"The Personal Altar— The Secret Place”

“The Personal Altar— The Secret Place”

Matthew 6:6

NKJV

6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Introduction:

We are in the third message of our series “Rebuilding the Altar”, the theme for our series is “Whoever Controls the Altar, Controls the Outcome”

The idea here is altars have long been a place created to connect heaven and earth…

There are a way for God’s people to connect and communicate the needs of their lives— their prayers and worship— with the very throne room of God.

We must recapture the focus of prayer in our lives.

Our power depends on it, our success as believers depends on it, and our families depend on it.

We can truly change the world…prayer is powerful.

It has the ability to move heaven and earth… but it won’t be through occasional visits to this place of prayer.

We need to be a people who consistently show up… people who are willing to humble themselves and daily enter the throne room above.

Our prayers connect us to heaven… they connect us to the throne room and they connect us to the power of God!

This weeks focus on “The Personal Altar— The Secret Place”.

Main Teaching:

The secret place is where we intimately commune with God, where we not only speak but also listen and receive restoration.

Jesus teaching how to pray… gives these instructions…

Matthew 6

..

Matthew 6:5

NLT

5 “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.

Matthew 6:6

NLT

6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

Matthew 6:7–18

NLT

7 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! 9 Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10 May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today the food we need, 12 and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. 13 And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. 14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. 16 “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. 17 But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. 18 Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

While a secret place can refer to a physical location, more importantly, it describes the state of our soul in its relationship with God.

Every child of God needs a place where they can be ALONE with God… without such a place...

We will never develop a truly meaningful relationship with God

We will never develop a consistent and personal prayer life

We will lack power in our prayers

Private prayer is not “hiding” our faith… it is a place of spiritual growth and maturity.

It is where we build our faith, learn to discern spiritual matters, gain insight into situations and gain wisdom.

The personal altar is where our devotion to God is tested and strengthened.

Sometimes, as in the case of Daniel, it’s this very commitment to prayer that may lead to opposition—but it’s also what delivers us in the end.

Story of Daniel:

Daniel’s unwavering commitment to his personal altar was central to his life, even when it became a life-threatening issue.

The decree made by King Darius that no one could pray to any god or man except him for 30 days was a direct challenge to Daniel's personal altar.

Yet, Daniel didn’t waver.

Daniel 6:10

NLT

10 But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.