“But Jesus would often withdraw to desolate places and pray.” Luke‬ ‭5:16‬

Serene is starlight where fireflies glide. It’s quiet… in the space where the spirit moves. You’re with me. All around me. No matter where I am You light up my life with one word. Like I’m in the depths of the forest where it’s nothing but Your voice and the moon above to light up the sky.

Jesus meets us… in the secret place.

I can see Jesus in the garden. In the days of old… when He embarked upon the earth made from His own hands. His quiet spirit… His thundering voice… His confidence and fiercest power. He’s the epitome of perfection. The fusion of boldness and gentleness. The Lion and the Lamb… and every part of Him moves me.

His human form didn’t strip Him of His power. In emptying Himself of His glory on earth, He taught us how to live by His spirit in Heaven… remaining connected to God the Father & God the Holy Spirit… in the secret place.

Jesus walked with the disciples. Healed. Preached. Taught. Constantly poured out of Himself to others.

Jesus prioritized time alone in prayer for His nourishment.

In Luke chapter 5 Jesus has finished teaching and He chooses to go and pray by Himself. Because that is His source of life and power.

He demonstrates who we go to for our nourishment, life, love, fulfillment, strength… everything.

Jesus knew where His strength came from.

He didn’t rely on people to fill Him.

He relied on God.

His own triunity.

It’s because of this He carried an abundance to pour out to people.

Jesus shows us how to live life fully and satisfied. By seeking God in the secret place.

God wants to be alone with you…

“The secret counsel of the Lord is for those who fear Him, and He reveals His covenant to them.” ♥️
‭‭Psalm 25:14‬

God has so much to share with you when you seek His face.

It requires a desire on our behalf to want to seek Him. To want to know Him… hear from Him… speak to Him… listen to Him… and connect with Him deeply. It’s a relationship with a real Being. And it cannot grow unless we give intentional time to this pursuit of seeking Jesus in our lives.

It’s more than just a periodic quiet time. That isn’t going to produce the deep intimacy that you were made for.

Lingering with Jesus in the secret place is a lifestyle of being with Jesus wherever you are.

“One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.” Psalm 27:4

We have access to Jesus Christ through His Holy Spirit which indwells us. So we can be with Him all the time.

You can talk to Him anytime and any place. 24/7/365. Jesus is on my mind all day long… and the more I live, the more connected we have become. Because our loves grows deeper from this connection.

The secret place with God is our power source for living with vitality.

Fervor.

Satisfaction.

Passion.

Love.

Wisdom.

Paul knew this from experience as a missionary in 1st century antiquity, relying solely upon the Lord for everything.

He says in 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, “aspire to lead a quiet life and mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders & be dependent on no one.”

When you seek the Lord and rely on Him, you don’t need to be dependent on others for what you need. If you put pressure on others to be what you need them to be, you will find yourself dissatisfied, empty and frustrated.

Jesus never put expectations on others to be His nourishment. If he would have done that, he would have not gotten what He needed. Instead, He went to God… and thus He always had an endless well to pour.

Remove the pressure off of others to be what you need and be the giver instead. Be the lover. Be the blesser. Detatch yourself from needing others’ approval and live off of what God says about you. He’s the only accurate gauge. And you can only grow into who you’re meant to be when you go off of the correct blueprint. People dont’ have that blueprint, only God does. So go to Him for what you need.

Jesus thrived because He was connected to His Father at all times. He lived with a kingdom mindset and not an earthly mindset. Thus, He constantly taught about the kingdom of Heaven so that He could inspire His people to also take their focus off of this world and fix their gaze on Heaven where they are meant to dwell.

Jesus provokes you to think about Heaven… and Him… your ultimate destination. And then you find yourself detatched from things of this world that will all pass away.

1 Corinthians 13:10 says, “but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.”

Jesus is the perfect! And when He comes, everything that’s imperfect must shatter. He initiates the perfection of purity and sinlessness… and you can have that… if you want Jesus… and nothing else but Jesus.

Jesus Himself demonstrated this solitary focus. He didn’t live off of the crowds nor the critics. In this passage in Luke chapter 5 Jesus has just preached and the crowds are gathering… 

“But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities.” Luke 5:15

Verse 16 says… “But Jesus withdrew to pray…”

He needed that time in prayer in order to be effective for the people.

Jesus valued prayer above His ministry.

Not that His ministry wasn’t His priority… He clearly came to earth for them… but just as you cannot put an oxygen mask on another without first putting one on yourself, Jesus prioritized God’s glory and quiet time alone with God (His own triunity) above everything else.

God first is the only way we thrive. 

In verse 17, Jesus has just spent time in prayer and now we see Jesus sandwiched in by another crowd, the Pharisees, immediately after this.

“On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there…” Luke 5:17

No matter where He goes, people are vying for His attention. This only enhances why He prioritizes prayer so much.

When life increases in busyness, do not neglect the secret place. It may seem justifiable to complete tasks first but without seeking the Lord in prayer you won’t be in a healthy heart state. And you won’t have anything to give to your tasks and responsibilities before you.

Seek God first before doing anything else in life.

Jesus fulfilled His mission doing exactly that… and He is our example.

life may beckon

and tasks may welcome

my attention

but I’m choosing to 

love You first

You can have my time

and if the lists of to-dos

dont find room to get done

I won’t come undone

You’re more to me

than everything

I give my all to You

my King of kings

In the garden, Jesus wasn’t alone… He was with His Father. His Holy Spirit. He was in Heaven. And He found everything He needed from that place of prayer and connection with God in the secret place. 

Jesus was so powerful and full of life to give because of His pursuit of prayer.

Vitality surges from spending time with God… the giver of life… in the secret place.

How can you seek God in the secret place?

When you go to God for your needs, your love, your strength, your affirmation, your everything… you’ll always find it. ♥️ Seek God in the secret place.

 

 

“Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!” 1 Chronicles 16:11

 

 

Questions for Today:

1. What is the secret place?

2. Why did Jesus withdraw to pray?

3. How can you spend time with Jesus wherever you are?

4. Where does your strength come from?

5. What next step is Jesus asking you to take in your relationship with Him today?