Praying in the Dark

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet
and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to the Father
which seeth in secret... 
Matthew 6:6

In the darkness, and during the midnight hour when all the prisoners are locked in our cells, and many of us are fast asleep, the Holy Spirit will sometimes prompt my heart to pray...

Away from the watchful eyes of the guards who patrol along the walkway, I will make my petitions to the Lord. With the overhead light off for the evening, I prostrate myself on the floor, my face to the ground.

And while I have no worthiness or merit of my own, the Lord welcomes my prayers because He loves me. I'm His child. So I can approach the Everlasting King any time of the day or night since His throne of grace is always open.

I know, too, that not only does the Lord hear my cries. He measures the beats of my heart and every breath I take. For this is my heavenly Father who longs to wrap me into His arms of strength and safety because He knows how weak I am. My flesh is so easily prone to sin.

Therefore, in the stillness of the night, I call, and He answers. In the privacy of my cell I have a place of peace and a refuge. My room is a sanctuary. It's a spot of serenity that's hidden from the world.

D.B.