The term "secret place" appears in the Old and New Testaments and most often refers to the way our soul is in relationship with God.
Prayer is not a means to acquire something; prayer is itself the reward. Spending time with Jesus is the reward.
After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. (Genesis 15:1, KJV)
Prayer brings power, transformation, blessing, and results - that’s the truth. But prayer is much more than answered requests. Prayer can impact more than just the temporary. When you pray, you step into eternity Himself. He is all you need.
Only the presence of Jesus satisfies the deepest longing of the heart. There is no substitute for spending time with Him. It would be better to lose anything and everything else than to lose His presence.
We so easily drift away. We are so easily distracted. Too often, our fragile minds and emotions can become agitated with clutter. However, we don’t need to allow the distractions and cares of this world to take us away from that precious time with the Lord.
Guard the secret place. Stubbornly refuse to lend Jesus’ time to anyone or anything else. Cling to Him; fix your eyes on Him. Seek Him.
He is your reward. His presence is your Heaven. Take a moment today, now even, to spend time with the Lord. No one has ever left their prayer closet regretting the time they spent with the Lord. Get away from it all - even if just for a few moments.
You are given the privilege and the joy of spending time with Jesus. Don’t let the time slip away. Don’t trade the precious moments that belong to Him.
Prayer is a place. A secret place in the Spirit. There, our relationship with God is established; and from there, everything we ask according to His will is given to us. When Jesus was on earth, He would often pray alone in the desert, but we can choose any place and dedicate it specifically for prayer. In the natural, we all need a physical place to represent the spiritual place where we meet daily with God.
However, in order to fully experience the presence of God, we must recognize that the atmosphere of that place is more important than the place itself. There is nowhere on earth (or in the universe) where the presence of God is absent, no matter how hidden it may be. Nevertheless, although the Lord is everywhere, He does not manifest His presence everywhere. His presence manifests only where He is worshipped “in spirit and truth” (John 4:24b).
Jesus taught that when we pray, we should go into our “room” (place of prayer), shut ourselves in with God and speak to Him with faith and trust, as a little child speaks to their father. Our heavenly Father will always be waiting for us there. When we have learned to pray in the secret place, we will find that nothing and no one else is more important to us than God. In that place, we are alone with our Creator—the King of kings, the Almighty, the omniscient one who knows everything, including the state of each person’s heart. (See, for example, 1 John 3:20; Acts 1:24.) There we are submerged in such sweet communion with the Lord that we don’t want to leave that place. We are passionate about being alone with our heavenly Father, and that pleases Him. Being in the presence of God is so wonderful that we no longer worry about other people or about our problems, fears and doubts; not even the thought of gaining riches or fame interests us. If, while we are praying, we are thinking about other things, we are not truly in God’s presence because there, He becomes our complete reality.
Enter the Secret Place
The secret place of prayer is where man meets his Creator and is transformed. God expects us to daily enter His presence—the place where spiritual power and activity are released—to know His heart and to receive His authority. He longs for us to enter the place of submission and suffering, where the keys of the kingdom are found, where we gain territories, and where we receive His favor.
The church of Jesus Christ needs to go back to that secret place, so that the Father who sees in secret will reward the church in public. And what is that reward? An eternal, close relationship with the Lord that makes us continual carriers of His supernatural presence. Let us enter that secret place! I assure you that when we do, we will be ready to be God’s faithful remnant—the bride of Christ who ministers in His name to the world and awaits His second coming. Let us embrace the life of God and become one with the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Outside of that, nothing else matters.
Activation
Dear reader, if you recognize that your prayer life is not what it should be; if you know you have been praying in a religious way without being conscious of the presence of God, without power or spiritual activity in your daily life, I invite you to say the following prayer out loud:
Beloved God, I thank You for bringing this revelation of the secret place of prayer to my life. I ask for forgiveness if, due to ignorance or a lack of passion, I have not known how to seek a relationship with You that leads me to be in Your presence. Today, I commit to walk in communion with You.
I am conscious of being in Your presence, and I know that You are my greater and absolute reality. When I’m in Your presence, nothing else matters. I access Your presence and I become its carrier. I declare that in Your presence, I receive power, and that miracles are manifested among Your people.
I declare that I participate in Your spiritual activity on earth, creating heavenly atmospheres for Your presence to come and minister to others, and I receive spiritual authority to destroy the works of the devil.
I remain in submission to the lordship of Christ, just as Jesus walked in submission to the Father while He was on earth. I participate in Christ’s sufferings in order to manifest the power of His resurrection. I declare that my prayers activate the keys of the kingdom, to legally bind and loose the will of God on earth. I also declare that, as I keep growing in prayer, my territories and domains will expand. I proclaim that I am fully conscious of God’s presence, of His fellowship, and of the power and authority our relationship releases. I pray this in the mighty name of Jesus, in the now. Amen!
Terror is on the rise world-wide, there is rampant anti-Semitism, and outright attacks against Israel, even on her Temple Mount. We have witnessed terrible attacks in various places; a rise in natural disasters; people rioting in the streets, random violence and looting on the rise. Chaos and lawlessness are everywhere you look; and the latest is the viral plague unleashed on a global scale. It’s like the world has gone crazy! 😮
In light of all these things, people are understandably more stressed and fearful than ever. Yet Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled.” That’s a tall order! How can we be restful and not fear in such troubled times?
–
These are all signs that the end of the ages is near and that Jesus will soon return to earth. You and I, Church, have something the world doesn’t have: The protection of Almighty God. He knows how to divide between His people and not His people. 💖
–
The Place Of Safety.
ALL BELIEVERS LIVING IN THESE LAST DAYS NEED TO KNOW PSALM 91 BY HEART. COMMIT IT TO MEMORY, RECITE IT DAILY AND CONFESS GOD’S PROTECTION OVER YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
–
The secret place is the safest place. That’s where we want to…..NO; where we NEEDto be. It is here that God protects His people. What is this place? Where is it? The key to finding and opening the door is hidden in the Hebrew text.
Five Names of God.
Contained within this beautiful Psalm are five different Names of God in the Hebrew text. Each has been included for a specific purpose. Even the order in which they are mentioned is a key. Five, in case you didn’t know, is the number of grace!
(For more on the topic of why five is the number of grace, you may follow the link below:
The first two Names are in verse one:#1: Elyon [עֶלְיוֹן] Most High God.
#2: Shaddai [שַׁדָּי] Almighty God.
The next two are in verse 2: “I will say of the LORD (YHVH – יְהוָֹה), “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God (Elohim – אֱלהִים), in Him I will trust.”
–
#3: Yahweh [יהוה] The Hand of Grace, Nailed in Grace. Technically it is written as “YHVY.” Vowels have been added to help us pronounce it, though it is known to the Jewish people as the “Unpronounceable Tetragrammaton.” Unlike out Jewish brethren, we as believers in Y’Shua have no fear of blaspheming the Name by mispronouncing it.
–
You may follow the link below for more on that topic:
–
#4: Elohim [אלוהים] is God as “Creator.” This is the first name of God that appears in scripture, right in verse 1 of Genesis 1. YHVH is the second mentioned because it speaks of the Covenant Keeping One. It is not mentioned until man was created. Only after we appeared on the scene was there anyone with whom to cut a covenant.
–
#5: Y’shua [ישוע] Savior: That’s JESUS!
The 5th and final Name you might miss if you neglected to check the Hebrew text. It is the very last word of the entire Psalm: Y’shua, in verse 16. That’s right: it literally ends “in Jesus’ Name!”
“With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation (Y’Shua).” 🙌🏻💖
–
Secrets In The Hebrew Language.Hebrew is a language of picture writing, like Chinese. Each of the 22 letters has a picture, a number, a color, and a musical note associated with it.The letter, “Zayin [ז] is a picture of a sword.
It’s worthy of note that in this particular psalm, there are more of the Hebrew letter zayin [ז] than in any other psalm. In rabbinical tradition, the rabbis say that this “sword” cuts you off from every evil, and there are 10 in all in Psalm 91!
–
Know what that means? You are cut off from ALL the curses of the Law! Five names of God, a picture of Grace, means that GRACE IS GREATER THAN THE LAW.
–
–
Law Of First Mention.
The Law of first mention is the principle of interpreting of Scripture which states: “The first mention or occurrence of a subject in Scripture establishes an unchangeable pattern with that subject. It remains unchanged in the mind of God throughout Scripture.”This law reveals keys to reveling truths in scripture hidden in the order of words, names, and numbers. Let’s test it out, shall we?
–
First Mention Of Elyon.
The first Name of God mentioned in Psalm 91 is “Elyon;” but the first mention of The Name, “Elyon,” in the Bible is in Genesis 14 where Abraham met Melchizedek:
–
“And he {Melchizedek} blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of GOD MOST HIGH, (Elyon) Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High,Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave him a tithe of all.” (Genesis 14:19-20 NKJV)
–
“Elyon” owns everything. He possesses ALL of heaven and ALL the earth. He delivers our enemies into our hands! Melchizedek, King of Salem, met Abram just after he returned from rescuing his nephew, Lot, and all his household.
–
Prior to Abram’s meeting with this king, Lot and his family had been attacked and taken captive by the Amorites. This King Priest offered Abram “Bread and wine,” after which Abram gave him a “tithe of all he possessed.”
–
Hmmm…..Bread and wine…..what does that bring to mind? Communion which speaks of Jesus’ death! 💖
–
Different Kind Of Tithe.
