MARCH 22
Teach us to pray: The Secret Place
Month Review
Week One: Topic was “prayer jamming” and Phil shared how there is a pattern to prayer! Matthew 6:9-13. That we can have ready reckoners, that we can speak out the truths of God’s kingdom! That the pattern aids in returning focus back to God and his prayer framework.
Week two: Esther shared on all kinds of prayer. “Prayer is a multi-faceted expression that is meant to be a crucial part of our lifestyle.”
Week three: Shona shared on being a joyful house of prayer for the nations. Prayers transcend beyond our known limitations.
The Secret Place
So why are we talking about the secret place?
Matthew 6:6: “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”
Jesus is encouraging spending time with God, on our own, with no one looking or listening, a time of prayer that is devoted solely to BEING with God.
God loves when we join TOGETHER
Matthew 18:20: For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.
Jesus is also encouraging us it’s good to spend time with God individually, one on one with our heavenly Father. So making sure that we are engaging in corporate prayer but also intentionally engaging in the secret place. When we take the time in the secret place, we build relationship with God, we learn to talk to him and doing so, can prepare us for corporate prayer.
In corporate prayer, I used to be timid and shy, and that was because of how I was in the secret place, timid and shy, unconfident, but having grown in prayer confidence and boldness in the secret place, it translates to corporate prayer. When we go to the secret place and pray according to the pattern He has given us, coming to the Father in all types of prayer, our prayer life can flourish because the Holy Spirit will empower us in prayer.
What is the secret place?
Oftentimes people focus on the physicality of the space, but in doing this briefing and reading Matthew 6:6 many many times, while Jesus does describe a physical space to use, it is more conceptual than literal and the key that Jesus includes here is that the secret place is WHERE WE ENGAGE IN A MEANINGFUL TWO-WAY HEART INTERACTION WITH GOD.
In that two-way heart interaction, as we see in various aspects of what is known as the beatitudes, God is encouraging us to be open and transparent with Him about our deepest personal realities, especially where our primary focus is on opening up and allowing God through His word and His Holy Spirit to transform our heart from a self-focus to a God focus, and from a “me” focus to a “we” focus. Asking for our personal needs is Biblically valid, but it is not the primary focus. For us, as born again Bible believers, a foundational heart attitude is to come to God believing and knowing that He already knows our needs. It is in the prayerful process of interacting with God to transform our hearts, minds, and feelings that we collaboratively create with God a platform for Him to move supernaturally to meet our personal needs and most of all to be able to use us through obeying His voice to be the answer of God’s own prayers and the heart cry of people of planet earth.
As we learned from the gatherers prayer, prayer should begin and end with worship plus primary focus on hearing from God, His purposes, concerns, burdens, goals, kingdom, will, others needs, forgiveness both for ourselves and us forgiving others, standing against temptation and overcoming evil.
It is a place of worship
John 4:24: “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
King David: 1 Cronicles 16:7- 36 : David’s song of thanks.
1 Samuel 2:1-11, Hannah’s prayer.
The Psalms
A place of protection: Under the shadow of His wings.
Psalm 91:1: He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Abiding under the shadow of the almighty. When I was preparing, I read this scripture several times, asking “what does this look like Lord?” and an image popped in my head, I’m holding Jude and it’s a beautiful sunny day, but if I turn just right, the sun shines bright in Jude’s eyes and he turns his head quickly, looking for relief, but once I turn and he is again in my shadow, he is at ease and can see clearly. That is what it’s like when we abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalm 27:5 says, "For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock." Not only will God protect us, but He then lifts us up, he strengthens us, He lifts us high.
Psalm 17:8: Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide me in the shadow of Your wings
Psalm 36:7: How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
Psalm 57:1: Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, For my soul takes refuge in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge Until destruction passes by.
Psalm 61:4: Let me dwell in Your tent forever; Let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. Selah
Psalm 63:7: For You have been my help, And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.
