20 March 2008
The Secret To The Secret
The Secret to The Secret
Many people go to church, making a show of worshipping. From the outside, no one but us really knows what's happening in our spirits, whether we are truly in the secret place or not. But God knows. We, as human beings, can go through the motions and look as if we have together and are in commune with Him. But that is not true worship.
True worship doesn't necessarily take place in church, and in fact, hopefully takes place more often than we could possibly enter the sanctuary doors. It's a matter of the heart, and should be a constant process, as when scripture says, "Pray without ceasing."
True worship is when you and I get into the secret place of God, worshipping, pouring out our hearts and being filled up. The opportunity to access the throne room is available without waiting or standing in line. We never get a busy signal. But how often do we go there?
For many of us, the cares of the world and the distractions of life keep us out of the secret place, but the time is soon coming when we will need to stay, dwell and make our home there, or we will be too weak to 'overcome until the end'.
Many times, we think we can make it on our own, and even if we don't admit the fact openly, we may simply walk away from God, in the course of time and activities.
Just like Moses, who went up on Mount Sinai to receive the commandments, we should be different after being in God's presence. The Bible says the children of Israel couldn't even look at Moses, because his countenance was so luminous.
If we think we, as humans, have anything to offer God in ourselves, we need only look to scripture to see that "our righteousness is as filthy rags," wholly unacceptable to the Father. But as we put on the righteousness of Christ, entering that secret place, with tender, contrite hearts, God reaches out, ministering to us with supernatural power.
In God's presence, we are supernaturally changed. When we go into the secret place, bowing our hearts, we are transformed, filled up, even seeing new revelations we haven't known before. At that point, we may go out and minister in amazing ways, simply because God is working in and through us, while our old man is set aside.
God longs for us to live this way. Understanding this is just the beginning. When we learn to function according to His plan, He will use us in mighty ways, which we've never even dared to dream.
What God wants is that intimate connection where we know and appreciate exactly what is happening when we approach Him with our needs. When that happens, the sky is not even the limit.
As we study His Word, and get to really know Him, we can know that we know that we know that He will answer our prayers. In fact, scripture says, "He delights to give us the desires of our hearts."
What's more, He invites us to come with bold confidence to the throne of grace. And when we go to Him with the right heart attitude, amazing things happen. We become useful tools, vessels of honor, able to open our mouths and speak the wisdom, even the oracles of God, giving glory to Him.
Just imagine what would happen if we were to occupy the secret place and never leave. Our prayers could not help but be powerful, nor could the world fail to be changed. And it is His desire that we be ready, in season and out of season, to pray.
Repeatedly in His Word, God shows us how to pray. When teaching the disciples how to pray, Jesus said, "When you pray, say?"
But here is a secret He wants us to know. It is as though we have a bank account in heaven that He has already credited with answers, ready for immediate withdrawal.
Isn't that awesome? He has already set in motion the answers to our prayers and is simply waiting for us to ask. So what are we waiting for?
Shalom,
Candace
Candace
