The Secret Burden

-When you begin to look at the miracles, numerous times it was the need that pulled Him into service.

• The sudden entrance into the miracle at Cana at the wedding feast.

• The demands of the hungry crowd to break the bread and fishes.

• The subterfuge of the storm that had to be calmed to save the disciples.

• The cry from Bartimaeus for healing from the blindness.

• The cry from the lepers for relief from their disease.

• The position of the Syro-Phoenecian woman for healing for her daughter.

-These are just a few of the times that He was pulled from the crowd to heal and meet the needs. So what was the secret of His power? How could so much go out of Him?

-The secret of His power was the secret place of prayer.

Mark 1:35 KJV And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

Mark 6:46 KJV And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.

Luke 6:12 KJV And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

Hebrews 5:7 KJV Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

-It is in those moments that we are willing to enter in to the secret place that power which is so desperately needed in our day comes to rest on us.

• We must have tears in our prayers.

• We long for tears in our songs.

• We hunger for tears in our worship.

• We must have tears in our preaching.

• We must have tears in walk with God.

• We are desperate for those prayers of passion, those prayers that have strong tears in them.

-There is a portion of Scripture in Zechariah (12:12-14) where the old prophet speaks of a separation. Ten times one reads the word “apart.” It is a prophetic chapter that speaks of the time when the anti-christ will rule in Jerusalem. Jerusalem will experience the brunt of judgment.

-When this happens, the old prophet says, everyone will be “apart” in their mourning.

• Every family, apart. (Every family system)

• The house of David, apart. (Political system)

• The house of Nathan, apart. (The prophetic system)

• The house of Levi, apart. (The priesthood)

• The house of Shimei, apart. (The ministers of the altar)

B. Shut The Door

Matthew 6:6 KJV 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.

-Two things generally bring men to the secret place of prayer:

• A Secret Sin.

• A Secret Burden.

-To pray apart and to pray alone is one of the most valuable experiences of our walk with God. In fact, secret prayer is the very lifeblood of a saint. If there is no secret prayer. . . then their can be no effective prayer.

-Public prayer often robs us of our humility and our dependence on God.

-The command of the Lord came. . . . When you pray, go into the closet. Retreat to prayer. Go to a place where no eyes will see you and that no ears may hear you.