After partaking with the king of Salem, Abram gave Melchizedek ten percent of all that he owned. Clearly, the tithe predates the Law by more than 400 years. But this tithe is different from that which the Law required and brings blessing but no curse if you fail to offer it. It is not given out of duty to the law but out of a heart full of the revelation of Who Jesus is.
–
What prompted Abram to give this King Priest a tithe of all was his revelation of who Jesus is!
–
The second Name of God in this Psalm is “Shaddai.“ The first time it is mentioned in scripture is in Genesis 17: “When Abram was NINETY-NINE years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am ALMIGHTY GOD(Shaddai); walk before Me and be blameless. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.”
–
God Renewed Abraham’s Body.
At this point in his life, Abram was WELL PAST his natural ability to father children. But not too far gone for God. NO! He renewed both Abraham and Sarah’s youth. Abraham not only had Isaac but, after she died, he fathered six more children through his second wife, Keturah. WOW! At that point in time, he was well north of 100 years old, folks! Oh yeah; God can make your body fruitful again! He renewed his youth like the eagle’s.
–
(For more about Abraham and Sarah and how chanaging their names made a big difference, follow the link below:
https://emmausroadministries.wordpress.com/2016/05/19/abraham-and-sarah-patriarch-series-part-1/
–
God purposely waited until Abram’s body had become “dead” so that there would be absolutely NO DOUBT it was Him Who accomplished this feat. The God Who made everything stepped in and said to him in effect, “I Am Almighty God. I Am able to make your body fruitful again.”
–
Divine Order.
The two chapters in between these two “first mentions” of these Names of God in Psalm 91 are in the exact same order in the book of Genesis as they are in this psalm: Elyon first; Shaddai 2nd. THE TWO CHAPTERS IN BETWEEN, 15 & 16, CONTAIN THE KEY TO FINDING THE SECRET PLACE. Find out what God is saying in these two chapters and you will find the Key to the Secret Place.
–
Genesis 15.
In chapter 15 God (Jesus) preached the gospel to Abraham written in the night sky.
(For more on that topic, you may follow the link below to learn about the real story in the stars and, no, it has NOTHING to do with astrology!:
https://emmausroadministries.wordpress.com/2016/03/03/the-real-story-in-the-stars/
–
God was the One Who made the stars, placed them in the heavens, and set them in motion. Believe it or not, He place them there to tell the timeless story of His Beloved Son: Jesus! They speak of The Great Champion God would send to defeat the devil.
Abraham saw that story in the night sky and believed the very same Gospel that you and I do, though he didn’t know the Champion’s name would be Jesus. His belief in the promised Messiah was “Credited to him as righteousness.”
–
This entire chapter is all about being JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, NOT WORKS, just as you and I are taught. “Not by works, lest any man should boast.” In fact, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN THE BIBLE GOD TELLS US HOW TO BE JUSTIFIED BY FAITH.
–
Key #1 to finding the Secret Place: Understand you are justified by faith, not works.
–
Genesis 16.
In Genesis 16, Abraham sent Hagar and her son packing. The Apostle Paul, in Galatians 4, calls her a “Type of The Law.” In verse 9 God speaks to Hagar and says to her: “…Return to your mistress, and SUBMIT YOURSELF UNDER HER HAND.’” Just as Hagar is a typology of the law, Sarah is a depiction of Grace. God is plainly telling us that the Law is lesser. GRACE IS GREATER THAN THE LAW.
–
Key #2: CAST OUT HAGAR, the Law. WE ARE UNDER GRACE: Sarah.
–
You’d better KNOW that you cannot produce fruits by law; only by grace. These two keys: Justification by faith and Ruled by Grace, not law,give us perfect rest and perfect peace in Jesus and His finished work. THIS IS THE SECRET PLACE.
This is our place, no one else comes here and I can come whenever I want to, wherever I am. People think a secret place is a physical place where people run to, to “get away from it all,” a hiding place or a place where lovers meet. But this is not what I mean by my secret place.
But when you pray, go into your
[most] private room, 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. (Matt 6:6)
My secret place is where my spirit communes with the Lord deep in my soul
Psalm 27: 5 - "In his shelter is where you'll find me for He hides me there in His holiness. He has smuggled me away into IN HIS SECRET PLACE where I'm kept safe and secure out of reach from all my enemies."
When we are in the shelter of God's presence, encountering His love and affection, everything else goes away. In this secret place of intimacy with Him, He fills our vision with His majesty, our hearts with His love, and our minds with Truth, and all anxiety, fear, and unsettledness fade. This is why we love to worship corporately, where we enter His presence and encounter Him there. We focus all our attention on Him, and He lavishes us with His love, comfort, and peace, and it's a wonderful thing. It is such a powerful exchange of our weakness for His love and strength.
Because it is so powerful, WE NEED IT EVERYDAY! A weekly visit with anyone who is a priority to us, whom we love dearly, would never be enough. We need His presence constantly, and time alone with Him daily to be sustained spiritually and emotionally. This is what the secret place is and where we can grow in intimacy with the Lord.We can get filled up weekly at church, but we leak and need a constant refilling of the Holy Spirit. This is why Paul says to be filled and keep being filled with the Holy Spirit. We can get filled up DAILY by being alone with God- Jesus as the Lover of our soul, God as our loving Father, and Holy Spirit as our Comforter and Counselor. This daily time with the Lord sustains our spirits to keep us in tune with the Lord, listening, being encouraged, strengthened, and filled with new faith.
Sustainability means "the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level, ability to be upheld or defended, conserving a balance by avoiding depletion." Webster's dictionary. I love this definition because it describes what we can experience with the Lord every day! The intimacy with Him sustains us so we're am not depleted! Everything we do is then influenced by the conversation the Lord starts in the morning and continues throughout the day. This is what Jesus modeled, being alone with His Father every morning alone, then ministering, "only what the Father was doing, and saying only what the Father was saying", throughout the day. John 8:28, 14:24 In the secret place we can pour our hearts out to God in prayer, listen to what He says, read His Word, worship and adore Him. This cultivates intimacy, which is what sustains us in our walk.
Prayer: Lord, help me to take time alone with you today. Help me to cultivate intimacy with You in the secret place. Please take away my anxieties, stresses, and fears and replace them with your comfort and peace. Thank you that in the secret place with you, Father You reveal to me my identity and worth as Your child, and how much You love and care for me. Please sustain and strengthen me today for anything I face. I need your love and affections, guidance, protection, and care every day, Father. Help me to come to you daily for these things and not look elsewhere. I trust in You.
This Psalm must be one of the most famous for any Christian who has gone through trouble, for any soldier about to go into battle, and for any believer going through fearful times. Psalm 91 is one of those Psalms that presents to us a God who will protect, give provision, and give power to the believer who will trust in Him.
There is a clear cause and effect in Psalm 91. For the Spirit-filled Christian who will “dwell in the secret place of the Most High,” then he/she “will abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” We might say there is a reward for responsibility.
My thesis for Psalm 91 is “if you abide in God’s secret place, you will live under His protection, provision, and power.” It is abundantly clear in this Psalm just how protective God is over His children. He wants to protect and provide for His family.
The secret place is under the shadow of “the Almighty” Shaddai, one of three titles for God in this Psalm (the others being Elyon-Most High and Elohim-Sublime). Shaddai literally means “mighty, unconquerable, and all-mighty God.” Used 50 times in the Old Testament, it was the name used by the Patriarchs like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses.
To dwell in the secret place of God, is to abide in the “shadow” of Shaddai. To abide in something or someone’s shadow means you’re in close proximity. The shadow indicates the physical presence of something. Being in the presence, the shadow of Shaddai, is the place of protection, provision, and power!
Where is the Secret Place of God?
It might seem strange that God would have a secret place. After all, He’s God, and why would He need or want a secret place? It would seem that God’s secret place is not a location or place, but rather a relational connection of our heart toward God.
As I have studied Scripture, and as I have lived the Christian life as a leader and student of God’s ways, I see three distinct relational connection points that could be defined as “God’s secret place.”
Praise. God’s secret place is found in Psalm 22:3, “You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel.” The presence of God’s Kingdom peace and power is directly related to the practice of God’s praise. The very word, “enthroned,” indicates that wherever God’s people exalt His name, He is ready to manifest His presence and, thus, His power.
Prayer. Another secret place of God is prayer. When we pray, we enter God’s secret place. Jesus said, “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.” (Matthew 6:6)
Waiting. Another secret place of God is waiting on Him. Psalm 62 speaks of “waiting in silence for God…for God only.” When we cry out to God in prayer and wait on Him, even in silence, we enter another dimension of God’s presence. God comes to us when we have the patience to wait on Him.
In conclusion, may I restate my thesis for Psalm 91? “If you abide in God’s secret place, you will live under His protection, provision, and power.” Make it a practice in your life to daily praise the Lord, daily pray to God, and regularly wait on God for all your needs. If you do so, you will experience His protection, provision, and power over your life.
Abiding in the shadow of Shaddai,
One of the great Hebrew names of Godis El Elyon (אֵל עֶלְיוֹן), often translated as God "Most High." The name first appears in the Torah regarding the mysterious figure of Malki-Tzedek(מַלְכִּי־צֶדֶק), the timeless king and priest of Zion who served "bread and wine" to our father Abraham – alluding to the sacraments later used to commemorate our redemption (Gen. 14:18). As the timeless king and priest of God, Malki-Tzedek is a "theophany," or a revelation of the LORD our God Yeshua before He emptied Himself and made his descent to this world (Phil. 2:7; Heb. 7:3). Yeshua is our great King of Kings and High Priest of the New Covenant, a better covenant that restores the kingship and priesthood back to God Himself (Heb. 7:12).
