ICS Daily Devotions
The Secret Place

Matthew 6:6 (NKJV) 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.

Because of our busy schedules, we need to make sure that we set aside a time intentionally to be in the presence of God. It is a spiritual discipline we need to develop in our lives, because it is a place where we are nourished, renewed and refreshed.

It would be ideal to identify a room or a place where you can meet with God on a daily basis. When you set up this “secret place” to be with the Lord, you are telling yourself that it is a time to be in the presence of God—you are preparing yourself spiritually, and your mind and emotions are being trained to get used to the routine. Simple decorations such as a cross can to help us to focus on the Lord when our mind begins to stray, and an open Bible on a table can serve as a reminder to come to Him. Make this a comfortable place when you will spend 30 minutes to an hour a day. Morning is usually the best time when we are still fresh, there is no distraction, and it will give you the wisdom you need to face the day ahead.

Luke 5:16 (NKJV) So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.

It normally takes 21 days to create a habit. Jesus had the habit of withdrawing from the crowd to pray alone in the presence of the Heavenly Father. He had a busy ministry when everyone was seeking out for Him once His fame had spread throughout the villages. There was never an end to His ministry time and there were so many needs to be met, but He wasn’t dictated by the tyranny of the urgent. Jesus had His priority right. He chose to leave the crowd, the endless crying need of mankind and withdrew Himself to be in God’s presence to pray alone. Jesus had the discipline to do it often by intentionally withdrawing from the crowd into the wilderness. It is a conscious choice to be alone with God.

We would never be able to find the time if we allowed our schedule to dictate when we meet with the Lord. We need to carve out time to be with the Heavenly Father often so that we will get to know Him better, and that begins in the closet. It is a place where we meet with God and He with us— it is where you will have a real and personal encounter with Him.

The Lord is calling us from the preoccupation with self and overbusyness to focus back on Him, and Him only.

Sermon Series: From the Closet to the Board Room (Part 1) – Listening to God