The Secret Place
by Peter Brokaar
Jesus said that God is in the secret place and that we must enter it. This correlates with one of the great promises from the Psalms: ‘He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty’ (Psalm 91:1).
We read that Jesus Himself habitually sought out a quiet and private place to spend time with His Father. ‘So, He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed’ (Luke 5:16).
Coming to God in a secret, quiet, private place is crucially important. We can say that with confidence because Jesus taught us about it. What’s more, even in His sinless state, the Lord felt the need to spend time away from others and be alone with God. How much more are we in need of entering this secret place!
Hiding away to come to God in private is not something just for monks and mystics. It is, or at least should be, part of the spiritual life of every child of God. In fact, it can be difficult to remain close to God unless we carve out time to be in ‘the secret place’.
I believe that the times we spend by ourselves, away from others, and away from distractions, matter immensely. In those times, it is only God who sees us. In those times, we are not influenced in our choices by others. We can choose to do what we want to do. In those moments, we can make the conscious choice to draw near to our Father in heaven.
God works deeply in the lives of His children. He moulds and shapes us. He purifies us. He prepares us for what is to come. A significant part of God’s preparations take place in the secret place, where we interact with Him on a deep and personal level.
Our ‘secret place’ can be outdoors, just as Jesus spent time in the wilderness to be with His Father. It can be inside, in a room with the doors shut. Either way, when you draw near to the Lord in private, it would be good to disconnect from the internet, hide away your phone and have your Bible close at hand.
Our Father in heaven longs to spend quality time with you. He loves to speak into your life, and He loves to hear you pour out your heart to Him. I want to suggest that you take a moment to seriously consider whether or not you spend adequate time in secret with God. I am not saying this to induce feelings of guilt or failure. It is to encourage you that time in God’s secret place is time extremely well spent.
Prayer: Father in heaven, thank You for wanting me to come to You in a secret place. I am sorry for when I have failed to come. Please help me and remind me to do this whenever You want me to. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Peter Brokaar is Director of Ellel Ministries Scotland and has been there together with his wife Liz since 2005. They have 3 kids, all born in Scotland! In his free time he likes reading, cooking, running and surfing. Being at Ellel Scotland has given him the privilege of getting to know God deeper and sharing that joy with many others.
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