Now the name "Elyon" itself (עֶלְיוֹן) comes from a root word (עָלָה) that means "to ascend." For instance, an "olah offering" (עלָה) is a whole burnt offering that ascends upward to heaven, and "aliyah" (עֲלִיָּה) means "going up" to the land of Israel. The word "Elyon," then, expresses the truth that the LORD is the Resurrected and Ascended One who overcame all the powers of hell and utterly vanquished death's power. In other words, Elyon is a name for the LORD our God Yeshua.
The sages say that Moses wrote Psalm 91 as he dwelt in the secret place (סֵתֶר) of the Most High God, in the "midst of the dark cloud" (Exod. 24:18), a place of sacred and holy concealment. The thick clouds are a "hiding place" for him (Job 22:14). Notice that the one who "abides" in the secret of the Most High dwells in an ascended place of rest – being lifted up above the surrounding madness of this fallen world of flux and shadows. The Hebrew word means to lodge or to "sleep" (לִין), connecting it with death and resurrection. By "dwelling in the resurrection ife" of Yeshua, God will shield you with His Presence and make evil powerless before you.
Since God hides Himself in this world (Isa. 45:15), we must humbly seek His face to enter into the place of His holy concealment in all things. God is Elyon– High above - but He dwells "with the lowly and the broken of heart" (Isa. 57:15). Therefore the LORD our God is called Shaddai (שַׁדַּי) – our Sustainer, Provider, Refuge, and Home. Just as we can be surrounded by the "shadow of death" (tzal mavet), so we can be surrounded by the "shadow of Shaddai" (tzal Shaddai). Like a powerful eagle brooding over her chicks, so Shaddai covers you with wings of protection (Psalm 91:4). Being "under the shadow of Shaddai" (בְּצֵל שַׁדַּי) therefore means being under the protection of God's Presence.
When you "abide" in the secret of Elyon- the Ascended One - you are concealed by the dark clouds of His Glory, and the Presence of Shaddai overshadows you... The LORD will save you from the ensnaring trap and from the devastating pestilence (Psalm 91:3). By abiding in the truth that God's Presence pervades all things at all times - you become a "stranger" (גֵּר) with the LORD in this world, a "sojourner" (תּוֹשָׁב) who awaits the recompense of the wicked and the healing of the world at the end of the age. "You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot" (Psalm 91:13).
There is a "secret door" that you can enter at any time... This door leads to the realm of the Divine Presence, as David said: shiviti (שִׁוִּיתִי) - "I have set the LORD always before me - because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken" (Psalm 16:8). But how did David "set the LORD" before Him if He did not "enter the door" by opening his eyes to behold God's hidden Glory?
At any given moment of our day, regardless of our circumstances, we can attune ourselves to the reality of the Divine Presence and come "boldly before the Throne of Grace." The world knows nothing of this realm and is enslaved by appearances and the delusions of this realm, olam hazeh. As Yeshua said, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given" (Matt. 13:11). The Spirit always says, "Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you" (Isa. 26:20). In the secret places of our heart - our "prayer closet" - we appeal to the Hidden Presence to be manifest in the midst of every circumstance of our lives...
We are made secure only on account of the LORD our God Yeshua, who gloriously ascended over the powers of this age, the hidden principalities of darkness, and who made safe passage for us to come by means of his sacrificial death on the cross. Yeshua is the Bridge and the Way to the truth that sets you free, though He indeed is the narrow bridge. Because of Him alone, we have access to the Divine Presence, the Holy of Holies made without human hands. Yeshua is the Ascended LORD of Glory, the Master of all possible worlds, and the King over all things. Nothing can stop Him or thwart His victory secured for those who trust in Him.
Blessed is the Name of the LORD forever and ever, Amen.
In the New Testament, Jesus instructs us to go to a quiet place, a secret place, a room with the door shut when we pray (Matthew 6:6). He is not telling us, necessarily, about a physical location to pray, but a secret place in our lives set aside for one-on-one time with God—a place of solitude.
Jesus set the example by often going away from His followers to spend time alone with God (Mark 1:35; Luke 4:42).
When we spend time with someone, we learn more about them, and even begin to become like them. When we spend time alone with God, we learn more about Him and it is also a way He transforms us to become more like Him. Spending time in our "secret place" with God is one way of choosing the Spirit over the flesh (Romans 8:5-8). When we do that, we have more of a heavenly, eternal perspective. We find the ability to remain thankful in all things (Ephesians 5:18–21).
This idea of a secret place is not a call to a monastic existence. It is also not a call to make our spiritual lives secretive or private. Corporate worship, praying with and for one another, and all that is involved in Christian fellowship, have a very important place in the Christian life. Rather, having a secret place is an intentional decision to establish a routine that includes time with God reading the Bible, praying, and listening to Him. He will meet you there (John 14:21) and help you become more Christ-like in character (John 15:4–5; Romans 12:2; 1 John 2:5–6; Psalm 92:12–14).
This secret place, where we meet with God one-on-one, is where we should find ourselves often. Psalm 91:1–2 says, "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, 'My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'" Abiding in God, we find shelter, refuge, and fortress. It is in the secret place that we are most vulnerable with God and most deeply experience His intimate love.
Psalm 91, traditionally credited to Moses, follows the well-attested Psalm 90. Because the former has no title, commentators reason that the Psalms' editors want the reader to understand that Psalm 91 also came from Moses' pen. The Wycliffe Bible Commentaryeven terms it a "companion poem" to the previous psalm.
Its theme deals primarily with the safety and protection God's people can expect from Him. Verse 3 is typical: "Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence." Verse after verse presents positive, reassuring proof that our God will keep us from harm, illness, war, deceit, dangerous beasts, and evil in general. Satan, in fact, quotes verses 11-12 out of context to Jesus during the Temptation in the Wilderness in an attempt to persuade Him that God will save Him even from an act of pride and foolishness (Matthew 4:5-6).
Our Savior's response teaches us that the promises found in this psalm are not automatic and unconditional. He quotes from Deuteronomy 6:16: "You shall not tempt the LORD your God," meaning that God cannot be forced to act on our behalf. He does not take kindly to mere humans testing Him to see if He will respond (Psalm 78:17-22, 40-41, 56-64; 95:7-11).
We can depend on His protection, but we must also remember that the law of cause and effect still exists. We will reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7-8). God is under no obligation to save us from the consequences of our own sinful or imprudent actions. He may from time to time deliver us from certain situations because He has more to teach us, but we do not have it guaranteed.
From the first words of the song, Moses wants to dissuade us of this notion of a guarantee. These promises fall upon the one "who dwells in the secret place of the Most High" (Psalm 91:1). What is this "secret place?" The most probable answer is that it refers to the Holy of Holies, the earthly type of God's throne in heaven. In the Tabernacle/Temple, the Holy of Holies, the innermost sanctuary, was closed to everyone except that high priest, and he could enter it only once a year on the Day of Atonement—and then only to discharge his mediatory duties!
How, then, can anyone dwell "in the secret place of the Most High"? Under the Old Covenant, it was nearly impossible, except for those few whom God called, like Moses and the other prophets, kings, and patriarchs. However, under the New Covenant, the blood of Jesus Christ has opened the way into the Holy of Holies (Matthew 27:51; Hebrews 9:8, 11-15, 24-28; 10:19-22). Converted Christians can dwell in God's secret place and rely on His protection!
A last point of note is that within Psalm 91 Moses provides us three observations on how we can enter the "secret place." These three are complementary rather than exclusive.
The first appears in verse 2: "I will say of the LORD, 'He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.'" Essentially, this is faith. We must believe that God is faithful: What He says He will do. This leads us to live by faith, not by the allurements and deceptions we see around us (II Corinthians 5:7).
The second we read in verse 9: "Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your habitation." Today, we might say, "You have made the LORD your life"; in other words, total devotion to Him. Without getting into detail, this point covers obedience to God's laws and principles in all areas of life—in effect, to live with Him we must live as He does.
The third occurs in verse 14, where God is speaking: "Because he [the individual] has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him." Obviously, loving God with all our heart, soul, might, and mind (Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37) is chief on the list of traits of God's children (I Corinthians 13:13). This, too, has a practical application in that Jesus Himself tells us that if we love Him, we must keep His commandments (John 14:15).
The Secret Place
“You are my hiding place; You, Lord, protect me from trouble; You surround me with songs and shouts of deliverance. Selah.” (Psalms 32:7 AMP)
The Hebrew word used in this verse for “hiding place” also translates “secret place.” The secret place is not simply a place that you go to be alone with the Lord in private. The secret place is the Godhead. He is that and He wants to become that to us. The secret place lives inside of us, and He has given us access to Him:
“Therefore, believers, since we have confidence and full freedom to enter the Holy Place [the place where God dwells] by [means of] the blood of Jesus, by this new and living way which He initiated and opened for us through the veil [as in the Holy of Holies], that is, through His flesh,” (Hebrews 10:19-20 AMP)
We have access to the Holy of Holies through Christ’s flesh that was torn. It was torn for us so that the veil between us and the Father would be done away with. When Adam and Eve sinned, they hid themselves from the Lord’s physical manifested presence (Genesis 3:8). Then the Lord sent them away from the garden (the secret place) where He had chosen for His presence to manifest (Genesis 3:23). For the born-again believer, the secret place is within. Because of Christ’s sacrifice, we can go within the veil that once separated us from the manifest presence of God.
