Closet Prayer: How to Find Solitude in Prayer: How to Find Solitude in Prayer refers to Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6:6, where He instructs believers to pray in private, entering a secluded place— translated as “closet,” “room,” or “inner chamber”—to build a confidential relationship with God. This practice emphasizes honest, personal communication with the Father, away from public attention or distraction, making it a spiritual “storehouse” where one’s soul is refueled and deep secrets can be shared, resulting in open reward from God.
Closet Prayer: How to Find Solitude in Prayer
by Delbert Young
Scriptures Used
Matthew 6:6-8, Matthew 24:26, Luke 12:3, Luke 12:24, Luke 11:1, Mark 1:35,
I’m titling this lesson on prayer “Closet Prayer: How to Find Solitude in Prayer.” I think calling it closet prayer will help the thought stick and resonate with us. At the end of the lesson, when someone refers to “closet prayer,” or going into your closet to pray, you should immediately know what they’re speaking of. Let’s look at the Scripture where Jesus taught this.
Jesus Christ’s Instructions
(KJV) Matthew 6:6 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.
I always enjoy reading Scripture in modern translations. Modern translations rephrase difficult-to-understand wording from the King James Version into language that is easier to understand. My personal favorite is the New International Version. The reason is that it was written by many Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic scholars and not one person’s interpretation. Here is a quote from Wikipedia.
“A team of 15 biblical scholars, representing a variety of evangelical denominations,[5] worked from the oldest copies of reliable texts, variously written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek,” says Wikipedia.
So, it’s not one person’s interpretation of a word. It’s a consolidation of several scholars who understood the language. Let’s read the same verse from the NIV.
(NIV) Matthew 6:6 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.
Closet Prayer: How to Find Solitude in Prayer
Greek Word Study
As a highly inquisitive person when it comes to Scripture, I need to know what the Greek word translated as “closet” in the KJV and “room” in the NIV means, so let’s examine it.
It’s the Greek word tameion pronounced tam-i’-on.
The word means:
(1) a storage chamber, storeroom
(2) a chamber esp. an inner chamber
(3) a secret room
The word “tameion” appears four times in the entire New Testament and is translated three different ways. (For this reason, we also need to look at the context.) The word is translated as “closet” twice, “secret chamber” once, and “storehouse” once in the King James Version.
Contexts
Since there are only four Scriptures that use the word tameion, let’s examine the other Scriptures where the word is used and then revisit our Matthew 6:6 Scripture for context.
(KJV) Matthew 24:26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
(NIV) Matthew 24:26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the desert,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.
The context of the above Scripture is Jesus answering His disciples question about the destruction of the Jewish Temple which happened in 70 AD, i.e. “Great Tribulation (Mat 24:21). There would be many saying they were the Christ. Some would say Christ in in some “secret chambers” or “inner rooms” (same Greek word).
(KJV) Luke 12:3 Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.
(NIV) Luke 12:3 What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.
The context in the above verse was Jesus teaching a vast multitude of people about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. Their hypocrisy would be uncovered, even things said in the secrecy of their “closets” or “inner rooms” (same word) would be revealed.
(KJV) Luke 12:24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?
(NIV) Luke 12:24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!
The context of this passage was Jesus teaching about not worrying or being anxious about anything. Ravens (birds) do not have a “storehouse” or “storeroom” (same word translated “closet” in Matthew 6:6), “yet God feeds them.”
Closet Prayer: How to Find Solitude in Prayer
(KJV) Matthew 6:6 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.
(NIV) Matthew 6:6 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.
The context in our Scripture is (1) The Sermon on the Mount. Jesus was giving quick principles after principle about how His kingdom works. He says things like, “You’ve heard it said do it this way… but I say to you…” He changed how people thought and what they should do in this sermon. 2) This principle is prayer. 3) Jesus compared how other people/religions, i.e. “pagans” pray to how we are to pray in the kingdom. The following two verses provide additional context.
(NIV) Matthew 6:6-8 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. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
We Learned So Far
What do we learn from all this? We see the thought of tameion is 1) “thy closet” or “your room.” It’s your place to pray, and it’s a private, secluded spot. It’s a place where you can speak privately and confidentially. 2) Also, we see a most interesting thought. It’s a place where we “storehouse.” Isn’t this interesting? Well, it is to me because I had never noticed this before until I conducted this study.
It’s my place, and it’s my storehouse where I store up my relationship with Father. So prayer is not just asking for stuff or help. It’s developing a private relationship with the Father.
A storehouse is where we go when we need something refilled. The Father isn’t God way out there. He’s as close as my storehouse, ready to hear my secrets privately and to refill my soul. (I’ve never said the “storehouse” part before, so I’m searching for a way to say it. But, I think you understand what I mean.)
Let’s add the New Living Translation (note that it is a translation, not a paraphrase – a translation is the literal rendering of a word according to its definition, whereas a paraphrase is someone rewording it in their own interpretation).
Matthew 6:6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
Closet Prayer: How to Find Solitude in Prayer
With those thoughts, i.e., Greek word definitions and context, we can see that the Lord’s first teaching about prayer is to have our own private place, which becomes an increasing storehouse of relationship with the Father, where we feel comfortable talking to Him about even our deepest secrets. Closet prayer is in contrast to praying openly or publicly, where we can get caught up in pagan prayer and be concerned about how we sound to people and say meaningless babble.
