There is a dimension of life that most of us rarely talk about. It is not the life people see when we walk into a room. It is not even the life our closest friends and family get glimpses of behind closed doors. It is the secret life — the interior world that no one else sees, the quiet space between who we appear to be and who we actually are. Scripture has a name for where that interior world meets its Maker: the secret place with God.
This secret life is doing more work in us than we often realize. It is shaping our decisions, forming our character, and either anchoring us to something eternal or slowly pulling us away from it. And the question worth sitting with today is this: what is happening in your secret life?
Two Trees, Two Choices
The prophet Jeremiah paints one of the most vivid pictures in all of Scripture when he describes two kinds of people. In Jeremiah 17, he contrasts the person who draws strength from human effort and earthly resources with the person who draws strength from God. The first, he says, is like a bush in the desert — surviving, perhaps, but not thriving. Parched. Isolated. Just enough to stay alive but nowhere near flourishing.
The second person is like a tree planted beside streams of water. Even when the heat is relentless and the surrounding environment is dry and depleted, this tree remains green. Its leaves do not wither. It bears fruit in every season. The difference is not talent or circumstance. The difference is the root system — what the tree is drawing from beneath the surface, in the unseen places.
There is a real location in Israel that illustrates this perfectly. In a region that is largely desert, there exists a lush oasis — a pocket of palm trees, date trees, and crystal-clear water. Researchers discovered that this small territory of flourishing exists because the roots of those trees have dug deep enough underground to tap into three hidden sources of water. While everything around them withers in the heat, these trees remain vibrant because of what they are connected to beneath the surface.
That is the life God intends for you.
What the Disciples Asked For
When the disciples followed Jesus for three and a half years, they watched him do extraordinary things. They saw him heal the sick, preach to thousands, multiply food, and command storms to be still. And yet, with all of that on display, there is only one thing the disciples ever asked Jesus to teach them. They did not ask him how to preach. They did not ask him how to build influence. They asked him one question: “Lord, teach us to pray.”
That single request reveals something profound. The disciples had observed Jesus closely enough to trace the source of everything they admired about him. And the source was not strategy or skill. It was his prayer life — the hours he spent withdrawing to what Scripture calls the eremos, the solitary, uncultivated, quiet place, where he met with the Father. As his ministry grew and his world got larger and more demanding, he withdrew more, not less.
This is the pattern. This is the invitation.
The Secret Place with God, Defined
The secret place is not just a metaphor for your inner emotional life. It is a literal, physical location — a space you intentionally set apart to quiet the noise of the world for the sole purpose of turning up the volume of heaven. Many people call it a quiet time or devotional. The ancient Christians called it the practice of silence and solitude. Whatever language you use, the reality is the same: it is where you meet God.
And here is the remarkable promise tucked inside Matthew 6:6, where Jesus teaches his followers about prayer. He says that when you pray, you should go to a private place, shut the door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. Then he makes this declaration — your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
The Father is in the secret place. He is already there. He is not reluctantly available. He is not waiting to be convinced. He has perpetually placed himself within your reach, and every time you step into that quiet space, you are stepping into his presence.
What You Find in the Secret Place with God
The secret place is not just where you go to feel peaceful, though peace is often a byproduct. It is where several essential things happen that simply cannot happen anywhere else.
It is where spiritual life is sourced. Just as the tree draws nourishment from underground streams, your soul draws its deepest nourishment from time spent with God. You are only as healthy as your spiritual life, regardless of what any other metric might suggest.
It is where firsthand revelation happens. God is a speaking God. The Bible is not a static document but a living word. Every time you open Scripture, you are one breath of the Holy Spirit away from a fresh encounter with the living God. The secret place is where written words become living words that get from your head to your heart to your hands.
It is where endurance is forged. Isaiah 40 promises that those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. The secret place is not an escape from the difficulties of life — it is where you find the strength to walk through them without being destroyed by them.
It is where you remain. In John 15, Jesus repeats the word “remain” over and over again. He is describing a life wrapped around his presence the way a vine wraps around a trellis — not loosely, not occasionally, but continuously.
An Honest Invitation
There are real enemies of the secret place: exhaustion, distraction, unconfessed sin, and self-sufficiency. Each one is worth naming honestly. Exhaustion requires rest. Distraction requires intentional elimination of whatever is consuming your attention. Sin requires confession — and the good news is that God is faithful to forgive every sin that is brought to him honestly. Self-sufficiency requires humility, because God gives grace to the humble.
If you do not know how to begin, start with this simple prayer, or let Pray First walk you through building a rhythm in the secret place with God: Holy Spirit, teach me how to pray as I ought to. That prayer alone is enough to open the door.
The secret place with God is not reserved for pastors or spiritual giants. It is the inheritance of every person who belongs to God. And in it, you will find the one thing that surpasses every blessing he could ever give you — God himself. If you are looking for a church family to walk this out with, start here.
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