Day 4
Public vs. Private
Yesterday, we talked about the difference between knowing about God and truly knowing Him. We reflected that knowing God isn’t just having information—it’s having a personal, intimate, and transformative experience.
Today, we take another deep step. We’re going to examine our hearts: Is our spiritual life real only when people are watching, or also when we are alone with God? Are we focused on the public or the private?
We live in an age where everything is public. Social media, photos, likes, stories… And often, without realizing it, we carry that same mindset into our spiritual life. We show our prayers, our acts of service, our Christian posts… but what happens when no one is watching?
“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you openly.” — Matthew 6:6 (NIV)
In Matthew 6, Jesus confronts spirituality based on appearance. The Pharisees loved to pray in public squares, to be seen fasting with sad faces, giving alms to be admired. But Jesus is saying: “Your Father sees you in secret.”
The secret place is not just a physical space. It’s an attitude of the heart. It’s living a faith that doesn’t need applause, approval, or display. It’s having a hidden altar, where the fire stays burning even when no one sees it.
Sometimes we confuse public fruit with true spiritual depth. But God doesn’t reward appearance; He rewards what is forged in intimacy. What happens in secret with God sustains what will later be seen publicly.
Even Jesus, with crowds following Him, constantly withdrew to the mountains, the wilderness, to intimacy with the Father. Because Jesus understood that public authority comes from private relationship. Visible anointing comes from invisible surrender.
Here’s today’s question:
Am I investing more in what others see, or in what only God sees?
Let’s pray together:
Lord, I don’t want to live a superficial faith. Teach me to build an altar in secret, where it’s just You and me. Let my identity not be based on what I show, but on who I am when no one is watching. I trust that Your presence will be my reward. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Want to keep growing in your passion for God?
Then don’t miss Day 5: “Routine vs. First Love” – because being close to God isn’t about duty… it’s about a burning desire!
Scripture
Reflection Questions
Am I more concerned with how my faith looks to others than with how real it is before God in the secret place?
What practices can I build into my private life with God so that my public faith flows from true intimacy?
