Practicing God’s Presence in Everyday Life
But when you pray, go into your [most] private room [Secret Place: A metaphor for praying from our innermost being] and, closing the door, pray to your Father, Who is in secret; and your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you in the open (Matthew 6:6 AMPC).
But, as for you, whenever you are praying, enter into your secret and well-guarded place, and having closed your door, pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you (Matthew 6:6 Wuest).
The term secret place appears dozens of times in both the Old and New Testaments although some translations use other words or phrases such as shelter, covering, dwelling, or even secret of His presence instead of secret place.
Early church father Augustine (354-430) penned his most famous passage in his work Confessions, stating, “You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” Augustine was referring to the discovery of God in the secret place of our heart. We find the secret place of His presence within us.
The unsaved are indeed restless, however, many believers can also feel tempest-tossed: “Those who still reject Me are like the restless sea, which is never still but continually churns up mud and dirt” (Isaiah 57:20 NLT). As a believer, we may not exactly reject the Lord, but we can certainly neglect meeting with Him in the secret place where we find comfort for our soul.
A Christian blogger writes:
Do you ever feel like the “restless sea, which is never still but continually churns up mud and dirt”? I do, though I wish it weren’t true. I’ve been a Christian for over 40 years. In that time, I’ve experienced God’s peace time and again. I remember well how, in times of worry, God has calmed my soul. Yet there are still times, far too many, when I feel like the restless sea. Late at night, I can’t sleep as my mind “churns up mud and dirt.” Anxiety can be my familiar companion, along with fear and doubt.
In these times of agitation, I have not rejected God in any intentional or lasting way. But, in a sense, I have rejected Him. I’ve turned my back on His promises. I’ve closed my heart to His Spirit. I’ve decided to rely upon myself and my ingenuity rather than upon the only one who is truly and fully reliable. I’ve chosen to do that which I know to be sin. It’s no wonder that when I back away from God, I lose touch with His peace.
Yet God, in His mercy, doesn’t leave me in my restlessness. He finds ways to remind me of His presence. When I turn to him in desperation, He meets me...sometimes in that very moment, sometimes later. I realize that my life is never what it ought to be except when I rely fully on the Lord.
Jesus beckons us to draw near to Him and exchange restlessness for rest: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 NKJV).
A hidden “something” within us is drawn gently but persistently toward God. Our hearts are tugged toward the secret place, the meeting place with the Lord, by an inner need that cannot be quenched; it can only be suppressed.
The Promise of God
In the secret place, we find shelter and safety with God. It is both a place of rest and a place of protection. The Bible uses many metaphors to describe God, including the Defender and Protector of His people. He is our Rock, Fortress, High Tower, Hiding Place, Shield, and Dwelling Place. Psalm 91 is among the top-favorite psalms of the Bible and perhaps the most well-known hymn celebrating God as our Protector and Defender.
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust” (Psalm 91:1-2 NKJV).
Although we have little need for mountain fortresses for survival today in Old Testament days having a refuge from enemies was a very real consideration. Stronghold cities, high towers, and ramparts allowed residents of regions to escape and gain a strategic advantage when defending themselves from enemy forces. Rocks and caves provided personal safety for David during the 15 to 20 years he ran from Saul: “David abode in the wilderness in strong holds…. Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand” (1 Samuel 23:14 KJV).
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1 NKJV).
We find our own place of safety when we “hide” in the secret place. God Himself guards and delivers us from the enemy.
The Hidden Place
The secret place is secret because it is a hidden and private place for us to meet with God.
Some individuals call a physical location or room where they pray their secret place. While this is an acceptable use of the phrase, our true secret place with the Lord is within our heart—our innermost being.
No one else can enter your secret place—only you and God.
When we come into our secret place, we commune with Jesus and He reveals Himself to us. We have a genuine relationship with Him. We discover more about Him, and He instructs us in His heavenly perspective. As we spend time alone with Jesus, He transforms us so we become more like Him. We become what we behold!
We include Him in our lives by scheduling time alone with Him. The sad fact is, it is too easy for us to neglect meeting regularly with the Lord unless we decide on a specific time and place, because our lives get easily consumed by the busyness of daily life.
In the secret place, we open our heart to the Lord to hear His voice, receive spiritual revelation, and enjoy His intimate love. “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever…” (Deuteronomy 29:29 NKJV). Remember, God is not hidden from us; He is hidden for us!
In the course of His earth walk, Jesus Himself deliberately distanced Himself from the crowds to commune with His Father in prayer. We should certainly follow His example.
After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone (Matthew 14:23 NASB).
After bidding them farewell, He left for the mountain to pray (Mark 6:46 NASB1995).
It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God (Luke 6:12 NASB1995).
In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there (Mark 1:35 NASB1995).
Choosing the Better Part
During their travels, Jesus and His disciples came to the little village of Bethany, which was about two miles from Jerusalem (see Luke 10). They came to a house where Lazarus, Martha, and her sister Mary lived. Martha welcomed them in and bustled about energetically to be a good hostess and get a meal on the table. The men were talking together while Martha worked.
Much to Martha’s dismay, Mary went where Jesus was talking and sat at His feet to listen. She took the position of a disciple, one who learned from a rabbi. Martha was irritated that Mary wasn’t helping with the work so she asked Jesus to intervene and send Mary to the kitchen.
But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42 NRSV).
Chores, work, and distractions of all kinds will always compete for our attention. However, like Mary of Bethany, we are choosing the better thing that will never be taken away from us when we devote time to Jesus. We are making a deposit in an eternal heavenly account.
This secret place, where we meet with God, is where we should find ourselves often. Abiding in God, we find shelter and refuge. We also find love, sweet communion, and rest. It is in the secret place where we are most vulnerable with God and enjoy intimacy with Him.
