The Secret Place

Don't you just love it when God tries to get your attention? I know I do. I can always tell when God is trying to direct me to a particular destination becuase it seems every road sign in my life will point in that direction. This past week it has been about spending more time in the secret place communing with him. First, I was asked to teach a Sunday School lesson on prayer so I began evaluating my own prayer life. Second, I have just wrapped up the study Can We Talk? by Priscilla Shirer. (I strongly recommend this study to anyone who is looking to dig deeper into God's Word.) Priscilla ended our last teaching session by quoting from 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." The whole week everything I read, studied, or heard was about prayer. The signs were clear. The directive had been issued. The only question was whether I would heed the call. I don't know about you, but I let the busyness and noise of life crowd into my life and take me from my secret place with Him. I can tell almost immediately when that happens. My prayers become cold and quick, and instead of desiring to spend time with Him, prayer becomes one more thing on my to-do list. Scripture directs us to "pray without ceasing." To me, that means to maintain an attitude of prayer throughout my day, but to enter into the secret place requires that I actually take time out of my busy day and sit alone - just me and my Father. Then the secret place becomes a sacred place - a place where perfect holiness meets imperfect man - a place where sinners are met with grace and forgiveness - a place where unrighteous becomes righteous - a place where a hungry soul is filled. What an awesome privilege we have to meet in the secret place with a heavenly Father who loves us and longs for us. Don't let a day go by without making time to meet with your bridegroom in the secret place. I am making it my prayer that the secret place becomes my favorite place to be. How about you?