From a practical perspective, this principle may be a very difficult one to implement. Many people simply do not have a private place where they can be alone with God.
Still, Jesus said in Matthew 6:6 "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret".
(Note: This does not mean that we are only ever supposed to pray alone in a room with a closed door. There are times of corporate prayer as well - see Mat 18:19. Jesus is talking about individual prayer here.)
Selwyn Hughes (15 Ways to More Effective Prayer) relates several stories about people who had this problem and how God led them to places where they could have privacy to pray. Here they are:
"A young man I once counselled, a member of a large family, all of whom, apart from himself, were unbelievers, asked me to pray with him that God would enable him to find a quiet spot in which he could conduct his daily devotions. We prayed together, and then some days later he telephoned me to share a most amazing story. He said he was on his way to work that morning and noticed a minister about to park his car in a small car park adjacent to a church. He felt led to go over to the minister and share with him the fact that he was a Christian. During the course of conversation the young man told the minister about his problem of not being able to find anywhere private in which to pray. The minister said, 'Well, don't let it be a problem any longer. I come to my church every morning at 7 a.m. to d my own praying. I have a spare room which you can use if you wish, and when I am away then you will be able to borrow the key and use it indefinitely.'"
"A friend of mine, a young businessman and the only Christian in a large family told me how he overcame the problem of not being able to find a private place in which to pray. He travels on an early commuter train from Guildford, Surrey to Waterloo, a journey that takes about 45 minutes. 'I spend almost all of that time' he said 'in contact with the Lord. Although the train is often crowded I have learned to become deaf to the distractions. As soon as the train pulls out of the station I climb the stairs in my soul to the sacred chamber of my imagination where I picture myself meeting with the Lord Jesus. Every morning He greets me with a smile and says "I'm glad you've come".' Admittedly it has taken him some time to learn the secret, but with patience and perseverance you, too, can learn to build a chapel in your soul."
"It should not be forgotten, also, by those whose prayer life is hindered because of lack of privacy, that it is always possible to go for a walk with Jesus. Christmas Evans, one of the greatest preachers Wales has ever known, tells of walking along the base of Mount Snowdon one evening and entering into such a spiritual tete a tete with the Lord that it transformed his whole being."
The key to the Christian life is knowing God (John 17:3, Mat 7:21-23) and spending time alone with God in prayer is an invaluable part of building that personal relationship.
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