But you, when you pray, go into your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” – Matthew 6:6
Almost everyone has a “special” place, a place that they love to go to relax, to engage in a favorite activity, or just to be at peace. In fact, most people, like me, probably have several. A scenic view from a back deck. A cozy basement. But do you have a special place to meet with God and pray? A place where you can “shut the door,” knowing that no one can bother you? In His teaching on prayer in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus stresses the importance of having such a place. I’ve come up with four reasons why He stresses a secret place, some based on textual exegesis and some based on just plain common sense: intentionality, privacy, intimacy, and integrity. I’ll tackle these one at a time.
1.) Intentionality. We go places with specific purposes in mind. When we go to work, we’re there to work. When we go to the gym, we’re there to work out. When we go to our secret place with God, we should be there to spend time with Him, and for no other reason. Going to a specific place for a specific purpose produces the type of intentionality that is sorely lacking in the lives of many Christians.
2.) Privacy. The word “closet” that Jesus uses in Matthew 6:6, tameion, is defined in Strong’s Greek Dictionary as a secret chamber, a place may one retire to for privacy, or a place for storage of something (like a closet). All three of these concepts unmistakeably emphasize the fact that this place should be private and cut off from the comings and goings of the household. It should be a place where the world can be shut out. The reason such privacy is necessary for prayer is clear: privacy fosters honesty, and honesty fosters relationship. How can we pray freely and openly with God when there are others nearby, or who may come by to disturb us and listen in on us at any moment? Having a secret meeting place with God precludes any hindrances to the unbroken communion that is essential for meaningful prayer.
3.) Intimacy. Obviously, this comes right on the heels of privacy. Without the safety of privacy, having any depth of relationship of any kind with another is impossible. Even when intimate friendship or relationship is developed in a group setting, it is still developed because of a certain privacy that surrounds the group, allowing the group to bond without the encumbering presence of outsiders. The point is, there is no intimacy without privacy.
Also, the sharing of a special, secret place is an intimate act in itself. If there is a place where you meet with one person, and with nobody else, that place becomes one of the hallowed sanctuaries of the relationship. It becomes more than a place. In fact, the thought of sharing that place with another for similar purposes can seem blasphemous. Simply going to that special, secret place with another creates an expectation in itself. In the same way, having a special, secret place to meet with the Father creates an expectation, before we even arrive, that God is already there, eager to meet with us.
4.) Integrity. The Bible scholars reading this entry were probably wondering if I would ever comment on the context of Jesus’ teaching on the prayer closet. In this part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is talking about outward righteousness and inner righteousness. He speaks of how the Pharisees pray out loud, in public, so that people will see their piety and be impressed. Jesus says that “they already have their reward,” (Matthew 6:5), meaning that praise from men is all they will receive for this action. God will not reward them. Jesus, in contrast teaches his followers to “go into their closet” to pray, so that they will receive no praise from people. If no praise is received from people, then our reward is from the Father instead – a much better reward indeed. Praying in a secret, special place removes the “trying to impress” element from prayer and leaves us naked and open before the Father in a setting where we no longer have any motivation to pray for the wrong reasons.
Obviously, we are to pray with others often as well. Jesus taught clearly about the power of agreeing prayer. If Jesus taught both to pray alone in secret and with others in agreement, there is obviously to be a balance of both in the Christian life.
This teaching about having a special, secret place to be alone with God has deepened my prayer life in ways I never imagined. And it is so simple and practical! When I first grasped this teaching, I realized that the little “nook” under the stairs in the basement would make for a perfect prayer closet. It’s a hidden, cramped little space under the stairs that has no other use in the house. So, my wife and I used markers to write prayer requests on the walls as well as Scripture promises pertaining to prayer. When I go there, it’s only to pray. And when I go there to pray, there is a presence there when I arrive, an expectation. God is already there, eager to meet with His beloved son.
Find a special, secret place to meet with God. It will add intentionality, privacy, intimacy, and integrity to your times of prayer, and you’ll find yourself looking forward to your meetings with God more and more often.
The bible says that he who dwells in the ‘secret place’ of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. (Psalm 91)
The bible says that nothing can come over us in this place. We are perfectly protected from evil, the wicked ways of this world. Not even a negative thought can come over us in this place.
The bible says that we can stay here.
This place is referred to as a secret because it is a secret from Satan. Satan does not know about this place nor can he get into this place.
This is where we hear from the Lord. See Him through the eyes of our hearts. Where our hearts desires become His. And where we receive from Him.
Our secret place, is our engaging and being in tune to the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Using Our Imaginations for God
Our imaginations were created to be used for God.
Before the fall, Adam and Eve used their imaginations only for God.
After the fall, just like every other part of their being, Adam and Eve’s imaginations became defiled. We are all born into this fallen world with imaginations being used in ways other than what it was created for.
By practicing using our imaginations for God, we will develop a new habit of seeing. Seeing through the eyes of our heart is using our imagination for God.
Leading Someone into Their Secret Place
Say the following:
I’m going to pray over you first then I will ask you to keep your eyes closed while I lead you into your secret place with the Lord.
Father God, thank you Lord for who you are and for what you have done for us by the cross. Thank you for making a way for us to see you, hear you and know you. Lord, our heart longs for you and we are coming here together seeking you for your heart, for your love. Lord prepare our hearts to hear from you so that we may receive your love. Lord, change our hearts so that our hearts desires become yours. We thank you for what we are about to receive. In Jesus Name, amen.
Keep your eyes closed and use your imagination to go to a place that you long to go to. This can be a place that you’ve been before or a place where you’ve always wanted to go. This place is a place where you are perfectly comfortable, perfectly safe and free to be you. Pause
Now I want you to choose to find a place to sit. Are you sitting on a blanket? On a mountain? In a chair?
Look around and notice what you are seeing, take it all in.
Pay attention to all of your senses.
What smells do you smell?
What colors do you see?
What activity is going on around you?
What do you hear? Do you hear the trickle of a water stream? A wave of an ocean? Birds or other animals?
Look up at the sky, what does the sky look like. Are there puffy white clouds?
What time of day is it? How can you tell?
What is the temperature?
What are you wearing? Are you bare foot?
Now I want you to begin thanking the Lord for this place.
Thank Him for creating this place just for you, perfectly created just for you because He loves you and because He knows you.
Thus, the righteous should exert every effort to find the place of refuge. While searching for this secret place can be difficult, you and I can be assured that once we found it, we can look back and tell ourselves, “It was all worth it.”
Sometimes, God wants to see how bad we wanted to be with Him.
God does not test us because He wants us to suffer or prevent us from obtaining eternal life, but He does that to help us develop the godly character needed to stay with Him through thick and thin.
In short: the secret place is reserved for those people who love God and do His commandments.
One day as Jesus was teaching his disciples about prayer, He told them not to be like the Pharisees. Jesus called them “hypocrites” who pray in front of synagogues and out on the street. (Matthew 6:5). The Pharisees loved to pray for show. They most likely used a lot of “thee” and “thou” phrases, and dramatic pauses so that others would admire their spirituality. Jesus then went on to teach, “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:6). Jesus wasn’t against public prayer. However, He was against praying to put on a good performance. In addition, Jesus was teaching us that the place of intimacy with God is on our knees, in secret prayer.
Jesus continually modeled secret prayer while on earth. Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus would escape and go be alone with the Father for times of prayer (Mark 1:35). In the evening, He also often withdrew for times of secret prayer with the Father (Mark 6:47). If Jesus needed to withdraw from the crowds for extended times of secret prayer alone with the Father, how much more do we need to practice this as well? Jesus knew that as we spend time in secret prayer our lives would be transformed.
The Psalmist, Moses, also wrote about the secret place, when he penned these poetic words, “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1). The New King James translation reads, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High” (Psalm 91:1). The secret place is a picture of our time spent alone with God in prayer. The Psalmists had some of the most passionate walks with God in the Old Testament. In Psalm 91, Moses was instructing us that the depth of our spiritual walk and life transformation are both firmly rooted in our time spent in secret prayer.
You might be wondering why time spent in secret prayer is so imperative to our spiritual transformation? How might the time we pray in secret benefit our lives in practical ways and change us into the person God created us to be?
Here are 5 ways our lives benefit from us learning to pray in secret:
Increased Intimacy with God
God designed us for relationship with Him. We were created for heart connection with Him. He didn’t just intend for us to be casual acquaintances. He designed us for intimate union with Him. The prophet Hosea wrote that the Lord spoke, saying, “I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion…I will show my love” (Hosea 2:19, 23b). Just as a passionate husband pursues his wife and shows her his love, so the Lord as our bridegroom pursues us and demonstrates His love to us. He longs for an intimate relationship with his bride. Like the intimate physical union between husband and wife happens in privacy behind closed doors, Jesus, as our bridegroom, is inviting us to intimate union with Him. There alone in His presence, we block out other voices, we worship the majesty of who He is, and we are drawn deeper into knowing Him and feeling known ourselves.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Anastasiia Stiahailo
More Secure in God’s Love
Author and Theologian N.T. Wright wrote, “Love is not just tolerance. It's not just distant appreciation. It's a warm sense of, 'I am enjoying the fact that you are you.'”
