A Good Place To Pray

Whenever we want to work efficiently, we always see to it that we have a place where we won’t be distracted—one aesthetically designed to increase productivity and be comfortable to work in. We seek these conditions, whether at home or the office, simply because they let us work properly. The same applies when it comes to prayer. While we can pray to God anywhere and anytime, the dedicated place where we pray is also vital, as it can affect our prayer time with God.

Heavenly Father, I thank You because You are a God Who gave His Son Jesus to die for our sins on the cross so that, in Him, we may be reconciled with You, find forgiveness, and have eternal life. Because of that, we can have a relationship with You and pray to You without any dividing wall of hostility. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Why Does the Place Where We Pray Matter?

As mentioned above, the place where we pray matters just as where we work matters. Wherever we work, we want everything we need to be accessible. There is a printer available, supplies at hand for whatever work we are doing, a coffee machine ready if we are coffee lovers, some posters in place that inspire us to work, a setup available that allows us to work efficiently, and many more features. Compared to just bringing your laptop to a restaurant and working there (though some find this necessary), carrying on your work in a place designed for working is more comfortable and productive.

The same applies when it comes to our prayer lives. Take note that when we say that the place where we pray matters, we don’t mean that God does not hear our prayers if we pray at the wrong place or that we are somehow praying incorrectly. In fact, there is no such thing as a “wrong place” to pray. Even if you were a missionary who went to a temple or sanctuary of a different religion, you can still pray and ask God to open the spiritual eyes of the people who are worshipping false gods. If you are with a brother or sister in Christ who is going through something difficult and are talking about that in a coffee shop, the coffee shop is already a good place to pray for him or her.

In this article, when discussing a good place to pray, we are referring to your personal time with God. When you spend this personal time with God, it is ideal that you do it in a solitary place where you can focus on your devotion to God as you read your Bible and pray without anything or anyone distracting you. A good example of this is Jesus Himself. In Luke 5:16, it is written that Jesus withdrew to lonely places to pray. Also, in Luke 6:12-13 we can see Jesus going to a mountain to pray alone to God all night. Another biblical reference that we have is from Mark 1:35, where Jesus rose up early in the morning to go to a desolate place to pray.

Spending solitude with God is something that we should value. It is one of the most important things a Christian should do in his or her Christian walk. No Christian can survive their Christian journey without prayer. In the Bible, the disciples did not ask Jesus to teach them how to walk on water, preach more eloquently, or do many other great things, but they did ask Jesus to teach them how to pray, as written in Matthew 6:5-14.

If we desire to spend solitude with our heavenly Father, we want it to be quality time with Him. Because we want good, quality time with our Father, we will see to it that we will pray in a place that is conducive to communicating with God—a place that allows us undisturbed focus and undistracted attention. That is not to say that it is terrible to think of praying when you are on a bus or in your office and you are inspired to pray. Pray anywhere and anytime, by all means. However, do not neglect that personal time with your heavenly Father when you spend dedicated solitude with Him.

Again from Matthew 6, in verse 6, Jesus taught His disciples that they should pray in secret when they pray to the Father. That is not to say also that public prayers are wrong. Jesus is saying here that when we pray this way, it’s because we want to communicate with our heavenly Father personally. If that is our intention, then praying in secret is recommended. Sometimes we might be tempted to pray publicly because we want others to see us and make ourselves look good. However, God sees everything in secret. He knows every personal time you spend with Him in solitude and will reward you for it.

What Is a Good Place to Pray?

A good place to pray is somewhere to focus on your personal time with God without any distractions. That means that if you want to pray and have your devotion to God in a living room, but your kids or housemates are usually there and are usually a distraction, it is not the best place to pray.

A good place to pray is not necessarily a quiet room. It could be any place where you can concentrate on your devotion and personal time with God. In fact, some people pray and do their devotion inside their closet or wardrobe, some in their comfort room, and some in their car, among many other places. As long as it meets the goal of allowing you to focus and have no distractions, it is already a good place to pray.

There are also locations like prayer mountains, parks, and retreats dedicated to finding solitude. It is beneficial to go to such places occasionally to unwind and spend solitude with your heavenly Father since this allows you to temporarily take a break from the usual routines of life. These places and activities do not necessarily make your prayers more powerfully heard by God, but they provide a way to spend solitude with God and enjoy Him.

Father in heaven, give me wisdom as I decide where I will regularly pray and spend solitude with You. As I find a place where I would pray regularly, give me the strength and the discipline to fight for my prayer time with You and always put You above everything else. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

If indeed we understood what Christ has done for us on the cross and the mercies and grace that God displayed in the person of Christ, we would understand what a privilege it is that we can come to God to pray. When we do, we will fight for our prayer time. In (Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16), it is written that through Christ, we can be confident about approaching God’s throne of grace and praying to Him without any guilt and condemnation.