Finding Your Secret Place
Most Christians today live spiritual lives that feel homeless—rootless, restless, and reactive. They attend services, sing songs, serve in ministries, and yet never quite find the place of constant communion with God that Jesus promised.
But Jesus didn’t say, “Bear fruit for Me.”
He said, “Abide in Me.”
Because fruitfulness is not the result of activity—it’s the overflow of intimacy.
At Abiding Culture Church, we are ditching performance Christianity in favor of something far more valuable: a lifestyle of abiding. In this study guide, we unpack the message “Finding Your Secret Place” with practical application, spiritual insight, and prophetic urgency.
1. Abiding Is a Call to Live, Not Just Learn
John 15:1–11
Greek word “meno” – to remain, dwell, stay, endure
In Jewish tradition, disciples didn't just learn from their rabbi—they lived with him. When Jesus said "Follow Me," He wasn’t offering a new teaching. He was inviting them into an entirely new way of life.
“To abide with your Rabbi means to live with Him, not just learn from Him.”
Like Elisha with Elijah, abiding means keeping your eyes fixed on Jesus so you can carry what He carries.
2. The Secret Place Is the Gate to Abiding
Psalm 91:1–4
Hebrew word “yashab” – to sit, dwell, remain, inhabit
There is no abiding without dwelling. And there is no dwelling without the secret place.
But the secret place isn’t just a prayer closet—it’s the core of your spiritual position.
“The secret place is where intimacy is cultivated and identity is clarified.”
It’s where you sit with God as a priest in worship and supplication—
and where you are empowered as a king to make declarations aligned with heaven.
3. Abiding Is an Internal Position, Not a Physical Location
Colossians 3:3 – “Your life is hidden with Christ in God”
Greek word “krypto” – concealed, inaccessible to the enemy
You don’t climb a mountain anymore to meet with God. The mountain lives inside of you.
God has moved from temples made with hands to temples made of flesh and blood.
“Shut the door” doesn’t just mean close your room—it means close off distraction, performance, and noise.
No matter the chaos around you, you can enter into the secret place within you. It’s a posture of the heart and a rhythm of the Spirit.
4. The Secret Place Is the Discipline, Abiding Is the Lifestyle
The Church in the West often visits the secret place on Sundays but lives outside of it the rest of the week.
1 John 2:27–28 – “Abide in Him so that you will not be ashamed at His coming.”
“We are not Christians because we attend services—but because Christ is formed in us.”
We are training our church not to rely on performance-based religion, but to develop a personal, abiding relationship with Jesus. When you know His voice, you won’t miss His return—or be deceived by counterfeits.
5. Practicing His Presence: The Example of Brother Lawrence
In the 1600s, Brother Lawrence (born Nicolas Herman) discovered a simple yet radical truth:
God is present in every moment.
Despite his lowly role as a kitchen worker in a monastery, his deep intimacy with God drew people from around the world.
His Teachings:
Prayer is simple conversation.
“There is no mode of life more delightful than continual conversation with God.”Work is worship.
“The time of business does not differ from the time of prayer.”Surrender is daily.
“When I fail, I simply confess it and go on.”Joy flows from union.
True peace comes from abiding, not achieving.
“He didn’t perform for God—he practiced His presence.”
This lifestyle mirrors what we are building at Abiding Culture Church:
Presence > Performance
Simplicity > Systems
Love > Legalism
6. What Does the Secret Place Look Like for You?
Here’s your challenge:
What daily rhythms can you create to shut the door on distractions and meet with God?
Morning coffee + Scripture
Daily prayer walk
Silent car rides for worship or listening
Consecrated work hours
Practicing simple conversation with God throughout the day
“It’s more important how well you listen than how well you speak.”
This is worship—not just songs, but service.
📖 Hebrew: “abodah” — work as worship
📖 Greek: “latreo” — service to God as sacred
7. Prophetic Application: For Such a Time As This
We’re living in days of shaking—spiritually, politically, and economically.
But Psalm 91 is our anchor:
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”
Let’s be a church that doesn’t just visit God—but dwells with Him…carrying the secret place with us wherever we go.
Let’s become a table-centered people who live every moment in the shadow of the Almighty.
Have you found your secret place this week?
-Ryan Cole