FIND YOUR SECRET PLACE: THE IMPORTANCE OF WHERE YOU PRAY
By John Mark Comer, CP Guest Contributor Sunday, January 14, 2024, iStock/Roman_Kozhevnikov
I think Jesus said something surprising about prayer. His first recommendation has nothing to do with what to pray for but with its location:
When you pray, go into your room and close the door. Pray to your father, who is in a secret place; your father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly.
In Greek, the word "room" that Jesus used was tameion, which can also be translated as "inner room." Inner spaces, such as closets or pantries, were found in First-Century Galilean homes that were used to store groceries and supplies. Due to the fact that most of life is spent outdoors, most of the house is used for sleeping and storing things. Jesus' counsel was kept in tameion, where he prayed "in secret.".
From a small office in the woods of Oregon, I wrote this book. I remained calm, and my thoughts were the only distraction. Why is it located here rather than on a downtown street corner? Because my individual, physical, and environmental factors are important to me. Certain places made me focus more on my work, but other places interfered with my best efforts.
In the same way, if we want to live closer to God, as Jesus exemplified, we must find a safe place where we can escape and spend time with the Father. It can be an office in the woods, your bedroom at night, or a park down the street from your home. If everything does not work out, it can be a closet or a pantry.
The point is that we need to learn in secret, like Jesus.
When you read the four stories told about Jesus in the New Testament, one thing that is very clear is that his lifestyle is based on a rhythm of going back and forth, similar to breathing in and out. Jesus would retreat, away from the noise and pressure of the crowd, and find a place to pray, alone or sometimes with a very close friend. He would inhale, then exhale, or return to preach, teach, heal, and give love. At the beginning of the Book of Mark, we read,
When the morning was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went to a secluded place to pray.
In Greek, the word "secluded place means "deserted place"," deserted place," or deserted place." The same word is used again in Luke 5:
Jesus often went to lonely places.
Recall that the night before his arrest, Jesus went to Gethsemane, a park outside the city of Jerusalem. We are told by the author of Luke that he went there "as usual," and another version says "as usual." The author of John also says that the treacherous Judas knew to go there "because Jesus often met there with his disciples."
Jesus saw the secret place as a practice, a habit, and a part of his life routine. He seems to have several hidden locations throughout Israel where he can go to pray at random.
Referred to as the "spiritual discipline of silence, stillness, and stillness," this was the practice Jesus practiced during his lifetime. And this practice is essential for your spiritual life, no matter if you are a thinker or more of a doer, an extrovert who likes to party or an introvert who wants time alone. Honestly but accurately, Henri Nouwen once said,
"It is almost impossible to live a spiritual life without solitude."
A legend says Nouwen would be a fly on that wall to ask for spiritual guidance from Mother Teresa. "Spend an hour a day worshipping your God, and never do anything you know is wrong," he said.
An hour a day may not be realistic for many of you. Can you do it for half an hour? What is twenty minutes? Surely, you can start with ten?
Everyone has various reasons why they find it difficult to spend time in prayer, but most of them are just excuses. Everyone has a push-pull dynamic within them. Some of us desperately want God, while others oppose him and want to rule our own kingdom. Thank you very much.
However, one of the reasons so many people move away from sobriety is that they have not yet found a way to connect with God that suits their nature and phase of life. Yes, I am an introvert. Yes, I no longer have small children. I live in a house, not a small apartment. However, I thought about my friend Tyler, who is different from me because he is extroverted, passionate, and a father of three. He goes to bed early and wakes up at five in the morning every day just because he doesn't have to. He went outside, prayed Psalms on his porch, then prayed while taking a walk in the park across the street. He does it all the time, even during the Portland winters. When I asked him if he was crazy, he said, "The cold makes me feel so alive."
Tyler and I have very different personalities, but we both know God and love prayer. He did it by walking in a city park in a raincoat, while I did it by sitting cross-legged in my quiet room. Same goal, different methods.
When a place of secret service becomes the preferred choice of service for introverted intellectuals, it is a great tragedy. This is similar to how the serious pursuit of Jesus was considered exclusive to monks and nuns, not ordinary people. Since extroverts never reach the top of their lives with Jesus, this is a tragedy for them. In addition, it is a tragedy for introverts because the spiritual discipline intended to free us from ourselves and become self-loving people is transformed into "a little time for the father to recharge," which often only strengthens our bond with ourselves rather than freeing him.
Therefore, adapt your practice to your Myers-Briggs life type and stage, not against it; find your secret place. You should go there as often as possible. Focus on that. With God, fall in love with him. If you do not pray quietly, your relationship with God will wither. By doing this, you will enjoy the greatest happiness of your life: an intimate friendship with Jesus.
Adapted from Practicing the Way. Copyright © 2024 by John Mark Comer. Published on January 16, 2024, by WaterBrook, a printing house owned by Penguin Random House LLC.
John Mark Comer was a pastor who founded Bridgetown Church in Portland, Oregon. He is also a teacher and author of Practicing the Way. He has written many best-selling books, including The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry and Live No Lies.
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