When you abide under the shadow of Shaddai
    you are hidden  in the strength of God Most High.
He’s the hope that holds me and the stronghold to shelter me,
    the only God for me, and my great confidence.
He will rescue you from every hidden trap of the enemy

    and he will protect you from false accusation
    and any deadly curse
His massive arms are wrapped around you, protecting you.
    You can run under his covering of majesty and hide.
    His arms of faithfulness are a shield keeping you from harm.
You will never worry about an attack of demonic forces at night
    nor have to fear a spirit of darkness coming against you.
Don’t fear a thing!
    Whether by night or by day, demonic danger will not trouble you
    nor will the powers of evil be launched against you.

Psalm 91

Charles Spurgeon said, “Until we have realized the presence of God, we have done nothing.”

When thinking of the Secret Place I like to think of it as “The Safe Place.” This is where the Father loves on us, and meets us. It is a place of intimate acquaintance, of fellowship and communion. It is a place each one of us has been invited into. It is a hiddeness we can participate in when overwhelmed. It hosts an atmosphere of surrender, a room conducive to true rest. Usually associated with prayer in a closet, the Secret Place is not a physical place, but where He is. Find yourself there.

I have often been overwhelmed by situations and responsibilities, life in general feels rushed. When I feel hurried by deadlines, and circumstances hound me for production I have learned to get my rest in spending quiet time with Him; quiet being the operative word here. Rushing into prayer is where I am habitually quieted. In Luke 11 the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray. His response was to acknowledge the Father first, and secondly to exalt Him. When you pray, when seeking the quiet that comes from His heart, acknowledge Him first. Say, “Father;” acknowledging His personhood, His presence, His existence. Then worship Him. How often have I rushed to God, convinced that my urgency will move Him, yet the moment I address Him as Father and begin to set Him higher in my thoughts and heart I become restful.  The second part of the instructions to the disciples, after addressing and acknowledging Him, was to exalt Him. When starting out in prayer, say “Father,” and in your heart and mind intentionally exalt Him above the thing you came to pray about. Make Him bigger; set Him higher in your thoughts. Exalt Him, elevate His name and nature, and see the urgency melt away in the face of the Father’s enduring love for you.

Psalm 91 presents covenantal interaction; “He who dwell in the Secret Place of the Most High, will abide under the shadow of His wings.” In the Old Testament we often read about do to get, obey to receive covenants between God and man, this was an inferior way. We are in the New Covenant with God, but operatively a covenant still hinges on an action or deed. The New Covenant we find ourselves in today hinges on a person, and that person is Jesus. He, who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide. Here no enemy can destroy, no pestilence come near.  The execution of this promise hinges of the presence of Christ realized in our lives. There is a need for habitual dwelling in the presence of God that affords us the victory and protection we seek. It is in His presence that we are hidden. It is in His presence that we are safe. It is in the secret moments of the heart between you and God that you are strengthened. One word I would associate with the Secret Place is “intentionality.” It takes an intentional engagement with the heart of God. It requires you to intend to enter, it is faith to act.

The Secret Place is where you have communion with God. When we approach God with the intention of spending intimate moments with Him, we become well acquainted with His voice. Lingering here with Him helps us get to know Him, to see what He looks like. You have to be vulnerable in the Secret Place, but don’t be scared, He is a safe place. The Secret Place is intimate. When we come out of prayer, we are still able to draw from those tender moments to sustain us, it becomes a place where our hearts dwell, where we habitually know and are known. This is represented by knowing what to do in hard situations, understanding His intentions for yourself and others in the midst of lies, and overcoming fear and failure; this is drawing from a deep well of acquaintance with the One who knows all.

Say “Father,” and focus your attention on the idea of Him as Father. Understand this means you are loved. Also, understand this to mean that He has authority. Direct your thoughts to His goodness. Quiet your mind, and be known by Him. Allow the worry to fade away, see the King of Glory come with Healing to you. Be loved by Him today. In your heart, elevate Him. Set Him above. Exalt Him. Let your thoughts about Him make Him holy.