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.
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Exactly 11 paces from my bed sits a wooden roll top desk in a little office space. This room is the reason I bought this house. It has always been a dream of mine to have some office space in my home. This is not just an office. It is my secret place. The place where I meet with God each day. The place where He encounters me. Nobody sees me in this place. Just my Father who sees and hears what is done in secret. It's just my Father and me in blessed communion. This is a sacred place. Surrounded by thousands of books and this little desk I find solace, strength, comfort, compassion and many other things as I seek God.
I fear the secret places in people's lives have been lost. There is so much noise. So much activity. So many distractions. People are so hurried and harassed. So stressed. So busy. Somehow in the midst of all that the secret place has lost its allure. It requires effort to pray. It requires much more to learn to pray well and to connect with Yahweh consistently.
I like something I read from A.W. Tozer. "Retire from the world each day to some private spot, even if it be the bedroom. Stay in the secret place till the surrounding noises begin to fade out of your heart and a sense of God's presence envelops you. Listen for the inward Voice till you learn to recognize it."
* Tozer On Worship And Entertainment, p. 45, Christian Publications Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.
I fear fewer and fewer are retiring from the world each day to meet with God. I know we live in busy times. People have always been busy. Tozer was a busy man. He pastored the same church in Chicago for over 30 years. He wrote books and articles tirelessly. He also was highly sought after to preach conferences. In all my readings about Tozer and reading Tozer himself the thing that I take away is Tozer was a man who sought God and a man of prayer. He practiced what He preached. He often lay on the floor of his office in prayer for hours. He made that office his secret place.
If you desire to seek God you will have to learn to do so privately and not just in the pubic settings. How is your private time with Him? Do you have private devotions? Do you encounter Him in those devotions? Does He get the best time of your day? I am not against devotional books. I am against thinking a person can really get to know God in a pithy five to ten minute devotion half heartedly read because of all the other things needing to be done. Please hear this. TIME IN THE SECRET PLACE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TIME. NOTHING USURPS THAT TIME. IT MUST BECOME THE HIGHEST PRIORITY.
When a person gets into the secret place that time need not be hurried. As Tozer wrote, "Stay in the secret place until the surrounding noises begin to fade." What noises? Television, social media, work, bills, spouse, children and even church.
I find when I enter the secret place my mind often does not want to slow down and focus. It starts whirling with ideas, messages, books to read and so on. What I have found helpful over the past year is listening to soft piano music through my headphones. It relaxes me. I am not distracted by any words and it helps usher me into God's glorious presence. Such times are sweet to my soul. In those moments time flies. I'm enriched, fueled for the day and inspired to write, preach, teach and serve.
I hope you have a secret place. I hope you habitually encounter Jehovah in that place. I hope you are continually growing and maturing. Out of those encounters I hope you are a blessing to those people you come in contact with throughout your day. May we all grow to love the secret place.
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