It’s also in contrast to corporate prayer. Corporate prayer is when individuals join together to pray. Nothing is wrong with corporate prayer. The disciples and others joined together in corporate prayer, but this isn’t what Jesus emphasized here, or ever, to my recollection. He did say, “That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven” (Mat 18:19), but Jesus wasn’t talking about prayer. He was discussing forgiveness and how a church should approach a person who refuses to forgive.
My point is Jesus taught “closet prayer.” This type of prayer is not a public prayer. It’s a private prayer. It’s a place where we can be alone with Father and feel safe to reveal our deep secrets as we storehouse our personal relationship with the Father. In this place, we’re not trying to be eloquent or feel we need to speak in King James English. Our minds and focus will be on Father, and we will not be concerned about what people think if we don’t use the correct words. We can be who we are since Father knows what we want before we ask anyway.
The Way Jesus Prayed
This is what Jesus Himself did. Very few times did Jesus pray publicly; however, He did closet prayer daily. Jesus would go off to His closet and pray, teach, and work miracles, and then retreat to His closet to pray again. He would then go out and teach and perform miracles again, and this cycle would continue.
Luke 11:1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
Mark 1:35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.
Closet Prayer: How to Find Solitude in Prayer
Jesus had “a certain place,” or “a solitary place,” where He’d prayed closet prayer. It wasn’t that He didn’t want anyone to hear what He prayed. Well, maybe it was now I think about it. Perhaps that’s when Jesus released His frustrations with people. It’s where we should also release them, rather than releasing them to the public. I do know this. Jesus wanted to be able to storehouse Father. It was His storehouse. He’d refuel His soul in closet prayer.
Conclusion
Do you have a “closet”? I’m suspecting you do. Where is your secret place and storehouse? My closet has changed locations over the years. When I first came into the kingdom of God it was my bedroom at home and a metal folding chair in a back office at work. In the ministry, my “closet” was my study, walking, and praying in our auditorium. Today, it’s our balcony at our condo at night before I go to bed. Where’s yours?
Requirements For The Closet Place
1- A private place
The closet should be a quiet and distraction-free space, where you will not be disturbed or distracted by people, noise, or your phone (leave it somewhere until you’re finished).
It’s a place where you won’t fall asleep. Don’t mishear me, because I think it’s terrific to pray yourself to sleep, but that’s not closet prayer.
I said my closet is our balcony. I not only shut the doors. Also, I close the curtains. From where I sit, I can see the TV and anything going on inside if the curtains are open. Closing the curtains eliminates that distraction. It also tells anyone at our home that I want to be alone, so don’t disturb me. I make it so I can focus only on the Lord, and I can literally talk, not think, to Him. I feel this is necessary for me.
Closet Prayer: How to Find Solitude in Prayer
2- A place where you can literally talk to the Father. I mean SAY WORDS out loud.
Nowhere do the Scriptures instruct us to “think” prayers. Here’s what Jesus said.
Luke 11:2 And he said unto them, WHEN YE PRAY, SAY, Our Father which art in heaven…
Your closet needs to be a place where you can talk out loud. You need to hear you say it. Hearing it will develop belief in you. Words are powerful and release an unseen creative force. We’ll discuss this further in a subsequent lesson.
Closet Prayer: How to Find Solitude in Prayer
3- What you talk to Father about is between you and the Father.
Another reason and requirement for closet prayer is the need for secrecy. Let’s look at our opening closet prayer verse one more time.
(KJV) Matthew 6:6 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.
(NIV) Matthew 6:6 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.
I talk to Father about private matters, i.e., “secrets,” maybe even my sins. Parts of my prayer concern things I don’t want anyone else to hear, and I mean no one! It’s a secret. Father will keep it secret. That’s how He sees it. We’ll discuss this further later as well. Father knows my sins. They are secrets between Him and me. I need a closet to do this. So do you.
4- Open reward
(KJV) Matthew 6:6 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.
(NIV) Matthew 6:6 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.
Notice there is a reward when we do this. What! When we do things in the Lord’s ways, He always rewards us, but this is a special or open reward. Jesus promised us if we will create a time of “closet prayer” in a place we can call our own secret place, and there develop a relationship with our Father by praying (talking) to Him about even our deep secrets, Father, who even knows our deepest secrets, will reward us with a special reward.
Maybe think of this as one of your children wants to spend a special day alone with you. You will most likely do something special for that child, and you will probably do it quickly. Makes me want to go to my closet right now.
That’s enough for this lesson. My hope and prayer is that I’ve given you thoughts to enhance your prayer life and make it more purposeful and meaningful. This is where Jesus began teaching about prayer, so it’s a good place for us to start. I hope you’ve seen the importance of closet prayer and why Jesus began His teaching about kingdom prayer with, “But you, when you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut the door, pray to your Father which is in secret, and your Father which sees in secret shall reward you openly” (Matthew 6:6).
Closet Prayer: How to Find Solitude in Prayer
Closet Prayer: How to Find Solitude in Prayer
Related messages:
Seed Growing in Secret audio video notes
Prayer – Altar Of Incense Audio
Giving in the Kingdom audio video notes
Lord Teach Us To Pray pt 1 sermon video
Pride and the Secret of Humility
Also see: