Spirituality in ...
PR Web (press release), WA - Jan 5, 2009
Skya Abbate writes book on the roll of doctor/patient interaction in healing, and the importance of spirituality in clinical medicine. ...

Spirituality - Google News

home | site map
© 2006