It never ceases to amaze me how concerned Christians are about what they can produce in front of the public. But it is not what you do in public that produces great rewards. It is what you do in secret that produces great rewards.
I may not hear your prayers when you're by yourself alone with God. But I will see openly the result of your time spent with God in His anointing.
It disturbs me when I hear great singers and choral groups and hear great preachers in the pulpit who appear to have dynamic love relationships with God. On the basis of their singing and preaching and their demonstration of power on the platform, you would swear that these men and women really love the Lord.
And yet, when you get together with them after they get off the stage—and that's what it should be called because it's become a place of performance rather than a place of personal relationship and conviction—you hear the way they talk and see how they act, your heart drops.
You're heartbroken because you thought they were really in love with God, but now you see that they don't even know Him.
They don't even know Him. And it's sad because tradition has deceived them into thinking: "When I show my greatness in the pulpit or in front of the public, they'll know I love God. And God will bless me." No, no, no.
They've got it backwards. It is what you do behind closed doors; it is what you do in the secret place alone with the Father, that witnesses to the quality of your relationship with God.
You may love to lift your hands in public, but do you lift them when you're in your secret place? You may be the loudest one in corporate prayer, but do you pray like that when in your secret place? You love to sing your solo every chance you get, but do you sing to the Lord in your secret place?
You see, these things have not been designed for public auditions. They are things that should be used in the secret place to minister to and fellowship with the Lord. You must cultivate your love for Him so that when you come out of the secret place, everybody who comes in contact with the anointing that's on your life will know that you've spent quality time with God.
It's what you do in secret when nobody's looking that will be visible on your life when you get up in public. It's what you do in secret, fellowshipping with Him in your secret place, that God says He will reward you openly for (Matt. 6:1-6).
Child of God, if you want to be effective in the kingdom of God, you must spend time developing a vertical relationship with the heavenly Father. That's the only way you will be effective in your horizontal relationships with other people.
When times of tempting and trouble come in your relationships with others, the only way you can keep from failing in your love walk is to have available a reservoir of time spent alone with the Father.
It's in that time alone with Him that you cultivate the fruit of love you can draw on to get you through the rough times.
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