When most people think of the closet they think of something being hidden. “She has a few skeletons in her closet. He came out the closet yesterday.” But when it comes to building your relationship with God the closet it’s not about what is hidden but what is revealed.

I’ve decided to challenge myself to spend time with God in the privacy of my closet for month and document the benefits. I hope you go on this journey with me.

Why is alone time with God necessary?

Jesus was a master teacher on Earth. He spoke to multitudes, he traveled to heal the sick and deliver the afflicted. He fed thousands with 5 loaves and 2 fish. He sat in a boat on the lake and spoke to his many followers often. His teaching was public and people heard of his miracles from near and far. But Jesus was also had some down time with his Father. When the day was done and before the sun rose in the sky he went off on his own to commune with God. In a figurative way Jesus went into his closet, closed the door and left the concerns of the world on the other side. Just like Jesus was the only one with access to his secret place with God, we too need a secret place where we are the only ones with access.

We too need a secret place where we are the only ones with access.

What is our mission?

Jesus was on a special mission; to save souls and conquer death. He accomplished what he set out to do. Like Jesus, as followers of Christ, we have a special mission while we are here. Our mission is to save souls through the Word of God and the power of our testimony. The life we live brings us closer to fulfilling our purpose, the choices we make has the power to transform a heart of stone, to a heart of grace. As we know we live in a place of imminent distractions. We have the job, the family, the friends, the social life (trying to at least), the do list, the emotions, the questioning and comparing , the self care rituals (again we try) and our daily streaming services. When do we have Time for a secret place??

How do we find time for a secret place?

And you’re thinking, I have the live stream I watch on Sunday. If I miss it I can catch the recording throughout the week. I have my praise and worship playlist I created on Spotify and when I’m cleaning the house I get my time in with God then. Well, I also have my Bible App I let it play while I’m in bed. Look, I pray on my way to work, God is everywhere right and I pray anytime I’m led to pray. Me and my cousin are prayer partners, the Bible says when 2 or 3 are gathered He is in the midst. So there, I don’t need a prayer closet. My answer is this; if we want to get toner, if we want to work towards a flatter mid section, a bigger butt, (not lipo) we dedicate more time to see results. Our body grows accustomed to the change and the change will be evident in our physical appearance. Then why not take your spiritual life to the next level to not only talk to God but to hear his voice? That’s building spiritual muscles. How do we find time; by cutting something out and replacing it with God time.

I hope this didn’t overwhelm you. I, too, want to make closet time with God a daily habit. This Saturday after spending 30 minutes with God and listening for his voice I walked out refreshed and more in the moment than I have been. God had centered me back to what matters because I was out of whack and getting overwhelmed by work and my writing.

I challenge you to try some closet time with God this week. Come back and share your experiences. God wants to spend time with us and there is so much he wants to share.

Be sure to come back this time next week for In the Closet Series Part 2: Time Well Spent not Well Wasted : Ways to Enhance Your Time Alone with God.

Have a great week; Parable Posse!