You have heard me talk about my closet being my “war room” many times. It’s the place I go to be completely undistracted and to have intimate conversations with the Father. Other than routine meditations and mindfulness, I find myself in the closet more in broken seasons, when I’m upset or feeling completely helpless. I am wanting to make more of an effort to spend time in this undistracted, war room for gratitude and praise. I want to approach His throne with optimism and thankfulness for all the answered prayers and blessings He bestows upon me every second.
So, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I have created an opportunity that is very out of my comfort zone, but has easily been the best part of my day: my closet has become a place of praise and worship.
“You got a choir in that 6x6 nook? How many people are you fitting in that closet?”
When I used to attend church camp with my youth group, my favorite types of devotionals were the dark devos. It would be late at night, all the lights would be out, and you couldn’t even see your hand in front of your face. The main purpose of dark devos was to give everyone the opportunity to confess what they needed to without looks of judgment, persecution, or distraction. My favorite part of these events were what took place before the floor was opened for those confessions: the worship songs. To be able to glorify the name of the Lord with the voice he instilled in you, no matter how great it may sound, in a room in which you felt like the only two present were you and God…I mean, there’s no feeling like it.
So I took that event and brought it to my closet…where I still can’t see the hand in front of my face when the lights are off. Here’s what I do:
Step 1: Find a comfortable position in your “war room.” When you’re ready, cut the lights, but keep your phone close by you.
Step 2: Play a praise and worship playlist with songs familiar to you. (Disclaimer: when I first did this, I just listened for a few songs, visualizing every word.)
Step 3: Begin “singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:19) Mean every word that you sing. If you are giving gratitude, sincerely thank Him. If you are blessing His holy name, do it with reverence.
I know this sounds bizarre. And your family will probably periodically check on your mental status while you’re in the closet…especially if you have children…but embrace this opportunity of a different type of distraction free opportunity that is beyond yourself, and I assure you, that you will be blessed.
I’ve attached my current prayer closet playlist here if you’d like to try it out.
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