Worship in the Secret Place

Worship must begin in what the Scriptures call "the secret place" (Matt. 6:6), with just you and the Lord. You will never be able to lead others into worship in a corporate setting until you can worship alone when no one is watching. You will never be able to worship at your instrument until you can first worship without it.

So how do we worship Jesus alone in the secret place? Psalm 46:10 gives us the key: “Be still and know that I am God.”

“Be still.” Go be alone with Jesus, and simply sit still. You will never find Him in the busyness of life until you first find Him in the stillness, in the quiet places. Elijah did not find Him in the wind or the fire but in the still, small voice.

This means you have to give Him time. Lovers love to be alone. It’s hard to develop a relationship with anyone in the busyness of life. Relationships are formed in time set aside. So set aside time every day for just you and Jesus. If this is new for you, start with a half hour. Be faithful to give Him that time. Before long, your time together will become so satisfying and rewarding that you will want even more, and it will increase to an hour or even longer.

So come to Him. Show up every day and say, “Lord, here I am. What are we doing today?” Often it is helpful to start your time together by singing worship music. Worship softens your heart, stills your mind, and focuses your gaze on Jesus.

The verse continues, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Just begin to love Him. Close your eyes and set your heart on Him. You can think about Him, you can say His name, you can talk to Him, but often the best thing to do is to simply let your heart rise in love for Him – and just BE there with Him. Enjoy His nearness.

Then He might ask you to do something – to sing a song, to pray for your loved ones, to read the Scriptures, to just sit and love Him. One thing is needed – to sit at His feet, hear His word, and love Him.

The secret place isn’t complicated. It’s a dance. You show up and say, “Lord, here I am. What are we doing today?” Then He takes over and leads you through the garden of love.

If you’ve never been to this garden, come. If you used to dwell here but it’s been a while, come back. He is waiting for you – to be your guide, to give you all that you need, to let you rest in green pastures, to lead you beside still waters, to restore your soul. He is waiting for you – to lead you in the paths of righteousness, to be with you in the dark valleys, to comfort and protect you. He is waiting for you – to prepare a banquet before you in the presence of your enemies, to anoint your head with oil, to overflow your cup with blessings. Surely goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life, and you will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

This is worship: to be still and know Him, and to dwell in His house forever. It’s not complicated. Just come, listen, and love Him.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.