Intimacy With God in the Secret Place

Scriptures: Matthew 6:6, Psalms 16:5-11, Luke 10:38-42, Luke 6:12, Psalms 27:5

An Invitation to God’s Secret Place

For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; 
In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; 
He shall set me high upon a rock. 

Psalm 27:5 

Someone recently asked me what the secret was to my daily effervescent joy and unshakeable peace in Jesus? They wondered why it was that in the midst of a heavy ministry and workload, the hills and valleys of life, and a stage 4 cancer diagnosis that somehow, my heart was full, and I almost always seemed to know what I was supposed to do next? 

It wasn’t always this way for me as a longtime Christian. In my mid-thirties, moderate depression colored my life, coupled with an eating disorder and an uncontrollable thought life as my husband pastored a thriving church. I loved God and His Word, but somehow, my life seemed to lack much of what I read in the Book of Acts. 

The answer? Intimacy with God in the secret place.

Oh no. Another thing to do. Another Christian box to check off. Nevertheless, King David from the Old Testament and Mary of Bethany from the New Testament treat us with insight into the ONE THING that genuinely matters in our lives. The one thing that our Lord Jesus places the highest priority on — meeting alone with Him. 

Nope. Not your regular daily time to pray or read His Word or converse with Him through your day. This is more a scheduled, weekly or so meeting with God that is uninterrupted and long enough for you to sense His felt presence within you and for you to hear His voice speaking to you through His Word or a soft impression on your heart and mind that will always align with His Word. 

Jesus reveals the way. His frequent meetings alone with the Father during His earthly ministry empowered everything He spoke and did Luke 6:12. 

Let’s keep this practical. Let’s keep it sweet and simple. Because if we walk in this one thing, everything else in life will fall in place. When difficulties and trials come, we will already be positioned in His presence with a fresh word from His heart guiding us. Let’s accept His invitation to come to His feast in the secret place. We won’t be disappointed. 

How were you encouraged by today’s lesson?

Scriptures: Psalms 31:20, Psalms 25:14, Psalms 23:5-6, John 15:4-5, Matthew 6:6

What Does This Look Like?

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.
Matt 6:6

What does cultivating intimacy with God in the secret place look like? It is time alone with Him, experiencing His felt presence in the Holy Spirit and hearing His voice. It is being available to the Holy Spirit’s supernatural gifts in our lives. It is where we begin to feel safe enough with the Lord to invite Him to heal the wounds and strongholds in our souls (thoughts, emotions, and personality) so that He can help us walk in His fruit – love, joy, peace, and patience. It is what the New King James Version of the Bible calls the secret place in many passages. 

And what does secret place mean? The New Testament Greek word Jesus used is Tameion, meaning a closet, a storage chamber, an inner chamber, and a secret room.

Possibly God calls these times alone with Him as a closet or secret place because it is where only you and He privately come together with no one else. There, He has words meant only for your ears from His heart Psalm 25:14. He wants to satisfy, refresh, and provide a bountiful meal for your soul Psalm 23:5. 

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
Revelation 3:20 

Why are these quiet times alone with God so necessary to our lives? It is because they are where we encounter God Himself, filling, flooding, and healing our souls-and even our bodies. Where we discover the power of God to overcome and hear His voice giving us needed strength, encouragement, and direction. 

This quiet time with Jesus is not where we come to Him bringing our laundry list of prayer requests. No, the Lord is calling us to be with Him for a while and be refreshed by His presence. He longs to spend time alone with us, and it is our highest privilege to respond to Him. The intimacy with Abba-Father that Adam and Eve lost in the Garden, we can regain. 

What phrase or sentence did the Holy Spirit highlight to you from today’s teaching?

Scriptures: Hebrews 4:16, Luke 11:9-13, Romans 5:1-2, Ephesians 6:10-13, John 10:10

Hindrances

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
John 10:10

Who or what are the biggest hindrances to our time alone with God? Yes, most certainly our adversary, the devil, and we’ll look at that in a moment, but usually, weare the biggest hindrance. 

I don’t know about you, but I know my stuff. I thought I wasn’t good enough or cleaned up enough to approach my Father. I was happy to bring my list of needs, but I didn’t genuinely believe He wanted me just for me, hang-ups and all. 

Yet, He bids us to come to Him because we don’t have our act together and never will in our own strength. We see our failings; He sees our potential. We see our weaknesses; He sees what the Holy Spirit’s power can unleash in our lives. We see our sin; He views His shed blood that cleanses it all. We may be afraid that when we finally come, He might not show up. But His Word promises He is already there waiting for us. 

