Where this command is found:
But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly….But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly….But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
Have you ever wondered why your prayers seem unanswered? Or that God appears to be distant and that your attempts to serve Him go unnoticed? Christ gave us the command to Practice Secret Disciplines as a key to make a “distant God” very real and personal!
In Matthew 6:1-18, Jesus commands us to give, pray and fast in secret. Why in secret? When we do something in secret, no one sees besides God. This allows Him to be the only One glorified and gives Him the opportunity to reward us openly. But, if we do things to receive praise from man, we lose God’s reward. And not only this, but we give up an opportunity to develop greater intimacy in our fellowship with Him.
If a believer desires deeper intimacy with God and the reward of Biblical disciplines, they must learn to pursue God in secret. God has promised He will reward us openly if we obey Him secretly. Seeking God through practicing secret disciplines is not only rewarding, it is fulfilling. It is through these disciplines that we can further cultivate a deeper intimacy and fellowship with the Lord.
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Who are you living for? Join Nate and Gabe as they unpackage Christ’s command to Practice Secret Disciplines. Our response to this command will expose who we are living for. Am I being motivated by a desire to impress men? Or am I being motivated by a relationship with my Heavenly Father in which I know I am loved and accepted.
Nate & Gabe dig into the nature of God as a God who desires to reveal Himself to those who seek Him. When we seek Lord and we find Him, there is an intimacy cultivated between us and Him that couldn’t come any other way.
Colossians 3:23 says, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.” God‘s heart is that we would do everything as unto Him. Learn the practical aspects of the disciplines of giving, praying, and fasting and how these are a call to prioritize relationship with God.
What we set our focus on will determine how we live. A temporal focus will rob us of that which really matters. Are there areas of your life in which you have a temporal focus? Learn how to walk with an eternal focus and treasure what God values.
