Holy Praying
by W. Clyde Martin
"But as He Who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct; Because it is written, Be holy, for I am holy." (I Peter 1:15-16). 
Our prayer life must depict the holy character of the One Who calls us to pray. In this life, we shall never be as holy as He, but we should strive to be holy because He is holy.
There is no doubt in my mind that the true conception of sin and the holiness of God has been lost in the Church. I am convinced that to practice in any way 'praying in the Spirit', we must be strengthened in the holy Word and give ourselves to devoted closet praying. (Matthew 6:6)
Robert Murray McCheyne realized the need of a holy life. He wrote, "Study holiness of life. Your whole usefulness depends on this." If we can but increase our knowledge of God as the holy One, then we can indeed be strengthened in the practice of His holy presence.
In the discourse of my message this morning, I wish to raise three questions with the hope of answering them Scripturally:
There is both a positive and negative thought to be learned concerning the holiness of God. We must have the terrible truth of sin set before us. Who has the words to fully describe the awfulness of sin? It is a fact that man makes so little of sin. To some, it is but an illusion or a figment of our imagination. Man will often joke and laugh and continue in sin without serious thought of its penalty. Man makes little of sin but God makes so much of sin. God says, "The soul that sins shall die." God's Word says, "Sin is an abomination to God." Sin is an ever present force of evil that surrounds us with its powerful presence; But praise be to God, it can be overcome, yet only by the holiness of God.
Andrew Murray once wrote, "I have said that the meaning of the words, 'the holiness of God' is not easily expressed. But we may begin by saying that they imply the unspeakable aversion and hatred with which God regards sin. And if you wish to understand what that means, remember that He preferred to see His Son die rather than that sin should reign."
O' dear saints of God, I challenge you to think deeply of the holiness of God. Seek His holiness and in your searching, read and re-read God's Word until your heart burns with fervent desire to know Him in all His holiness.
What is the holiness of God? It is indeed an attribute, and let us understand, the highest and most glorious and most loving of all His Divine attributes.
Holiness is the greatest, most profound word in all Scripture. It is a heavenly word used by seraphs who cried out: 'Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of host'. It is the favorite word of Heaven's four living creatures who cry: 'Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty.' (Rev. 4:8)
It is an inner chamber word of praise that is used by saints who experience closet praying.
Holiness is more than the greatest of words. It is the very fire of God that will consume sin in us. Holiness is a purifying fire that makes the child of God a pure and acceptable sacrifice before Him.
The holiness of God is the very glory of the prayer closet that makes fellowship with God possible. It is the holiness of God that causes us to bow before Him in deep humility as we confess our shameful sins. Within the closet, a true child of God can expect to encounter the holiness of God.
If, indeed, holiness is the absence of sin, then how is it that we sinners saved by grace, yet housed in this carnal flesh, have any hope of knowing holiness. The key to our holiness is found in I John 1:9. "If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." At the moment of confession, we are made pure and the absence of sin (holiness) is enjoyed, until we in our fleshly way yield to the lust of sin again. Holiness requires repeated cleansing.
Is it too much to expect God to repeatedly forgive and cleanse us of sins that we commit over and over again? No, He is faithful and just to do so.
The fact remains that, though saved, we are not perfect and will not be perfect as long as we live in this old carnal body. How can one be assured of going to Heaven if we then are not perfect, for the scriptures teach that no sin shall enter Heaven. While I do not practice sin in my life, I am in no way perfect, but thanks be to God, I have a perfect Saviour and I plead His shed blood in atonement and cleansing of my sin. Let your opening words in your closet be words of thanksgiving for His grace, and know that we have a Holy God Who desires to make us holy.
Being often in the closet, we soon learn to hate sin as God hates sin. In the closet, as we meditate on the cross and the shedding of our Saviour's innocent blood, there is full impact of His mighty love that paid the ultimate price for our sin. In the closet, when we are once overcome with full influence of His presence, we develop a disgust for Satan and develop a hate for sin…a hate for sin that bumps squarely against Satan and causes the holiness of God to be more desirable than life itself.
Andrew Murray wrote, "To love Jesus is to love holiness. Many professing Christians shrink from the message of purity and thus draw back from the Saviour they claim to love." Does desire fill our hearts to be holy? Robert McCheyne prayed, "God, let me be as holy as a human can possible be."
Jude tells us that we must "pray in the Holy Spirit." It is the third person of the Trinity that assists us in holy praying. Learning to pray in the Spirit, we allow Him to pray through us – to guide us and control the very words that form our petitions. Holy praying is scriptural praying. The Bible tells us that God will not hear nor even look upon us as we pray if we regard iniquity in our hearts. (Is. 59:1-2) We must first confess by name all known sin. (I John 1:9)
It is holy praying that will give individual victory to each child of God. It is holy, fervent praying that will revive our congregation and set the collective Church of God on fire.
Holiness in the closet is the need of the hour. It is the answer to the dilemma of this terror-torn world. May God help us to see thousands of prayer closets established. If you do not have a prayer closet where you pray in secret … I urge you to commit yourself immediately to establishing such. Vow to God that you will spend time each day in the closet with Him.
(This message was first preached in the Antioch Church of Sevierville, Tennessee, and then edited for publication. W. Clyde Martin is editor of the online magazine THE PRAYER LIFE, www.clydemartin.com, and can be reached by e-mail godcalled@webtv.net) THE PRAYER LIFE is an online monthly magazine that promotes closet praying to the redeemed.