Psalm 91: Blessings in the Secret Place
Tom’s Upper Room
By Tom Shanklin
He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. (Psalms 91:1 AKJV).
I have a room above my garage where I like to go and pray, read, write, and do video podcasts. I call it the Upper Room. It has an old, comfortable La-Z-Boy chair that’s been banished from the house, along with a table for my computer and shelves full of books.
It’s great to have a place like that to get away and be with the Lord. In fact, Jesus prescribed such a place for prayer. He said that we are to go into a closet or a secret chamber, shut the door, and pray to our Father who is in secret. Jesus Himself retreated to solitary places to pray. As the Scripture says, “But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray [in seclusion].” (Luke 5:16 Amp15).
But Jesus did not stay in the wilderness like a hermit. He went to that place of seclusion only to come out and carry the glow of that time spent with the Father. Just as Jesus carried the glory wherever He went, so can we.
The secret place is not a physical location, like my Upper Room or a closet. Wherever you are, whether you are at home, in a crowded city, plowing a field, or gardening in your backyard, you can have full access to the secret place of the Most High. Like Jesus, you can go into a physically solitary place to find your way into that spiritual place where the Most High dwells. Then you can carry the presence that’s in the secret place wherever you go.
Yes, there is a very real and tangible place called the secret place of the Most High, a place in the spirit, a place where God lives, a place where you can go whenever you want. It’s not just a metaphorical symbolism of words written in the Bible. It’s a real place, and you can go there now! It’s secret because it’s only accessible to those who know the Lord. It’s a place of safety, a place of protection, a place of rest and peace.
When we are overwhelmed with life’s troubles. When the latest news is just too much. When the busyness of work, play, and managing every detail of life overwhelms us, we can go to the Father in the secret place and find rest, comfort, reassurance, and peace. We can hear a word from His lips that will set our day in order and establish our path.
We do not really realize what a great privilege that is. Think of it! We can come into the very presence of Almighty God, the One who created the universe. He invites us into His dwelling place to fellowship with Him and experience his awesome presence. This accessibility is all because of Jesus. We are welcomed and accepted because of what Jesus did on the cross. Jesus is the key that unlocks the door to the secret place.
In John 14:3, Jesus said that He was going to prepare a place for us, so that where He is, we may be also. We take that to mean that he has prepared a place for us in heaven where we can be with Him when our physical body dies. However, it’s just as true that He’s made the way for us to enter into those heavenly places now.
The phrase “under the shadow” symbolizes protection. Psalm 91 is known as the Soldiers’ Psalm, and there have been many testimonies of divine protection for entire battalions of soldiers who claimed the benefits of Psalm 91. When my wife, Susan, traveled with me on a mission to India, she faced many physical, spiritual, and environmental challenges. A pastor friend had given her Psalm 91 as her scripture for the trip. She marked it with a ribbon in her Bible and took it in her heart. During the trip, she read it over and over and claimed the benefits. Through God’s promises in Psalm 91, she found peace and protection through a difficult time.
But in the secret place, you will not only find protection, but you will find much more. You will find Father God Himself and everything that He possesses. You will find all His wisdom, His healing, His comfort, and His love. All the blessings of the Lord are located in the secret place, and you cannot obtain them anywhere else.
In Ephesians 1:3, the apostle Paul tells us that God the Father has blessed us with all spiritual blessings “in heavenly places in Christ.” In other words, it’s through our spiritual connection with God that we receive every blessing, whether it be healing, wisdom, comfort, or peace. The secret place is the place of blessing.
If we could just get a hold of this, it would revolutionize our lives. After all, the Scripture tells us to come before the throne of grace boldly that we might obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Have you had a time of need lately? Well, you can find help before the throne of grace! You can’t find the throne of grace on a map or get there by GPS, but it is accessible. There is a way to get there. Here’s how:
You Can Enter the Secret Place By the Blood of Jesus
Having therefore, brothers, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he has consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; (Hebrews 10:19-20, AKJV).
