"Hiddenness. God hides for a reason - so that
He can develop you on the inside and train you
to see with the eyes of faith. In manifestation,
you can already see what God is doing. In hiddenness,
you learn to look inward and recognize that
God is still at work, relying purely on your
faith."
In
the natural world, we pass through many seasons.
The same is true in the spiritual realm. There
are seasons in our lives where God is manifesting
himself to us through blessing and feelings of
His presence. This reminds me of spring where
the birds begin to sing, flowers start to grow,
and the trees begin to flourish with new leaves.
There are also seasons in life when God seems
to be hidden or far away. This reminds me of winter
when everything seems to die, the days are shorter,
and life seems to go into seclusion. From a spiritual
perspective, a less mature believer in this season
may feel he has done something wrong or that God
is angry because he doesn't feel His presence.
But for those who have learned to walk with God,
there is a realization that though God may appear
absent, He has not forsaken them. He is always
there. He just is hidden.
Most
of us don't fully appreciate these times when
God seems absent. We don't fully grasp the
true blessedness of this time. We always want
God to manifest Himself to us. We want to experience
God. We want to feel good. We don't like walking
by faith instead of by sight. If we don't understand
these times, we may miss out on all that God wants
to do internally. This is God's training ground.
Understand that this is the time when God wants
to teach you wisdom in the inmost place. He is
right now raising up strong and consistent intercessors
who know how to pray whether He appears absent
or present. They will not be shaken or faithless
when He is hidden from their sight. They will
know in their spirit that He is always there.
They will take advantage of these times to grasp
hold of wisdom in the inmost place. They will
submit their will to God in this season. They
know that in times of hiddenness they are able
to process deep truth.
"Real
wisdom is hidden from us until God reveals it
to us. He often chooses to do that in the place
of hiddenness. Hiddenness is God's training
ground. In hiddenness God is teaching us the
wisdom of how to walk with Him, how to know
Him, how to understand Him and how to live a
life of reverent fear."
The
Benefits of Experiencing the Hiddenness of God
"Surely
you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach
me wisdom in the inmost place." (Psalm 51:6)
We
receive so many benefits during the times when
we experience the hiddenness of God. We must look
at these times as extremely valuable when we go
deeper with God and receive treasures in the secret
place. God has a goldmine of blessing if we handle
this time in the right way. The following are
some of these benefits:
- Hiddenness
is a time for building - God is building
internally in your life. There are times of
manifestation when you feel the joy and presence
of God, but hiddenness is when God is doing
internal work in your life.
- Hiddenness
teaches you God's wisdom - God wants to
reveal wisdom to you. He wants to have you all
to Himself, and He will tell you many secret
words of wisdom if you learn to listen.
- Hiddenness
develops your inner man - God is building
you into a man or woman of the spirit. During
this time, you learn to live in the spirit and
not in the soul. You learn to submit your soul
to your spirit.
- Hiddenness
teaches you to live inwardly
- God is teaching you consistency inwardly.
You learn to turn inward to find out what God
is like. He reveals His love and character in
the inward place.
- Hiddenness
reveals deep truth - God uncovers wrong
perspectives and ways of living. You learn about
His ways. He answers your questions and gives
you new insight.
- Hiddenness
teaches you to live above the enemy's attacks
- You can learn to live far above the enemy's
ability to destroy or defeat you. You learn
to overcome evil with good (Romans
12:2).
-
Hiddenness changes you radically - God
changes your heart towards Him and towards people.
God transforms your life through seasons of
hiddenness.
If
you are experiencing the hiddenness of God, understand
that He is developing you on the inside. This
is a special time in your life. Do not run from
it. Let God have His way. Take time to wait in
contemplative silence before Him. Learn to flow
with Him during this season of your life. You
need not be shaken or become sad during times
when God seems absent. You just need to understand
the ways of God. He is working deeply within you.
God is stripping away the externals in your life
and building deep, spiritual consistency within
you. He is teaching you to walk by faith, depending
on your understanding of His nature alone. He
is always faithful and good.
In
my Christian life, several times I have experienced
the hiddenness of God. I am learning to rejoice
in these seasons because I long for God to reveal
deep truth to me in the hidden place. This time
is good if we understand what God is doing and
if we realize the many benefits God wants to impart
to us. In due season, God will again bring us
into the place of manifestation where we feel
and experience His presence in a fuller dimension.
The prayer below is important because it helps
us to pray for wisdom and faith during seasons
of hiddenness.
A
Prayer for Wisdom and Faith
"Father, I thank you that I am the apple of
your eye.
I know that you seek to hide me in the secret
place of Your presence.
Teach me how to abide in You, to dwell and remain
in Christ,
Hidden away in Your heart, safe from the hands
of the enemy.
Help me to understand the wisdom of hiddenness,
To perceive the revelation of Your presence by
wisdom and faith.
When my soul cries out for Your manifest presence,
May it hear the soothing words of the inner man
of the Spirit,
Saying, peace! Be at rest. God is here.
Raise up my inner man so that my soul capitulate
to childlike trust, not emotion.
Teach me to see You by faith,
So that the reality of your continuous presence
remains with me at all times.
In Jesus' name. Amen."
"When
we become comfortable with the ways of God in
hiddenness, we will find ourselves going farther
in the realm of the Spirit than ever before.
We'll go farther than we ever thought possible
in our present circumstances, because He'll
take us to a place of deeper revelation, and
we will experience a bigger breakthrough."
Quotes
and prayer by Graham Cooke For additional training
on the intercessor and hiddenness; the discipline
of hiddenness and secret prayer, read the book
called Intercessors Arise - Book 3 by Debbie
Przybylski.
Training
Links
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