Reflections In the Secret Place –  by Dawn Hill

July 10, 2018

The secret place is a precious place. It is where we meet with God to fellowship and to come close to Him.  As I meditate on the importance of intimacy with Christ, I find myself thinking about the garden once again. It is often the place where we automatically think of the fall instead of remembering what was intended before the fall. A few months ago, I wrote a blog post about The Garden Within The Temple, and I talked about how we become the garden of God and the temple of the Holy Spirit. Song of Solomon 4:12 continues to ring in my spirit as the type and shadow in that passage calls us His private paradise and His secret spring that no one else can have (TPT). He is jealous for us. Beloved, I want to share with you some reflections in the secret place that I have learned.
Depending on the translation, the secret place is also worded as a covering, a shelter or a dwelling place. Psalm 139:15 talks of being formed in the secret place of the womb. David sang to God and called him his secret place, his refuge (Psalm 32). One of the most quoted passages about the secret place is found in Psalm 91:1.  As we draw into that private time with God and answer the invitation to come closer, it is important for us to remember a few things.

The secret place is not…

The secret place is all about Jesus and fellowship. It is not a place for us to inquire about everyone else’s secrets. I am not talking about discernment, but rather initiating the seeking of information for ill intentions. We must guard our hearts when in the secret place with God and not permit contamination to creep into this private time, allowing the enemy to come into His locked garden and hiss out false truths, accusations and offense. This garden, this secret place is meant to cultivate fruit from His Kingdom. The presence of His fruit in our lives is proof of consummation with Christ. It is possible to produce fruit that has nothing to do with the Kingdom of God or His heart.
We would be best to treat this time with God as reverent.  When we spend time in His Presence, we are learning the mysteries of God and the heart of Abba Father. We are capturing His heart and His vision and the mandate for “on earth as it is in heaven”. It is a place of pure motives and untainted agendas with the Lord as our focus. We want His heart on all matters!
The secret place is not a country club requiring a rank or an elite membership. It is not for a select group of people in the Kingdom of God. The only title required is “Child”. We are His child first before we are anything else. We are hidden in Christ and not a mantle. Do not feel like you cannot go into the secret place and commune with God because your lack of credentials will not permit you past the entrance. If you know Jesus, you have access to intimacy with Him. This is where the Holy Spirit teaches us all things and calls them to our remembrance (John 14:26).

Going deeper in Spirit and truth

Now that we know what it is not, we can focus on the truth about the secret place. This dwelling place is a place of prayer and intercession. Matthew 6:6 TPT says,

“But whenever you pray, go into your innermost chamber and be alone with Father God, praying to Him in secret. And your Father, who sees all you do, will reward you openly.”

Many have discounted prayer and intercession because it is not as attractive as the public platform. We do not realize that our prayer closet is a microphone in itself, penetrating the throne room as we offer up groans and fervent prayers. In prayer, we partner with the greatest Intercessor and become one with His heart. Do you desire to know His heart? Get in your prayer closet, the facet of the secret place. Maybe you feel like cobwebs adorn the entrance to your prayer closet. Clean them off, return to the place of prayer, and release the fragrance of Christ throughout His garden.
The secret place is a place of vulnerability and exposure, a place of introspection before God. It is not only a place to simply receive encouragement, but it is a place to receive correction from the Lord. We were not meant to hide behind the proverbial fig leaves and to withdraw from God. The garden account would have been much different had Adam and Eve taken responsibility for the fall.
There will be times in the secret place where repentance is necessary and the correction of the Father will come, but it is part of authentic intimacy with Him. It is part of drawing closer. When you go before Him in the secret place and bare it all, a real relationship begins to bloom. I encourage you to not forsake the secret place. He wants to commune with you!
Dawn Hill lovesickscribe.com

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