Do you have a habit of looking into the face of Jesus everyday? 

Do you spend time with him in your secret place? 

I was reminded this week of a very challenging time in my life that reaped a lot of spiritual growth.  It was during this time I had been challenged to pray… to develop a habit of at least an hour of devoted time to Jesus daily.

One thing I do now is to spend time praying and recording those prayers in my journal. 

This morning I entered into my secret place to spend time with the Lord.  I decided I would enter without my pen and journal for that hour.  I had many thoughts that flooded my mind.  Many of those thoughts came to disrupt this time I was giving to the Lord.  But each one was overcome with focused prayer.

I was rather surprised and how difficult it was to keep my mind from wandering.  I learned something this morning… I am leaning too much on my journal to keep me focused.  I’m not going to quit writing my prayers and thoughts down in my journal.  But I am going to develop this hour of time with the Lord without my pen and paper.  It’s going to be a challenge to train my mind to focus on him and to contain those wandering thoughts.

In your secret place, do you experience His quiet contentment? 

Have I ever received what Jesus speaks? “. . . My peace I give to you. . .”— a peace that comes from looking into His face and fully understanding and receiving His quiet contentment. (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, August 26).

As you develop the habit of praying daily, His “quiet contentment” will be evidence of His work in you.