God doesn’t just tolerate and appreciate you from a distance. He cherishes you and delights in being with you. He feels excited every time you come to spend time alone with Him. He aches to spend time with you and to have your undivided attention. When you are undistracted and present to His love it thrills His heart and transforms your soul. The more time you spend in secret prayer the more secure in God’s love you will be.
Our culture is filled with millions of distractions and diversions. Social media, Netflix, and work deadlines all scream for our attention. However, when we dare to withdraw for time in secret prayer, our souls are restored to God’s original intent; a person who enjoys being completely loved. The Holy Spirit delights in awakening our souls to feel God’s love.
Greater Joy in Daily Life
Life is filled with disappointments, trials, and sorrows. However, the place of greatest joy is found when we are communing with God in secret prayer. There, as we are focused completely on God and His goodness, the Holy Spirit unlocks our souls to experience the joy of His presence in remarkable ways. There is no greater joy this side of heaven! The Psalmist David knew and experienced this in his secret prayer life. He wrote passionately, “You will fill me with joy in your presence” (Psalm 16:11).
Larger Impact and Fruitfulness
We all want our lives to matter. God has given us a purpose. His purpose is that we might glorify Him and share His love with the world. Each of us do this in different ways. You might be an administrative assistant seeking to love the people in your office well. Or, perhaps you’re a stay-at-home mom, seeking to love and keep your sanity amidst diapers, pacifiers, and toddler toys. Maybe you’re a more seasoned saint and you are seeking to love your neighbors well. All of this matters to God. He wants you to grow in fruitfulness both internally and externally. He wants the ripe luscious fruit of the Spirit to grow in you. The fruit of the Spirit only develops as we abide with Christ in secret prayer. He wants the fruitfulness of loving others well to flourish in your life. The time you spend with Him nurtures the fruit-growing process in your life. The deeper your roots grow down into Him, the more luscious the fruit of your life will be. Time spent in secret prayer is where your roots grow deep into the LORD’s goodness and love. This is what the Psalmist meant when he wrote, “That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields fruit in season and whose leaf does not whither” (Psalm 1:3). The place of secret prayer is where we become rooted in Christ. As our roots sink down deeply into Him, our purpose becomes clearer and our fruitfulness grows.
Deeper Calm in the Face of Life’s Challenges
Research tells us that mental health issues are on the rise. Anxiety, fear, depression and a host of other illnesses plague our society. One of the best practices for releasing anxiety and embracing calm is secret prayer. As we learn to pour out our hearts authentically in prayer, the Holy Spirit takes that burden off our shoulders and we experience a release of anxiety. The Psalmist David wrote, “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you” (Psalm 63:3). The Hebrew word for glorify that’s used there is the word shabach, and it carries a duel meaning. It means to praise and adore, but also to soothe and calm (Strong’s Concordance #7623). As we shift our focus to praise and glorify the LORD when we pray in secret, the Holy Spirit soothes and calms our anxiety. Our souls are transformed from anxious to peaceful.
Secret prayer is the place where we position ourselves to be transformed by God. As we learn to enter the secret place, shut the door, and commune with Him, our souls will be changed. We will grow deeper in our intimacy with God, experience greater joy, enjoy a larger impact and fruitfulness, and receive deeper calm.
Possessing an inner place of safety remains crucial for achieving peace of mind. Relying on anything in the material universe for protection leads to eventual disappointment. The highest gates can be scaled or broken through. Even weaponed bodyguards may be powerless in preventing injury to those they protect. In addition to our physical vulnerability, emotional scars also may be nonpreventable with strictly material defenses.
Wealth, fame, and power are transitory conditions that seldom offer safe passage over an entire lifetime. In the uneasy and superficial world of materiality, constant change remains the only certainty. Markets fluctuate, bank accounts dissolve, youth and beauty erode, physical and mental health deteriorate, and personal and corporate powers evaporate.
Once we enter our secret place of the Most High, eternal protection awaits us.
We enter a realm of assurance, calmness, serenity, and peace. This divine intersection of God, Christ, and our highest consciousness provides a zenith of silent power. In this secret place open only to us, we rest in this splendid perfection of our spiritual heritage. We become imbued with the essence of God. In this essence lies not only security but a respite from all outer conditions. We enjoy the enrichment that comes from alignment with Spirit.
We experience love, wisdom, peace, joy, life, and all the positive attributes that come from the reflection of God realized. This place of inner peace becomes our ultimate sanctuary. Blessed by the presence of God, it serves as the grand provider of every spiritual and material need. We are comforted, encouraged, and strengthened.
We may face challenges of health, prosperity, and disharmony in the world. In our private kingdom of the Spirit, we find the solace and energy to confront, embrace, and overcome any negative appearance.
Matthew 6:6 is the epicenter of our lessons because it is the epicenter of private prayer. When Jesus teaches the disciples about prayer He invites them (and us) to the place of one-on-one prayer with God the Father. Speaking from my own experience, this verse holds treasures beyond comprehension. You can not exhaust the depths of these words of instruction from our Master. Dig and dig and you will continue to unearth lessons that will change your prayers and prayer time. Take these words in this verse of scripture and unlock the door to the private place of prayer.
This Secret Place that Jesus tells His disciples about, that He tells them to go to, comes from His personal experience. He is NOT sharing with us something different than He, Himself believes, lives, and knows to be true.
We read of Jesus going to the Secret Place:
- After being baptized by John the Baptizer in the Jordan River to being his public ministry, and BEFORE being tested by Satan in the Wilderness, … where was Jesus? Alone with the Father. Alone—1-on-1 with the Father.
- Luke 6:12-13 says that AFTERspending the night in prayer ALONE with the Father, Jesus came down off the mountain, called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles:
Luke 6:12–13 — 12In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. 13 And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles:
- We read of Jesus AFTER healing multitudes of people that He went to bed for some needed rest and then…
Mark 1:35 — 35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.
- AFTER Jesus miraculously fed 5,000 men + women and children, it says,
Matthew 14:22–23 - 22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,
- BEFORE Jesus went to the disciples on the sea … walking on the water … He was ALONE in the Secret Place with the Father.
- We also read in Luke 9:18 of Him going off to be alone to pray. It was AFTER THIS ALONE TIME WITH THE FATHER—that He returned to the disciples and asked the question that has sounded down thru the ages of time, “Who do you say I am?” and Peter answered, “Christ, the Son of God.”
- We also see Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, BEFORE surrendering his life to be a sacrifice for the sins of the elect, and crying out, “My God, My God, Why has thou forsaken me?” Before they came to arrest Him, tortured Him, and nailed Him to the cross, and then was smitten by God for you, Jesus withdrew alone to pray to the Father.
There are patterns here. Before every big event we see Jesus meeting with the Father in secret. Prayer. Prayer. Prayer. Not public prayer, but private prayer. Not prayer with others, but 1:1 with the Father. He knew the necessity, do we?
These few incidents recorded in the Gospels are not all of the times Jesus went away to be alone in prayer. This was a daily occurrence. As He taught the disciples to pray daily, He prayed daily. If Jesus understood the necessity to commune with the Father daily in solitude, then … go ahead … apply it to yourself.
When I read these occurrences of Jesus slipping away to pray, I have a few conclusions. I’ll share those in my next post. In the meantime, I encourage meditation on these occurrences recorded in scripture and follow Jesus’ example as one of His disciples. Amen.
The Holy Spirit empowered you to heal and deliver all who are under the power of the devil!
Your calling is to manifest the life of Christ wherever you go and to be a light in the darkness!
The third message: The purpose of intimacy
The Bible shows us that it is very dangerous for a Christian to be in Church but not be in intimacy with God.
The door was shut for the same virgins that were waiting for the Bridegroom and they did not enter into the Kingdom of God according Matthew 25
Many people know the bible, know the principles of God, but they don’t have a personal relationship with The Holy Spirit!
Intimacy means – here is my heart , here is my soul, my spirit, my desires, my dreams, everything that I am and surrender!
If I trust Him – I will obey Him!
If I obey Him it’s because I love Him!
Intimacy means that you are thirsty, you are hungry for more of Him.
A relationship with the Holy Spirit cannot be developed just for the purpose of blessings, for miracles or for the work of the ministry.
God created us to have an intimate relationship with Him and this relationship is through the person of The Holy Spirit.
Today’s message : God is waiting for you in the secret place
We are finishing today this series of messages “The Secret Place”
I want to start asking you: How is your relationship with the Holy Spirit?
Could you say you have an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit ?
What has changed in your spiritual life since you heard the first message?
How is your quiet time with God? Has it improved?
What is God speaking to you ? Has your love for God has grown in the past weeks?
“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.”
James 1:22 NLT
I can guarantee you, my life has been changed over these 3 weeks by the Word that I’m sharing to you. Because we’ve been practicing it!
How is your relationship with the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of Trinity. He is a Person. We can know Him.
He is on earth now to bring us closer to God and to fill us with the life of Christ.
We need to get to know Him more!
Remember that: Relationship with the Holy Spirit comes with salvation, but intimacy with the Holy Spirit comes by surrender!
I’m here to challenge you, go to the secret place.
Set time to read his word and meditate on it. Set time time to talk to him. Time to listen to Him.
The more you listen – the more you going to hear
The more you hear – the more excited you going to be
The more excited you are going to be – the more time you will want to give to Him
When we develop intimacy with the Holy Spirit we learn how to listen to His voice.
I want to share with you just practically – How to hear the voice of God.
We have to understand, Jesus said:
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
John 10:27 NIV
“My sheep recognise my voice, I know them, and they follow me”
John 10:27 (version Message)
Jesus didn’t say: my sheep they only know my Words ! My sheep know my voice.