When we come to God in the secret place, He covers us, he protects us and we can sing for joy! The same joy that David experienced when he was dancing down the streets of his kingdom.
A place of meditation
It is popular to reference eastern practices of meditation, such as mindfulness or clearing the mind but biblical meditation is the focus on God’s word, His ways, His will and listening/hearing from Him.
Matthew 14:23: And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.
Mark 6:46: And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.
Luke 6:12: Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God
Luke 5:16: So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.
Matthew 26:36: Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there”.
Proverbs 25:2: It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
Philippians 4:8: Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
Acts 17:10- 11: Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
2 Peter 1:16-19: (add link) Peter discusses how he and others were eyewitnesses to Jesus majesty, but the word is more trustworthy than his eyewitness account.
We meditate, spend time alone with God, in His word because it is the ultimate place to get to know God!
A place to listen to God
When I take time in the secret place, I often get God dreams. While pregnant with Jude, the doc was telling us that he was a large baby and the possibility of considering c-section due to his size. Upon going to the secret place, asking God for clarification and guidance in what to do. Within the week of seeking God, He gave me a dream, I was running 22 miles, I made it to the finish and was confident that I had made it, that through the pain and perseverance I had run 22 miles. When I woke up, I remember thinking, “uh, that was interesting” and God instantly gave me clarification that Jude would be born on the 22 and that we didn’t need to schedule a c-section as I would deliver him just fine!
John 10:27: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
God knew what was on my heart, He heard my prayers, my questions, and He answered.
Romans 10:17: So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
A place to reason and wrestle with God
Genesis 32: 24-29: Jacob wrestled with “a Man”, Jacob would not let go until He blessed him and he finally blessed him. Abraham 18:16-33: Abraham reasoned with God regarding the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham asks “would you destroy the righteous with the wicked?”
Isaiah 1:18 "“Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool."
We can come to God and ask questions, reason with Him and wrestle with Him. We can seek answers and ask the hard questions, as we read in Proverbs 25:2, God conceals matters and He wants us to seek them out, He wants us to come to Him with the hard things and talk to Him.
Matthew 7:7: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
So this “asking, seeking, knocking”, is more than what some call “lollipop prayers” which is approaching God as if we’re little kids asking for some candy, “please, can I have some candy?”, this scripture is focusing us on the main factor that we should be seeking God for our bread and HIs meat, which is getting instructions for playing our part in fulfilling His will.
A place to know God and be known
Revelation of the intensity of Christ: I remember having somewhat of an interesting day, things hadn’t gone as planned, so I got home in a low mood, Caleb encouraged me “spend time in the secret place” so I did. In that space I had a revelation of the intensity of Christ. It was a quick moment, but a vision of a face, which I couldn’t describe now but getting the sense of intensity, what is the purest form of the word intense: Jesus! Definition of intensity: Exceptionally great concentration, power, or force.
Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Acts 15:8-9: So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us,and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
1 Chronicles 28:9: As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.
Proverbs 8:17: I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.
Psalm 91: 14-16. Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
1 Peter 5:7: casting your anxieties on God because he cares for you
John 15:7: If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. & Matt 6:33: But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Praying in the spirit
Another aspect of the secret place, actively engaging in the promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit is who empowers us!
Romans 8:26-27: Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God”
Jude 1:20: “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,”
Ephesians 4:23: “and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,”
Philippians 3:3: “For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,”
Proverbs 18:14: “The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, But who can bear a broken spirit?”
I Corinthians 14:1-2: “Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.”
Ephesians 6:18: Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.
When we take the time in the secret place, we are continuing to prepare for battle. Prayer time doesn’t stop at corporate prayer, we are encouraged to meet the Father in the secret place so He can continue to supernaturally transform us.
BID
Are we spending time in the secret place? Are we intentionally putting time into getting to know God and be known by Him?
Psalm 84:10:”better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere, I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked”
Let us be joyful, running to the secret place to spend time with God, flourish in our relationship with our Father, having vibrant, virtuous vintage relational ecstasy with God that flows into our relationships with others.