Sometimes, when facing a problem, it feels as if our thoughts are racing—darting between why, when, and where and outlining what the solution should be and how it should occur. Often, conversations and feelings repeat over and over in our head until we’re exhausted. But that’s also often when a breakthrough happens: the realization that we need to get quiet and pray, listening for what God is saying to us.

Christ Jesus taught his disciples how to do this. He said, “When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly” (Matthew 6:6). This closet is where we commune with God, good. It is a spiritually mental place where the clamor and busyness of life are stilled, even if just for a few moments, and we feel God’s presence and hear His voice. Even if we are physically active, we are mentally still—divinely listening, spiritually alert. This spiritual closet is a sacred shelter where we commune with God as Jacob did—face to face (see Genesis 32:24–30). 

Mary Baker Eddy, the Founder of Christian Science, explains, “The closet typifies the sanctuary of Spirit, . . .” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 15).