Nowadays there are a lot of Christians who cannot discern betweenGod’s voice, the devil’s voice and society’s voice.
Are you able to discern between your mum’s voice and your spouse’s voice?
Why? Because you know her, because you are close to her.
In order to hear the voice of God you have to be filled with the Spirit of God and you have to develop this intimacy with the Holy Spirit.
How does that happen?
When you constantly fill yourself with the Holy Scripture
When you fast constantly, pray constantly, constantly fill yourself with memorising the Bible, constantly take part in a Small Group, constantly come to Church Services and meetings and are an active member of the Body of Christ.
But it all starts when you go to the secret place. Why is prayer so important?
Prayer is very important because it strengthens our relationship with the Holy Spirit.
I have learned a very important secret to prayer. It’s so simple. It’s unbelievably simple.
To have a great prayer life you have to have a holy life. If you sin during the day, you are not praying in the morning.
And if you pray in the morning you will not sin during the day. They are correlated.
We cannot pray well if we have a bad life and we cannot have a bad life if you pray well!
Prayer is not to make me a religious person, fasting is not to make me very spiritual, but to push me to one thing; So I can be brought to Jesus like a donkey, and the Holy Spirit can sit on me and the city we go into can be changed for the Glory of God.
My beloved brothers and sisters, our flesh is always flesh, your flesh is always fighting against the spirit and if you don’t invest time in the relationship with the Holy Spirit you are going to have a defeated spiritual life!
In any relationship with people we need our work into it and take action in order for our relationship to grow. If you don’t invest time, money and love into it, your relationship will die.
I have been married for 30 years and I realised one thing about our relationship.
In order for my relationship with my wife to live we both need to die!
This is the only way our relationship can stay alive.
If we both refuse to die and hold on to our own ways instead, guess who dies? The relationship!
That’s why many marriages die and end up in divorce because they refuse to die!
The only way relationships can live is when both people in it die!
Jesus already died and now it’s your turn. Jesus’ death alone is not enough to keep your relationship with Him alive!
That’s why we need to pray, we need to fast, we need to spend time with Him, because we are investing in this relationship!
Another thing that helps us to grow in our relationship with the Holy Spirit is: What we feed ourselves and who we walk with.
We have to understand something about spiritual hunger:
Natural hunger only comes when you don’t eat.
Spiritual hunger comes when you do eat.
When you eat you become hungry spiritually.
When you don’t eat you don’t get hungry spiritually.
People get closer to The Holy Spirit because of what they read, what they listen to, what they watch and who they hang out with.
We have to be people who will allow other people bring us closer to the Holy Spirit.
What are you reading? Pinterest? Facebook, Twitter, Instagram?
What are you listening to? What kind of music or podcast are you listening to?
What are you watching on TV, YouTube, Internet, Netflix?
Who do you hang out with?
I’m always listening to people, I’m listening and following people that bring me near to God. You need to follow men and women of God that bring you closer to Jesus.
If you want to have a victorious Christian life and to fulfil God’s purpose for your life you need to go to the secret place!
Many Christians are fighting and struggling with sins and addictions and the only way to overcome sins and addictions and to live a life that pleases God is in an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit.
You either have a secret place or secret sins!
If you don’t have a secret place with God you will have secrets sin
Secret place brings you to a victorious Christian life
Secret sins will destroy your spiritual life, your marriage, your future and will lead you to scandals.
“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.”
Matthew 6:6
Close the door of distraction if you want God to open the window of Heaven.
One of the ways we bring distractions to our prayer not closing the doors is praying with their phone.
Your phone is there , all the notifications and all your apps come in the moment you get into the secret place.
Somebody liked my photo, somebody commented , somebody sent you a text message , you get a call and guess what happens ? You are constantly distracted!
Some people complain that I don’t answer the phone . I don’t answer the phone when I am praying, reading , my time with God , when I’m disciplining, Counselling people , preaching our teaching .
Why does God want us to close the door?
Because Intimacy always happens behind closed doors ! God wants intimacy!
Every married person knows you have to close the doors. Mainly for women nothing can happen until that door is locked.
Sometimes God is saying: could you leave the phone behind that door ?
How can I leave my phone behind that door? How am I going to read the Bible?
Have you heard about physical Bibles? They still make those !
If you use it for a song , change to flight mode !
Social media , text messages , phone calls , they distract you and there is no one more important than the creator of the universe when you meet with Him.
Verse 1 of Psalm 91 sets the tone for the remainder of this Psalm or Song. From the Passion Translation, verse 1 reads:
When you sit enthroned under the shadow of Shaddai, you are hidden in the strength of God Most High.”
The phrase “sit enthroned” could also be translated or “He who dwells, or “O, you who sits enthroned.” The Hebrew word used here, yashab, is often associated with one seated as royalty. It is translated in Ezek. 27:8 as “leaders or rulers.”
Consider that in Christ, you are now seated with him as royalty! You are a royal ambassador, a priest and king for God. You sit enthroned with Him, not as a co-equal with God, but as an adopted son or daughter who is now seen as royalty in Christ. You can be secure and confident in God!
Let’s examine Shaddai (from the Hebrew šadday) is taken from a Hebrew root word with many expressive meanings. Shaddai or El Shaddai is the eighth name God attributed to Himself.
Shaddai first appears in Genesis 17:1, “When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am El Shaddai. Walk with me and be trustworthy.” CEB
This passage relates to the promise of the birth of Isaac, and God changes his name from Abram (exalted father) to Abraham (father of a multitude). God also confirms his covenant with Abraham.
Later in Exodus 6:3 “I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty (or El-Shaddai), but by My name the Lord (or Yahweh or Jehovah) I was not known to them.” NKJV
Therefore, Shaddai or El-Shaddai can mean, “God Almighty,” “God of the Mountain,” “The God Who is Enough,” “The One Who is Self-Sufficient,” “God the Destroyer of Enemies,” and “The All-Powerful.” Shaddai signifies God as our source of all blessing, power, and deliverance.
God revealed himself as El-Shaddai in situations where people are hard-pressed and need assurance. In Genesis 28:3 Isaac asks El-Shaddai to bless Jacob as he goes to obtain a wife, in Genesis 35:11 El-Shaddai reaffirms the Abrahamic covenant with Jacob, and affirms his new name Israel, just prior to Rachel’s death, and in Genesis 49:25 Jacob blesses his son Joseph before his death.
A simple definition for El-Shaddai could be “He is the mighty God who is able to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.”
Verse 2 of Psalm 91 reveals that God is our stronghold and shelter, our great confidence:
He’s the hope that holds me and the Stronghold to shelter me, the only God for me, and my great confidence.” TPT
A worship song speaks of God’s care and our confidence in him, “My confidence is your faithfulness…”(from Yes and Amen, Housefires). Amid challenges and uncertainty, our confidence remains in El-Shaddai, the Almighty God who can do for me (or you) what I cannot do for myself! That’s good news! In today’s vernacular, “God’s got this, trust him confidently people!”
He will rescue you from every hidden trap of the enemy, and he will protect you from false accusation and any deadly curse. His massive arms are wrapped around you, protecting you. You can run under his covering of majesty and hide. His arms of faithfulness are a shield keeping you from harm.” TPT
Do you see the promise? God promises to rescue you from the enemy’s traps, including false accusations and even deadly curses or disease. You can run under His covering, some translations say wings, which speaks not of God having wings, but of the wings of the cherubim resting on the mercy seat. The implication is that we can always come to the mercy seat and rest without fear.
You will never worry about an attack of demonic forces at night nor have to fear a spirit of darkness coming against you. Don’t fear a thing! Whether by night or by day, demonic danger will not trouble you, nor will the powers of evil launched against you.” TPT
Verses 5–6 are seen by many Jewish scholars as a reference not merely to pestilence and natural dangers but to the realm of spiritual darkness that would come against God’s servants. These spirits are equated to “arrows that fly in daytime” or “a pestilence that walks” in the darkness. God’s sheltered ones are kept from the harm that could come from natural sources or supernatural sources.
Jewish teachers recommended Psalm 91 for repelling demons. Both Jewish and Christian mystics believe it’s in the night season that most demonic assault occurs. Psalm 91 was also used to discourage God’s people from the practice of witchcraft, but rather to trust in God, El-Shaddai.
Even in a time of disaster, with thousands and thousands being killed, you will remain unscathed and unharmed. You will be a spectator as the wicked perish in judgment, for they will be paid back for what they have done! When we live our lives within the shadow of God Most High, our secret hiding place, we will always be shielded from harm. How then could evil prevail against us or disease infect us? God sends angels with special orders to protect you wherever you go, defending you from all harm. If you walk into a trap, they’ll be there for you and keep you from stumbling.” TPT
Supernatural intervention and angelic help are the norm for the followers of Christ.
For example, just look at Acts 12 how the Apostle Peter, in answer to prayer, was delivered from prison by an angel. It is one of many Bible stories of supernatural, angelic intervention on behalf of God’s people.
There are many stories today of deliverance, just like we read about in the Bible. One account I read once was of a young Army Lieutenant who was shot in the chest during battle. He was presumed dead by his friend next to him, who then picked up the Lieutenant’s rifle, and along with his weapon, and began to fire at the enemy and repel their attack. He then went to his friend, only to discover that he was still alive, only knocked unconscious by the bullet! The bullet had pierced the Lieutenant’s shirt and struck his Bible, where it traversed and stopped at Psalm 91:7, “Even in a time of disaster, with thousands and thousands being killed, you will remain unscathed and unharmed.” TPT What an amazing miracle story of protection and deliverance from evil!
