An Introduction
It is a great privilege to discover and share great messages from God’s word with the world. After having studied certain historical stories recorded in the Bible, I came to understand that all the great men of God that ever existed had one thing in common. That is, they knew how to pray in the secret place.
The numerous miracles that God Almighty performed using our early parents would not have been if they did not pray. Today, we have many great men and women doing exploit. While many are amazed, some are asking, “What is their secret?” Their secret is an activity mostly performed well in the secret place.
What Is The Secret Place?
It is necessary to know that every successful person has a secret place. The secret place is a department where great personalities are produced. It is a place where men are made and security is made available for the righteous.
There are many secret places, but one supercedes all. That is, The Secret Place of the Most High.
“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” (Psalms 91:1).
Also Read: How To Overcome Envy And Jealousy.
The Activity in the Secret Place
Although many activities take place in the secret, the major is what we will be discussing in this message.
It may occur to the mind of a man that the activities in the secret place are kept secret for the secreted. It is not in the place of God to take everyone to the secret, but it is the choice of man to either dwell in a secret place or in public places.
Everyone who has a dwelling place has his or her dealings, which those outside their dwelling places are not aware of. No one in a dwelling place is isolated from activities. In fact, more secretive activities are performed and perfected in the secret.
Therefore, those who dwell in the secret place of the Most High do not sleep their lifetime in the secret. They have koinonia with the Most High; they relate with the Father relentlessly through prayers.
What Is Prayer?
Generally, prayer can be defined as a communication between two or more persons, usually in thanksgiving, request-making, and intercessions. It is worth knowing that most aspects of human communications are prayerfully coordinated. That is to say that most of what we say to and with ourselves are prayers.
In this message, I would love to define prayer in a simple term and in relation to the secret place of the Most High:
Prayer is the supplication to the supreme God.
This is significant because the world is filled with gods that cannot govern the affairs of a man but are given allegiance by men. Notwithstanding, the sovereignty of God Almighty cannot be duplicated.
As many years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, and seconds pass by, prayer remains the only facility that facilitates man’s relationship with the supreme God.
Prayer as a facility is a building that provides the service of communication with Abba Father. While providing this service, prayer also promotes the people who consistently patronize the service it provides in good faith.
Do You Know How To Pray?
As an indigene of Efik-Ibibio, I learned to speak the language so as to be able to communicate with my fellow indigenes. Though I wasn’t fluent, I realized a better language I could speak to broaden my reach to the wider world: the English language.
Our Lord Jesus Christ had a pattern of prayer that He followed consistently.
“And it came to pass that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” (Luke 11:1).
This is quite impressive. Come to think of it, does it mean this disciple didn’t know how to pray? Among all the disciples of Jesus Christ, only one came to Him, asking Him to teach them how to pray. It is true that they came a long way, but they didn’t go the wrong way.
Though the disciples of Jesus Christ were in the knowledge of prayer, one of them was with the understanding of the spirit. He knew there was more to prayer than they knew, affirming the inspired definition of knowledge as “knowing that you knew nothing.”
While learning to speak the English language, I discovered that there was more about the language than I knew. In fact, I’m still studying the English language because I want to be better at conversing with the language.
The same way, the disciples of Jesus Christ discovered that there was more to prayer than they knew. Therefore, they were eager to know how to pray. Amazingly, they asked to know how to pray by praying, “Lord, teach us to pray.”
Germ:
People who feel they know how to pray often pray less. While those who desire to know how to pray end up praying more. This is because we learn how to pray by praying.
Do you know how to pray? If you do, how best do you pray, especially in the secret place?
Learn How To Pray In The Secret Place
- Praying Aright.
- Praying Amiss.
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Praying Aright:
Praying right has to do with praying in line with the will of God. For instance, a child who is in need of a pair of shoes went to her parent, requesting a purchase. The parent of that child is well aware of the need and graciously has been planning towards purchasing a pair of shoes for her child.
The right sense in the request has been revealed, fastening the purchase of the product for the child.
Praying Aright is praying the right way to gain God’s attention and aid divine supplications. When we make supplications to God by praying aright, He supplies the results in return based on the form of the prayer.
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Praying Amiss:
Praying Amiss is likely praying out of the will of God. For instance, a child asks for a suit when his parent is planning to get him a shirt. It is corporate for the parent to get a suit for the child along with the shirt, but not when the main focus is on the shirt.
Oft times, I tell people that what you do not have, you do not need. When you have the need, God will provide the meet. When you are based on praying amiss, you will find it difficult to realize the needs that have been met. This is because you pray for the opposite of the will of the Maker.
Abba Father knows our needs and will always supply them where and when necessary, but our supplications to Him matter a lot.
Digging Dip:
Our Lord Jesus Christ, while on Earth, had a prayerful lifestyle, which He featured in His lifetime. Usually, he either goes to the wilderness or an isolated place to pray to Abba Father. This signifies secrecy and Jesus’ understanding of the secret place of the Most High.
The major reason for Jesus’ daily success on Earth wasn’t the miracles He did nor the people He met. It was the prayers He made in the secret place.
It is worth knowing that Jesus Christ always went out early in the morning and late at night, customarily to pray to Abba Father.
Also, before the selection of the twelve disciples, Jesus Christ prayed fervently. (Read Luke 6:12-16.) When it was time for Jesus’ trial, crucifixion, death, and resurrection, He prayed fervently.
In Matthew 26:35-39, it is recorded:
“36. Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.
37. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.
38. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death; tarry ye here, and watch with me.
39. And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.”
Oh! Look at what happened in the secret place. Although Jesus Christ came as God in the flesh, He never relented from humbling Himself in the secret place of the Most High, far away from the masses.
In Luke 11:1–10, when Jesus Christ went out early in the morning to pray, his disciple went after Him, asking Him to teach them how to pray. He gave them a prayer manual, which we regard today as the Lord’s prayer. Meanwhile, it is simply the prayer Jesus Christ taught His disciples to pray.
While using Jesus Christ as our case study, I want to say that we learn how to pray in the secret place by praying with knees bowed, eyes closed, heart opened, hands cleaned, and praying in the Holy Ghost. (1 Kings 8:54, Acts 8:22, Job 16:17, Romans 8:26).
“Matthew 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily, I say unto you, They have their reward.
Matthew 6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.”
Practical Prayer:
Hold on! If you have not accepted the salvation that comes from our Lord Jesus Christ, you are only wasting time on Earth. All that has been said will not take effect on you until you take effective steps to actualize them.
The first step is starting up a strong relationship with Jesus Christ, and it begins with a prayer of total surrender.
