Richard A. Burr - Developing Your Secret Closet of Prayer with Study Guide: Because Some Secrets Are Heard Only in Solitude

The authors transparency with personal illustrations along with fundamental precepts on how to develop a private prayer life, including Scripture praying, have been most inspiring, practical and life-changing!

T. W. in Washington

The principles outlined in Developing Your Secret Closet of Prayer have revolutionized the quality of my personal prayer life. The first time I read it, I knew I had discovered a very new and dynamic pathway to reach the heart of God.

A. I. in Greece

This book, Developing Your Secret Closet of Prayer, has drastically changed my prayer life. Prior to reading this book, my prayer time was practically nonexistent, except for spontaneous prayer. This work has truly changed my relationship with God.

M. P. in New York

By reading Developing Your Secret Closet of Prayer, I have received a fresh awareness of an infinite God who willingly invites finite man to come into His presence and commune with Him. What an awesome truth! Oh, what I have been missing!

B. G. in Hawaii

This book has been a breath of fresh air! It has clarified the simplicity of Scripture praying and the need for the early morning briefing session and has reinforced the truth that this is where the battle of the Christian life is won or lost.

B. F. in Florida

www.moodypublishers.com

An imprint of Moody Publishers

1998 BY THE MOODY BIBLE INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO
Study Guide 2005 by Richard A. Burr

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible copyright 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Note: Italicized words in Scripture quotations are the emphasis of the authors.

Cover design: Faceout Studios
Cover photo of cross copyright 2018 by bluehand/Shutterstock (69593734). All rights reserved.
Cover photo of hanger hook copyright 2018 by Jut/Shutterstock (60693670). All rights reserved.

Previously published by Christian Publications, Inc.
First Christian Publications Edition 1998
First WingSpread Publishers Edition 2008

ISBN: 978-1-60066-180-8
eBook ISBN: 978-1-60066-970-5
LOC Control Number : 2007941143

To my precious princess, Anastasia, who is truly the physical manifestation of Gods grace in my life. Thank you, dearest, for being my best friend and faithful co-laborer over these wonderful years!

To the solitude of prayer

God invites His child alone;

He delights when you, with meekness

And by faith, approach His throne.

In the solitude of prayer,

That communion of love;

God reveals His glorious secrets

Planned for you in heaven above.

To the solitude of prayer

You must go yourself to hide;

Then in peace and joy and gladness

Will your heart for sure abide.

In the solitude of prayer

Pray the Scriptures to the Lord;

So youll always be victorious

Through His own two-edged sword.

Through the Scriptures in your praying

And His Spirit in your heart,

He will always show His pathways

And His mighty strength impart.

Tis in quietness and prayer

You will hear His gentle voice;

Thus when flesh and Satan whisper

You shall make the godly choice.

In the solitude of prayer

On your soul He sheds His light;

Then you walk with deep assurance

In the day and in the night.

Go in solitude for prayer,

Daily meet the Lord most high;

When you frequent this His dwelling

You shall know Hes always nigh.

T here is no greater privilege than to be able to communicate directly with our glorious and majestic heavenly Father, the Creator of the entire universe of more than 100 billion galaxies, of which our own galaxy is only a pinprick of light.

This wonderful privilege, of course, is provided only through the blood atonement of Gods only begotten Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who died for our sins was buried [and] was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

Because of what our Lord Jesus did on our behalf, due to His great love, and the way provided by Him into the heavenly Holy of Holies, we can, by faith, come boldly before Gods actual throne and presence, according to Hebrews 4:16. We can actually communicate with God Almighty; and He desireseven commandsthat we do so! We do it in our secret closet of prayer.

In Developing Your Secret Closet of Prayer, my dear friend Dick Burr provides helpful scriptural insights for us as we exercise this precious privilege. His insights do not involve rigid or ritualistic rules but spiritual principles that will help us remove any hindrances to prayer and lead us to pray in the manner our Lord instructed us when on the earth.

I pray that the principles of this book will help bring each reader into a more intimate, moment-by-moment dialogue and relationship with our wonderful Lord.

Dr. Bill Bright (1921-2003)

Founder and past president,

Campus Crusade for Christ International

T he footprints of my Christian pilgrimage reveal that a significant amount of my journey has been invested in the study of the principles and practice of prayer. A graduate-level course at Grace Seminary increased my appetite. A doctoral dissertation at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary enlarged my exposure to this discipline through linguistic studies, continental and American scholars and 340 Scripture passages.

Still, I was in for an enlightening surprise at a district ministers and wives retreat in northeastern Ohio in the winter of 1996. A guest speaker, Richard Burr, led seminars on Developing Your Secret Closet of Prayer. Despite all my prior study and writing, I discovered that his words were escorting me through virgin territory and allowing me to taste new biblical and practical truths on communicating with my heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Richards instruction and invitation to practice Scripture praying led me to a new model for my daily devotions.

I approached Richard and asked if he had ever written a book on this seminar. He admitted that he had not, although a mission statement of his ministry included such a goal. He agreed to pursue the idea further, and I am pleased that he has been gracious to include me in a supporting role.