You’ll even walk unharmed among the fiercest powers of darkness, trampling every one of them beneath your feet!
The phrase “fiercest powers of darkness” is from the Hebrew which includes the words for “lions,” “snakes,” and “dragons” (Heb. basilisk) as the three great symbols of satanic power. Luke records Jesus as using similar language:
Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.” Luke 10:19-20 NLT
The Greek literally reads snakes and scorpions, which represent demonic powers. God promises to deliver us from the fiercest assaults of the enemy as we trust him confidently.
For here is what the Lord has spoken to me: “Because you have delighted in me as my great lover, I will greatly protect you. I will set you in a high place, safe and secure before my face. I will answer your cry for help every time you pray, and you will find and feel my presence even in your time of pressure and trouble. I will be your glorious hero and give you a feast. You will be satisfied with a full life and with all that I do for you. For you will enjoy the fullness of my salvation!”
The last three verses of Psalm 91 give a beautiful promise of God’s care and protection for us. They demonstrate God’s commitment to answer, accompany, rescue, honor, and bless with a long life those who love Him.
Our confidence is in God Almighty! Trust God completely and remain in His steadfast love and care!
There is a secret place in the Spirit under the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91:1). It is the place Jesus said He was going to, in order to prepare a place of dwelling, in order that where I am, you may be also (John 14:1-3). It is the place of fellowship with the Lord around His table as one joyfully learns to hear His voice (Revelation 3:20), and cultivate a deep, personal friendship with the Shepherd.
From this secret place, we can call, and He will answer and show us great and mighty things that we don’t know (Jeremiah 33:3). It is from this place that Isaiah 65:24 declares that He hears even before we finish speaking:
“And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.”
This relationship with Jesus Christ is what Christianity is to be all about. We are to live by every word (rhema) that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:3).
Intimacy with the Master can only be found and nurtured in the secret place of the Most High. This kind of close and personal love relationship is the treasure of the field for which one would sell all to purchase. It is what causes the body of Christ to rise, as leaven does to the whole lump in Matthew 13.
What is it that the Holy Spirit is to guide us into?
It is into the all truth and the showing of the things of Jesus, Who is the truth, as they were given to Him of our heavenly Father. (John 16:13-16).
Psalm 32 gave me a kind of quiet joy as I was reading it in my morning devotions recently thinking about the safety, the intimacy, the good counsel, and the joy we have in God's Secret Place. Psalm 32:1-5 talk about the wonder of confession of sins and forgiveness. I have commented on them elsewhere.1 Verses 6 through 11, where I'd like to focus today, talk about the joy of the believer in God's intimate presence.
A Journey of Prayer (Psalm 32:6a)
The tenor of the psalm from verse 6 on is an acknowledgement of God as Savior and Protector:
"Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you
while you may be found." (Psalm 32:6a, NIV)
The life of the believer is a life of prayer, communing with God throughout our day-to-day lives, as well as calling out to him when dangers or challenges appear. Literally, verse 6 is a command to:
"... pray to You at the time for finding."
The verb is māṣāʾ, "to find," or perhaps "to seek."2 Sometimes we relegate prayer to particular days or times. But David urges us not to wait but to pray to the Lord "while you may be found" (NIV). The text implies that there are definite times when God is near and accessible to us, and times when, because of our sin or hardness or our situation, we are unable or unwilling to come to him. We must take advantage of the opportunities he gives us to draw close to him. There is a joy in walking with him at our side in the cool of the morning, as well as through the heat of the day.
Higher Ground in Flood Season (Psalm 32:6b)
We are tempted to call upon the Lord only we're in deep trouble. At other times, our relationship is too often more casual, more infrequent, less intense. Blessed are we if we walk with the Lord day by day so that when problems arise -- and they do! -- we know how to rely on him, how to find that special place of faith in crisis. David speaks of the godly in our psalm:
"Surely when the mighty waters rise,3
they will not reach4 him." (Psalm 32:6b)
No matter how blessed we are, how well life may be going, there will always be a time when the flood-waters threaten to engulf us. In these times we need him to lead us to higher ground.
We often balk at going deeper, moving higher in Christ until those times of stress come when we must trust and follow -- far out of our comfort zone -- acutely aware that we are not able to solve all our challenges independently. An old gospel hymn calls us upward.
"Lord, lift me up, and let me stand
By faith, on heaven's tableland;
A higher plane than I have found,
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground."5
A Hiding Place in Trouble (Psalm 32:7)
There are times of great danger when we are called to stand bravely against the enemy (Ephesians 6:11-13), but there are also times to run and hide. David experienced this when he was fleeing from Saul's armies, constantly seeking out a safe place among the rocks and crags and caves of the Judean wilderness in which to hide. In this psalm and others he calls Yahweh his Hiding Place.
"You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble."(Psalm 32:7, NIV)
"Hiding place" is sēter, from sātar, "hide, conceal."6 The noun occurs several times in reference to God as the believer's place of refuge and protection, translated in different ways.
"He will conceal me under the cover of his tent." (Psalm 27:5b)
"In the shelter of your presence you hide them." (Psalm 31:20a)
"I long to ... take refuge in the shelterof your wings." (Psalm 61:4)
"The shelter of the Most High." (Psalm 91:1)
"My refuge and my shield." (Psalm 119:114)
A number of songs and hymns have been written about this Hiding Place, as songwriters have discovered the comfort and joy of God's presence for themselves. For example:
"You Are My Hiding Place," by Michael Ledner (1981)
"The Secret Place," by Phil Wickham and Pete Kipley (2016)
For us believers today, Christ is our Hiding Place, our "hidey-hole," our mountain hideout to shelter us when the enemy is combing the hills to plunder and harm and destroy.
"For you died,
and your life is now hidden with Christ in God." (Colossians 3:3)
But Yahweh's Hiding Place is not characterized by stillness or fear. The psalmist recounts,
"You ... surround me with songs of deliverance. " (Psalm 32:7)
I love the imagery! We are surrounded,7not by the enemy but by shouts and songs8 of salvation, escape, deliverance.9 These songs are what you would expect in the camp of a victorious army, but they surround us in the Secret Place of the Most High. God both protects us and encourages our faith.
A Promise of God's Leadership (Psalm 32:8)
Now God draws us close in his Secret Place with an assurance of his presence and his on-going care for us.
"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you and watch over you." (Psalm 32:8, NIV)
First, God promises instruction. The verb here is śākal, with the idea of giving insight, comprehension, wisdom.10 This isn't formal "book-learning." Rather, it consists of practical insights on the "way, path, or road" that we should travel, guidance for our direction, instruction on our way of living. God will give us practical wisdom to help us prosper in our everyday lives -- if we will listen.
Next, he promises teaching, a similar word that suggests more formal instruction. The verb is yārâ, "to teach, instruct," the root of Torah (tôrâ).11 As God taught Moses both what to do and say (Exodus 4:15) and instructs those who fear him in what direction to go (Psalm 25:8-9, 10-12), so he promises to lead us. The Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, the Counselor, the Comforter will teach us all things, remind us of what Jesus said (John 14:26), and guide us into all truth (John 16:13).
Finally, God promises wise counselbased on our circumstances, literally:
"I will counsel13 you with my eye upon you."12 (Psalm 32:8, ESV)
My mental image is of a helicopter hundreds of feet above us radioing down to us conditions ahead so that we can make good decisions. God knows the path ahead.
When David was fleeing from his son Absalom, one of David's greatest concerns was that Absalom would follow the wise counsel of Ahithophel, the king's advisor.
"Now in those days the counsel that Ahithophel gave was as if one consulted the word of God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel esteemed, both by David and by Absalom." (2 Samuel 16:23)
But Absalom disregarded Ahithophel's counsel at a crucial juncture, and David was saved.
How much more valuable is the counsel, the timely advice, of the Most High? So often we neglect to seek his counsel, or we don't listen carefully, or, even worse, we go against it.
God is a good, good Father. In working out his divine plans, he seeks our good also.
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28, NIV)
As I consider Psalm 32:8, I marvel that God doesn't command or order us here. Rather, he teaches, enlightens, and counsels us in his Secret Place so that we can make good decisions ourselves. If you order the lives of your children beyond their early years, they can never grow to maturity. God leads the way and trusts us to follow. That is our part in this journey of faith.
Don't Be a Mule! (Psalm 32:9)
The alternative to seeking God's counsel, of course, is stubbornness.
We humans start out as extremely self-centered infants. We feed, we mess diapers, we sleep, and we cry when something isn't quite to our liking. But we change (I hope). We grow. We respond to love and to discipline. Our parents patiently teach us in a thousand moments to listen, to obey, to be polite, to love, to care about others. All is well -- and then we become teenagers, hard-wired by the Creator to become independent of our parents. Those years can be tough, and some of us never outgrow the rebelliousness. God warns us through the psalmist:
"Do not be like the horse or the mule,
which have no understanding14
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you." (Psalm 32:8-9)
Have you grown to the point that God can take off the bridle that forces you to go a particular direction? Do you come to God of your own free will or only when you're afraid? Does your path of life indicate your trust in him or only in yourself?
Two Paths (Psalm 32:10)
In verse 10, the psalmist offers two paths, two choices -- pain or God's solid love.
