Can You Keep a Secret?
Today’s Verse:
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. ~Matthew 6:6
Are you good at keeping secrets? A secret is privileged information that is to be kept between two parties: the one who shares the secret, and the one receiving the secret. Jesus gives us an important dynamic about prayer that is perhaps overlooked by most Christians. Let us see this morning the importance about praying in secret.
We see the contrast.
“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.” Jesus is making a contrast between the praying of the hypocrite and the praying of a sincere Christian. Hypocritical praying is praying that desires the attention of man. It is praying that has words but no heart. John Bunyan said, “In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart.”[1]
We see the counsel.
“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” Jesus counsels us that our praying needs to be in privacy and in secret with God. God is not impressed with eloquent prayers. God desires that our praying is done in privacy where we can shed our hearts to him and know that we are in His holy presence. The praying that pleases God is praying that is personal, private, and passionate.
We see the confidential.
Praying in secret is when we shut the world and all distractions out from our lives. It is where our innermost desires are shared between us and God. It is when we shut the door on everything else and it is just us and God. This demands that we identify a closet or place where we meet with God. It is only in the closet that we can find God, His power, His approval, and His hand of blessing. God wants us to come to the place where He alone is the center of our attention and affection. Do you have secret room that is your prayer closet where you meet with the heavenly Father?
We see the compensation.
“And thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” I believe the reward being spoken of is answer to our prayers. I also believe it is closeness to God that we cannot attain unless we have this secret place identified. It is God’s approval on our lives. It is a prayer life that prays in the Holy Ghost and sees consistent answers. God delights in answering our prayers. He wants us to come to Him frequently and with a heart hungry for His presence. Jesus did His secret praying in secluded areas early in the morning. Epaphras found his secret place where he labored fervently in his prayers for others. Jabez found his secret place where he cried out for God to bless him. Jacob found his secret place at Peniel and God transformed him there.
Prayer is when we can boldly approach the heavenly throne of God and ask Him to work in our lives. Make sure you have a prayer closet where only you and God meet and have that holy time together. Learn to pray with greater potency when you pray to your Father which is in secret. Can you keep a secret?
Have a praying God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Exodus 19-21