From personal experience and viewing hundreds of lives transformed from their purposefully scheduled times alone in God’s presence, there is no more powerful encounter. Those of us who once struggled with anxiety, shame, insecurities, varied addictions, or any unhealthy behavior have found all the aid, direction, grace, and help we need to overcome life’s hurts and hang-ups Hebrews 4:16. 

Because this is true, our adversary, the devil, will use distractions, worries, temptations, and overcrowded schedules to keep us from His presence. We will have to be intentional with our calendars about these times with Jesus and then keep our date with Him. 

You will notice that once you set this time, the kids will have an unexpected baseball practice, the dog will bite the mailperson, and your phone won’t stop vibrating. Hell knows what the power of simply sitting in Jesus’ presence can do for a person. As we read in the gospels, everywhere Jesus went, there was healing, deliverance, and salvation. The enemy doesn’t want all that goodness to come your way. So, dig in, reschedule if you must, but accept God’s invitation into abundant living. 

What verse, phrase, or sentence spoke to you from today’s teaching and why?

Scriptures: Hebrews 4:12-13, Luke 4:3-4, Ephesians 6:17, John 15:11, Psalms 46:10

What Can I Expect?

Be still, and know that I am God…
Psalm 46:10

We may ask, what can I expect, and is a particular time better than another when meeting God in the secret place? And the big question: how much time are we talking about??!! 

The key is to be as free from distraction as possible. What distracts you might not be a problem for me and vice versa. However, God’s Word tells us that when we are stillor in stillness before Him, that is when we most experience who He is through His felt presence. 

What does God’s presence physically feel like if this is new for you? It might be a sense of calm or peace, a bubbling feeling of joy or fullness, power, or well-being. The Holy Spirit within you knows what you need at that moment and what will carry you through your current circumstances. 

Be encouraged to come with your Bible in hand. You will not only sense the Lord’s nearness, but you will also hear Him speak directly to you from His Word. These Rhema (Greek) words from the Scriptures are what Jesus spoke of when He encountered the temptation in the wilderness Luke 4:4. Jesus directly quoted the Word to the enemy then, and in turn, the Lord will give you specific passages for your situations. God’s specific words can be absolute lifelines and weapons against our adversary when facing difficulties Ephesians 6:17. 

When is the best time to schedule time alone with God? As pastor Wayne Cordeiro shares, the best time is when you are at your best.* Are you a morning, afternoon, or evening person? Ask yourself this question and arrange your scheduled time with God accordingly. 

Finally, how long are we talking about? Thinking it has to be hours on end will keep us from even beginning in the first place! Rather, consider this a meet-up with a friend. You meet to enjoy each other’s company. You might only need a few minutes, or you might need longer. You finish when you sense that time is drawing to a close. Again, you are not bringing your laundry list of prayers; you are coming to experience the pleasure of Father’s company and to hear His heart for you. You and your faith will be oh so strengthened and encouraged. 

What do you think is your best time to schedule a secret place time with the Lord, and why?

Scriptures: Isaiah 30:15, Psalms 46:10-11, Psalms 63:1-5, Philippians 3:12-14, Psalms 16:11

Practical Pointers

You will show me the path of life; 
In Your presence is fullness of joy; 
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 16:11

Just as you would protect a young seedling from the elements that would destroy it, we need to learn how to cultivate and nurture a quiet time alone with Jesus without distraction. Over the next few days, we will look at some practical tips. Let’s begin… 

• Put on your calendar scheduled times alone with God like you would your best friend. Give yourself a good half-hour or more. Without adding to your plate of to-dos, this is not your everyday time with Jesus; this is a separate time to worship and wait upon Him in His presence and hear what He has to say. Not the other way around. Remember, schedule your time when you are at your best. 
• Arrange for someone to handle the kids, the dog, your duties, or whatever requires your oversight so that you will have uninterrupted time. From years of leading others into discovering greater intimacy with God, I have found that the folks having the most difficulty scheduling this time are those with young children, especially single parents. Still, it can be done, and your minutes spent being filled up with Jesus’ presence will be so worth your effort to arrange this time with the help of a friend or your spouse. Don’t allow any excuses, no matter what state your life is in now. Growing in God’s felt presence is the best thing you can do for yourself. 
• Put your phone in another room and remove every distraction possible. Bring a notebook if it helps to jot down some stray but important reminders that come to your thoughts, so you don’t start obsessing about what you might forget. Crazy, but true. Honestly, almost at the beginning of quieting our hearts with the Lord, our shopping and to-do lists will appear to overwhelm our thinking. Don’t be discouraged if training your thoughts to stay on Jesus takes practice just as the 16th-century monk, Brother Lawrence, so famously wrote. My own obsessive and unhealthy thinking almost robbed me of life itself. It was here, in His presence, that He began to heal and bring order to my thought life. We all get distracted, but His Holy Spirit will help us. We just need to come. 