"Many are the woes of the wicked,
but the LORD's unfailing love
surrounds the man who trusts in him." (Psalm 32:10, NIV)
The Hebrew word behind the "woes" (NIV), "sorrows" (ESV, KJV), "torments" (NRSV) of the wicked suggests mental anguish.15 You would think that when we choose the path that offers the most pleasure(hedonism) we would end up being happy. But the end of that road is misery -- on earth and beyond.
The alternative is being recipients of God's steadfast, unfailing love. The Hebrew noun is hesed. No one English word encompasses the full meaning. Essentially, hesed is unremitting love within a covenant relationship, even when one party fails or is unfaithful to the covenant.16 When you consider hesed, you think of a word developed by Paul in the New Testament -- "grace" (Greek charis) -- favor that is extended to a person unilaterally, not on the basis of how well one performs or behaves or reciprocates that love. Grace, hesed, steadfast love is God's favor that is neither earned nor deserved.
Don't be like a stubborn mule, the Lord says, let me teach you. Let my steadfast love surround you. Don't resist me. Sin causes us to run away from God, to "kick against the goads" (Acts 26:14). Relax, let your fear and distrust, your rebellion and sin fall away, and hear his words of instruction to you.
Rejoice and Be Glad (Psalm 32:11)
The psalm concludes by calling God's children to joy.
"Rejoice17 in the LORD and be glad,18you righteous;
sing,19 all you who are upright in heart!" (Psalm 32:11)
These righteous ones are not the self-righteous, but those who have been made right with God through the blood of Jesus Christ our Lord. The "upright in heart" aren't dour, joyless, religious robots. No! That is a false stereotype. Rather, those who see that their heart stays in tune with the Lord, who are quick to repent when they are in the wrong, they are the ones who have reason to party and rejoice in his presence. They are the ones who revel in his hesed, his grace, his steadfast love.
Our present life is guided by our Father and a future in heaven with him awaits us. Hallelujah! What more could we ask?
My friend, what is keeping you from running to the Father's Secret Place right now?
Endnotes
[2] Qal infinitive construct of māṣāʾ, "to find" the thing for which one is looking. (Holladay, p. 209), perhaps also "to come upon, meet, reach." It can also carry the thoughts of actively seeking (Victor P. Hamilton, TWOT #1231). Scholars have struggled to make sense of verse 6a. One approach is to assume that māṣāʾ ("find"), should be emended in the last consonant to read "stress." Thus NRSV, "at a time of distress" with the next line. I prefer it without any emendation.
[3] "Rise" (NIV), "rush" (ESV, NRSV), "floods" (KJV) is the noun šeṭep, "flood, downpour" (TWOT #2373a), from šāṭap, "wash, rinse, overflow, engulf."
[4] "Reach" is the Hiphil of the verb nāgaʿ, "touch, reach (to)" (Holladay, p. 227).
[5] "Higher Ground" (1898) words: Johnson Oatman, Jr.; music: Charles H. Gabriel.
[6] Sēter, Holladay, p. 261; R.D. Patterson, TWOT #1551a.
[7] "Surround" sābab, "go about, encircle, surround," here and in verse 10 in the Polel, "encircle someone protectively" (Holladay, p. 252; R.D. Patterson, TWOT #1456).
[8] "Songs" is the plural of rōn, "shout of joy," from rānan, "cry out, shout for joy" (William White, TWOT #2179a). The noun suggests a "ringing cry," which can be of joy or sorrow -- here, of joy.
[9] "Deliverance" is the Piel of pallēṭ, "bring to safety," from pālaṭ, "escape, save, deliver" (Holladay, p. 292; TWOT 1774a).
[10] "Instruct" is the Hiphil of śākal, "understand, prosper," here, "make someone keen, clever" (Holladay, p. 352, Hiphil, 5), "have insight, comprehension, wisdom" (Louis Goldberg, TWOT #2263).
[11] "Teach" is the Hiphil of yārâ,"teach, instruct" (Holladay, p. 144, III, Hiphil, 1). This verb is the root of Torah (tôrâ), "law, teaching" (John E. Hartley, TWOT #910).
[12] The NIV's "watch over" suggests a fourth verb, but it rather it interprets a phrase explaining how Yahweh will counsel us: "with my eye on you."
[13] "Counsel" (ESV, NIV, NRSV), "guide" (KJV) is the Qal of yāʿaṣ, "advise, counsel, purpose, devise, plan" (TWOT #887; Holladay, p. 186).
[14] "Without understanding" uses the Hiphil infinitive construct of bîn, "have insight, comprehend, understand" (Holladay, p. 38).
[15] "Woes" (NIV), "sorrows" (ESV, KJV), "torments" (NRSV) is the plural of makʾōb, "pain, suffering" (Holladay, p. 193; TWOT #940b), from kāʾab, "be sore, have pain, be sorrowful." Although the root can be used to express physical suffering, it much more commonly has to do with mental anguish. Of the 16 occurrences of this noun, at least 11 have to do with mental suffering (John N. Oswalt, TWOT #940b).
[16] In his landmark study Gordon Clark concludes: "Hesed is not merely an attitude or an emotion; it is an emotion that leads to an activity beneficial to the recipient. The relative status of the participants is never a feature of the hesed act, which may be described as a beneficent action performed, in the context of a deep and enduring commitment between two persons or parties, by one who is able to render assistance to the needy party who, in the circumstances, is unable to help him or herself" (Gordon R. Clark, The Word Hesed in the Hebrew Bible (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1993), p. 267. See also Robin Routledge, "Hesed as Obligation: A Re-Examination," Tyndale Bulletin, Vol. 46, No. 1 (1995), pp. 179-196; R. Laird Harris, hesed, TWOT #698).
[17] "Rejoice" (NIV), "be glad" (ESV, NRSV, KJV) is the Qal imperative of śāmaḥ. "The root ś-m-ḥ denotes being glad or joyful with the whole disposition as indicated by its association with the heart, the soul; and with the lighting up of the eyes" (Bruce K. Waltke, TWOT #2268).
[18] "Be glad" (NIV), "rejoice" (ESV, NRSV, KJV) is the Qal imperative of gîl."The root meaning is 'to circle around' from which such ideas as 'to circle in joy' are readily derived. The root meaning is more applicable to vigorous, enthusiastic expressions of joy; but, in the Old Testament, it and its derivatives serve as poetic and prophetic terms for various kinds of joy" (Jack P. Lewis, TWOT #346).
[19] "Sing" (NIV), "shout for joy" (ESV, NRSV, KJV) is the Hiphil imperative of rānan. The initial is in Leviticus 9:24 where the shout of jubilation is connected with a divinely appointed sacrifice. This usage of the term to describe the joy of Israel at God's saving acts is carried on throughout the Old Testament" (William White, TWOT #2179).
91 He who dwells in the secret placeof the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
The secret place. Hebrew word: cether meaning: covering, shelter, hiding place, secrecy. The Hebrew word is the same in both scriptures. He formed us and protects us in the secret place. The place of protection is the place we were made.
Another interesting scripture is Colossians 3:10 and it talks about our inner man or spirit being renewed in the image of He Who created it. This is out there but when 2 Corinthians 5:17 talks about a new creation. Not necessarily a recuperated inner man. Why does Ezekiel 36:26 speak of a new heart and a new spirit. Revelation 21:5 says He makes all things new. New in Greek is kainos meaning: recently made, fresh, recent, unused, unworn, of a new kind, unprecedented, novel, uncommon, unheard of. The same word for newcreations. The first Adam was a living soul and the Last Adam a life giving Spirit (1 Corinthians 15:45). Two different Adam and two different creations. We are of the latter.
Colossians 3:3New American Standard Bible (NASB)
For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Our zoe life is hidden with Christ in God. The secret place. Our inner man escaping notice being formed in the belly of the Father. You see Presence fashions us for Promise. When we live where we are seated we live from a place of Presence, rest, and hiddenness. We walk in authority and dominion from a Presence standpoint hidden in the Secret Place where we are continually formed by Him Who made us. And when we live out of the Presence we are like clumps of clay seeking identity outside of the Potter’s Hands. Anyone who has worked with clay and a potter’s wheel you know that, at first it’s formless and needs air bubbles etc. removed. Then by applying water it softens to be able to be molded into the vessel it was designed for in the Potter’s mind and heart. The water of the Rhema Word comes to bring the forming…and how gentle He does it. In the forming process it takes delicate hands and patience. How we feel like we are spinning in the process. We seem confused when our world system constructs get removed and we enter the Spirit and His forming process.
We need to behold Him! To observe Him! How did Jesus walk? With Him. He did only what he saw or observed what the Father was doing…including dying on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:19). 1 John 3:2 Aramaic Bible in Plain English: Beloved, now we are the children of God, and it has not been revealed until now what we are going to be, but we know that when he has been revealed, we shall be in his likeness, and we shall see him just as what he is. I believe the Bride will be transfigured by observance of Who He is in them. Observance not of principles or laws are scriptures reading but literal observance…the same way the Apostle Paul received his revelation. No I don’t believe in “new” revelation as in new scripture but there are new things God is revealing which are in line with what scripture declares.
The Apostle John receive The Revelation of Jesus Christ because he was positioned on His chest. He laid there and made that place his home. Revelation came from that Secret Place. That is my desire. To be so close to His Heart that mine becomes His and His becomes mine and I adhere and stay glued to Him by the Spirit. There are secrets He wants to share but they are found in the Secret Place. Secrets are always from the heart.
Even so, come Lord Jesus and be revealed in us.
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment