Send the Multitudes Away

Send the Multitudes Away

“And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on a mountain by Himself to pray. And when evening had come, He was alone there.”

Very few people are really alone with God when they pray, but Jesus was alone with God. When He wanted to pray, He sent the multi­tudes away.

This clearly shows us the way to an inner fellowship and communion with the Father.

We must send the multitudes away, let them go out of our mind and thoughts; we need to have rest from them so we can be alone with God.

There are very few people in an assembly who have sent the multi­tudes away, out of their hearts and minds. Even while they are praying they are thinking of other people. They think of the others because they are thinking of themselves. They think of what the others might think of their prayer, whether their prayer is sufficiently spiritual so it can garner the others’ approval, and whether it will carry the oth­ers along in their prayer. To pray simply is just not possible.

How many people there are who nurture an inner satisfaction when their prayer has been a “suc­cess.” Afterwards they entertain a patronizing air toward those whose prayers were less “successful.” How many unspiritual prayers are wrapped up in feelings by giving full rein to one’s entire soul-life so that it might sound sincere—but how empty the heart is afterwards.

They deceive the others but save their Christian honor.

Christian honor and worthi­ness oppress God’s people like a nightmare.

Oh, how many selfish prayers God has to witness. Pray­ing in order to please the assembly or other people is not prayer but an abomination to God. It is only a per­formance to gain the honor of man.

People even take the multitudes into their prayer closet where of all places they should be alone.

Jesus says when you pray you shall not be like the hypocrites, to be seen by men. Matt. 6:5.

Send the multitudes away—not just the multitudes but also each single thing that comes between you and your God.

Worship God in spirit and in truth.

Enter into the se­cret chamber of your heart; lock the door, i.e., shut out the multitudes and everything that is distracting; lock the door and be alone with your Father who is in the secret place. You can send the multitudes away and enter into the secret chamber of your heart even while you are in the street, surrounded by the masses.

The one who seeks honor be­cause he prays well, testifies well, sings well, or does anything else well deceives himself.

Do not let this glorious life-fellowship with God be defiled by egotistical self-worship and honor seeking.

You who live in these things must confess your sin and let the blood cleanse you from what you have done. Be crucified with Christ and die to all self-worship.

You will be set free through death. Stand firm in faith against Satan on this foundation, and you will overcome.

Satan’s designs are attractive for the flesh, but they are poison for our spirit.

Only after you have sent the multitudes out of your heart can you truly have them in your heart.