Far into the Arabian Desert—so far that few have seen it or even know of its existence—stands a small fortress. In silence and isolation, this sanctuary rises out of the timeless sands, ready to offer safety and provisions to anyone who might come upon it.

It is said that Thomas Edward Lawrence, better known as “Lawrence of Arabia,” found refuge and sustenance in the little fortress on numerous occasions. When under attack, often against overwhelming odds, he would make his way to this remote desert refuge. It was his life-support, providing him with food, water, safety, and the opportunity to regroup, so that when he was ready he could face the world again.

At times you may long for a fortified place, a sanctuary far removed from current challenges and business. However, you do not have to go to a faraway place; you have your own sanctuary—always ready, always waiting. It is the safety, the protection, the peace, and the comfort you experience when you enter into conscious communion with God.

Prayer opens the door through which you enter a citadel of strength and safety, protection and renewal. Times of prayer, of conscious contact with God, provide you with sustenance and renewed vigor so that when you are ready you can face the world again—uplifted and refreshed, empowered by a new sense of the all-rightness of things.

A Very Personal Connection
Prayer is the connection you establish between you and God. It is a sincere invitation for God's life to be lived through you. Prayer is the way to express your thanks for your life and the blessings of life—those blessings you have received and those blessings still to come.

Prayer is also the deliberate activity of recognizing your oneness with God. Practicing the presence of God is acknowledging your willingness to express God more fully. Practicing the presence of God is declaring: “Here I am, God. Live Your life through me.”

Prayer puts you in the “God-mode.” It reminds you that you are a child of God and how good your life really can be when you allow God to take charge.

Jesus left specific instructions about prayer. In the book of Matthew, He spoke of entering a secret place to make a conscious connection with God. He said, “Whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door” (Mt. 6:6). Go into a place where there is only you—you and God—and shut out all the clamor of outer things, including your own thoughts.

A Secret Place
The secret place of silence that Jesus spoke of entering is not just a quiet room in your home or a deserted strip of beach or anywhere else you might go for solitude. It is much more than that. It is an inner space—an internal and very personal place of total silence—which no one else can ever enter or disturb. It is that perfect, unchanging part of you that waits like a safe harbor, welcoming you in calm or storm, in peace or distress. It is, in a sense, where you connect with God. In the silence, you find your peace and your strength.
 

This article originally appeared in Prayer: Making a Sacred Connection, a free booklet from Unity (no longer available in print). Click here for a current list of free booklets from Unity.