Places of prayer are important to God. The word "trysting place" isunfamiliar to most of us but a "tryst" means a secret loversrendezvous. God challenges his people to meet him in the trystingplace. In Psalm 91:1 He extends a promise:

"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."

Men of the Bible like Moses, Daniel and Jesus himself had specialprayer retreats where they met alone with God. Jesus tells us to prayto the Father in "secret", and to enter into our "closet" of prayer.

"But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." (Matthew 6:6)

The closet is the Secret Place of the Most High where you retreatoften to seek the Lord as your refuge and strength.We need to grow in prayer by learning to get away alone with God.

   SECRET PLACES                         PLACES OF TROUBLE
Mountain top - Luke 9:28-29            In a fiery furnace - Dan 3:25Wilderness - Mark 1:35                 On a boat - Jonah 1:6,14Desert place - Mark 1:35               Tossed at sea - Mark 4:8Roof top - Acts 10:9                   Lions den - Daniel 6:22Riverside - Acts 16:13                 Bottom of a well - Jer 38:6Bed room - Daniel 6:10                 In a dungeon - Acts 16:24-25Garden - Mat 26:39-42                  Island of Patmos - Rev 1:1-2Hillside - Mat 14:23                   Hanging on a cross - Luke 23:42On camping trip - Gen 32:24-30         While being stoned - Acts 7:59-60Under a tree - 1 Kings 19:5            From belly of whale - Jonah 2:1In a cave - 1 Kings 19:9Beside a brook - 1 Kings 17:3-5In a chariot - Acts 8:36-37Up a tree - Luke 19:3In a home - Acts 12:12-13On the street - Acts 3:1-6Upper room - Acts 1:13-14Apart about a stone cast - Luke 22:41In synagogues - Mt 6:5Street corners - Mt 6:5In a closet - Mt 6:6By a brook - 1 Kings 17:3-5On a walk - Luke 24:32At the table - Acts 27:35