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 is in secret shall reward thee openly.” In other words, we are assured that there is a place — a secret place — to which we can go for answers to our prayers.
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
Praying in a secret, special place removes the “trying to impress” element from prayer and leaves us naked and open before the Father in a setting where we no longer have any motivation to pray for the wrong reasons. Obviously, we are to pray often with others as well.
91. [1] He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. [2] I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
As we will see in this post, our palaces, huts, and shacks are not safe places to dwell, and they pale in comparison to what God gives us as a dwelling place. God is our abode. Psalm 91 verse 1 begins with the self-evident declaration that God is our “secret place” and “shadow” where we can “dwell” and “abide.”
Dwelling in the secret place doesn't only have to do with going in your bedroom and praying when no one is watching. This is included but it is not required. Instead, it means to engage in fellowship with God and then never leave. Consistently coming before Him in sweet communion with our Lord, moment by moment.
Praying Psalm 91 is a powerful prayer of protection that we can use to cover ourselves in our families in prayer. During the pandemic of Covid-19 or anytime, we can call on the Lord for his protection, and we can use Psalm 91 as a powerful prayer for protection over our lives.
Psalm 91 is quoted as being one of – if not the – most powerful chapters and prayers of the entire Holy Bible. Commonly invoked during times of uncertainty and hardship, those who pray with and believe in the words of Psalm 91, truly trusting in the Lord, need not fear the power and deception of the enemy.
He reminds us we are not alone, even in the midst of problems or challenge, he will not let us alone. As a psalm of protection, it is commonly invoked in times of hardship; when life is draining and there seems to be no time or place to rest. This book of Psalm is reassuring, comforting and encouraging.
The Psalmist, Moses, also wrote about the secret place, when he penned these poetic words, “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1). The New King James translation reads, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High” (Psalm 91:1).
He says, “When you pray, go in your room, shut the door and pray to your father who is in secret,” like nobody else but you and God, “and your father who sees in secret will reward you.” That's a promise. That every single day there is reward waiting for you and me in a room alone with the Father.
Instead, Jesus tells His disciples to go to their inner rooms, close their doors and “pray to (their) Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:6). Jesus also says this to the disciples when it comes to fasting (Matthew 6:17-18).
From the scriptures
God can hear a prayer from anywhere.
Silence and solitude are essential aspects of contemplative prayer, a practice of prayer that waits on God and trusts in God's present love and grace. While silence can be especially helpful in becoming attentive to God while praying, it is hardly an excuse to remain aloof from the needs of our neighbors.
The title of the text, The Power of the Secret Place, reveals its core principle of Prayer and calls you into its pages where you are guided to an understanding of what transpires when you access God in the private, intimate, revealing place of prayer and communion.
These three powerful morning prayers are the prayers of thanksgiving, the Lord's Prayer, and the prayer of Jabez. Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, the Bible tells us to enter his gates with thanksgiving, and Jabez prayed to God and God granted him his request.
The Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13): “'Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.
Protect me from trouble wherever I go, and keep evil far from me. No matter where I am, I will look to You as my Protector, the one who fights for me every day. Your love and faithfulness, along with Your goodness and mercy, surround me daily, so I will not fear whatever might come against me.
Psalm 140 1
Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; protect me from men of violence who plan to trip my feet. O LORD, I say to you, "You are my God." Hear, O LORD, my cry for mercy. Let the heads of those who surround me be covered with the trouble their lips have caused.
Father God, I bless my family with Psalm 91. I say that we dwell in the secret place of the Most High, and we abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I say of you Lord, you are our refuge, our fortress, our God, in You we trust for health, prosperity and safety from destruction.
Psalm 91 is the 91st psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." In Latin, it is known as 'Qui habitat".
By sending his only Son and the Spirit of Love in the fullness of time, God has revealed his innermost secret: 45 God himself is an eternal exchange of love, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and he has destined us to share in that exchange.
In other words, dwelling in the shadow of the Almighty and abiding in the shelter of the Most High means trusting implicitly in the love of God, the power of God, to give you everything you need to do his will and glorify his name, whether you live or die.