We can come into the secret place, not because we’ve done everything perfectly. None of us has. But we can come into the secret place because our sins are forgiven, and Jesus made the way for us to have a relationship with our Father, the Creator of the universe. Oh, what an awesome privilege that is! Jesus’ precious blood will cleanse us of every defilement, but there are times when we must “fess up” to our transgressions and ask forgiveness. Then, God is faithful to totally forgive us and open the door to all His blessings.
You Can Enter the Secret Place by What You Say
“I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” (Psalms 91:2 AKJV).
You access the secret place by what you say. Jesus is the key, but you put the key into the lock by what you say. Power is released when you agree with what God has said. Many of the soldiers who found protection under the shadow of His wings quoted or read out loud the 91st Psalm every day. There is power when we speak with our mouth what we believe in our heart. By reading, quoting, praying, and confessing Psalm 91, you activate its benefits. Your speech aligns with your heart, and you are able to enter into that holy place.
You Can Enter the Secret Place Through Praise and Worship
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful to him, and bless his name. (Psalms 100:4 AKJV).
You can experience God‘s presence daily as you praise Him and worship Him. A pastor friend of mine calls it “getting in the zone.” I like that! There’s something about praising and giving thanks that activates the anointing of the Holy Spirit and opens the door to fellowship with the Father. As you enter into His presence just through praise, tell Him you love Him and begin to worship Him from your heart. You will find the presence of God getting thick and heavy as the glory of God encompasses you. You can experience a foretaste of the glories of heaven while you are still living on the earth.
You Can Enter the Secret Place by Pulling Away from Distractions
“If you then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:1-3 AKJV).
The world is a busy, confusing place, full of distractions. We have to train ourselves to pull away from our cell phones, other people, and all the cares of the world, and enter into that place of rest and peace with God. It’s really not so hard. Begin to praise Him with your lips and from your heart. Say of the Lord, He is your refuge. “Lord, you are my hiding place. I pull aside to worship you.” The Holy Spirit, through the Apostle Paul, says, “Set your affection on things above!” Don’t wait for some feeling. Choose to love and worship God. Feelings will follow. The way has been made. Enter in, in Jesus name!
You Can Live in the Secret Place Continually
“He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” (Psalms 91:1 AKJV).
We can not only go into the secret place, but we can live there. We can literally dwell in the secret place and abide (lodge or remain) under the shadow of the Almighty. This is not a temporary hangout but a permanent place of residence. As we live with God in the secret place, we experience continual protection and the continual blessing of His presence. Instead of being in and out, we can remain in that place of blessing. Even though we may experience hardships and challenges in life, God’s abiding presence will see us through to victory on the other side.
Most of us live too much in the natural realm. We are citizens of heaven, and we can access the glories of heaven now. The Apostle Paul said, “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; [in other words, natural things] but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” (Romans 14:17 AKJV). Let’s not be so consumed with natural things that we miss the heavenly blessings that are available to us now, in this life.
Some may say, “Oh, you’re so heavenly minded that you’re no earthly good.“ But I dare to say that Jesus was quite heavenly-minded, and he did a whole lot of earthly good. I believe the same can be true for us.
The disciples in the early Church experienced the glory of God in the secret place of the Most High when they were baptized with the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room. It was reflected in their lives through the miracles they did to help people and to glorify Jesus on Earth. When you and I learn to live in the secret place, we will bear the same kind of fruit. We will become more like Jesus and do the same works He did on earth.
Enjoy God in the Secret Place
You will show me the path of life: in your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand there are pleasures for ever more. (Psalms 16:11, AKJV).
God is not a God who is far off. He is right where you are. He wants to spend time with you and show you His love. Step into His glory today and enjoy yourself in the secret place. The secret place is a happy place! It’s a pleasurable place. It’s a glorious place! It’s a place where you can find the answers to your deepest needs!
Pray a prayer like this:
Dear Father, I thank you that Jesus has prepared a place for us and that we have access to that place every day. I believe Jesus died for me so that I could come to You in the secret place. I confess out loud that Jesus is my Lord, and I believe that You raised Him from the dead. Thank you for saving me and bringing me into Your presence. Thank you that I can know You personally and experience You every day of my life in the secret place, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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