We will continue with more practical pointers tomorrow. 

From today’s list of help, which one spoke to you the most and why?

Scriptures: Jeremiah 30:2, Romans 8:14-17, 1 Corinthians 14:26, Romans 12:1-2, Psalms 36:8

Practical Pointers Continued

They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, 
And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.
Psalms 36:8

Let’s continue with some practical help for establishing a secret place time with God… 

• Get comfortable. Don’t let being uncomfortable become a distraction. Grab your favorite mug with your favorite coffee. Open a window or light a candle. Create a calm space. You may be an outdoor lover, and the beauty of God’s creation may enhance your sense of His presence. But once again, don’t let outward distractions divert your attention. 
• Bring your Bible and a journal. The Holy Spirit will speak to you, and it is very important to record what you think He is saying to you from His Word and His heart Jeremiah 30:2. You will often want to go back and remind yourself of what He has shared with you, especially if you are in a difficult season of life, walking out of an addiction, or facing illness. 
• Keep it simple. Ask Jesus to join you. Truthfully, He has been waiting for you! There is no magic formula, and if there were, your time alone with the Lord would become just another religious thing to do. Instead, you are waiting for the Holy Spirit’s leading, which will in turn, cause you to walk in the Spirit in more significant measure throughout your life Romans 8:14. 
• Begin with worship. Worship focuses our heart and mind on the Lord and attunes us to His presence because worship interrupts our preoccupation with ourselves. The psalms are great for praise inspiration. Try singing your favorite worship songs or adore Him with your spiritual language. Playing worship music is helpful for some, but don’t let it become distracting if you use your phone. 
• Let the Holy Spirit lead you. We not only cultivate experiencing the Lord’s presence, but we are also growing in letting the Spirit lead us, too. We are learning to be continually filled to overflowing with Him in our lives. Take baby steps. If a thought, picture, or a Bible verse comes to your mind -what do you think the Lord is saying? 1 Corinthians 14:26. One thing might lead to something else, or one Bible verse might reference another until you land where Jesus is leading you. You will seldom lack knowing God’s will for your life when you make these quiet times your priority Romans 12:1-2. 

From today’s list of practical pointers, which one spoke to you the most and why?

Scriptures: Isaiah 40:29-31, Psalms 18:18-19, Isaiah 55:1-2, John 6:35, Psalms 27:4

Drawing Close in the Secret Place

One thing I have desired of the LORD, 
That will I seek: 
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, 
To behold the beauty of the LORD, 
And to inquire in His temple.
Psalm 27:4

In our intentional times of growing in intimacy with God, we are essentially practicing the Old Testament teaching of waiting upon Him. The Hebrew word, Qavah for wait, means to wait for, look for, expect, and hope. It also means gathering together, binding up, and adhering to. Drawing closer to Jesus in intimacy is to bind our heart with His and gather and adhere our life with His life. 

Don’t get discouraged if your first few times of intentionally meeting with the Lord seem to go nowhere. Like priming the pump on a deep well that we haven’t drawn water from for a long time, it may take a few meetups before the dust is knocked off our spirit. 

Also, keep in mind that the enemy of your soul will challenge this significant time. He knows the value and power of God’s experienced presence. He knows that wherever Jesus is, people are set free, healed, and empowered by the Holy Spirit and His Word. Press through when this time is challenged, or if you must, reschedule as soon as possible. 

You will find genuine refreshment and restoration as you persist in making the secret place a priority. You will not want to go back to living life without this precious and powerful time with God every week or so. Touching base daily with Him in prayer and His Word will keep you attuned to Him. And when the storms of unexpected circumstances take place because we live in a broken and fallen world, your time alone with Jesus and His Word is your rock to stand on Psalm 18:19. No work of darkness or any person can take that away from you. 

In closing, cultivating God’s presence in our lives is a feast for our souls and spirits Isaiah 55:2. We’ll find that the lusts and cravings of this world lose their value when we invite the Holy Spirit to overflow us. Ministry burnout is less likely to take place because we are ministering out of His fullness in our lives rather than ministering on the empty fumes of our own strength. 

The advantages are limitless, the cost is free, what are we waiting for? Let’s draw close to God in the secret place. 

What spoke to you the most from this study?