Knowledge about the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you. …Those who understand these mysteries will be given more knowledge, and they will excel in understanding them....

—Matthew 13:11-12 GW

Jesus said you have been given the chance to understand the secrets and mysteries of His kingdom. How do you receive and understand these secrets? By abiding in relationship with His Spirit. God’s mysteries are revealed as you pray in the Spirit and spend time with Him.

Oswald Chambers was an author, speaker, and champion of intimate devotion to God. In the well-known book My Utmost for His Highest, he says:

“What is the sign of a friend? That he tells you secret sorrows? No, that he tells you secret joys. Many will confide to you their secret sorrows, but the last mark of intimacy is to confide secret joys.”2

What is one of the most amazing mysteries of God that the Spirit has revealed to you? Why is it special?

Do you share your personal thoughts, feelings, and desires with the Spirit? Do you ever talk with Him about your greatest dreams or fears? Friends tell. Pause and share something intimate with Him—something dear to your heart that you have not shared before or haven’t mentioned for a long time.

If you don’t intimately share things with the Spirit, why? Ask Him to show you what is hindering you and to help you freely share your heart.

Communicating with God is not just speaking; it’s also listening. A balance of the two is needed. If we don’t take time to listen, we can’t hear what the Spirit is saying. Chambers continues:

“Have we ever let God tell us any of His joys, or are we telling God our secrets so continually that we leave no room for Him to talk to us? At the beginning of our Christian life we are full of requests to God, then we find that God wants us to get into relationship with Himself, to get us in touch with His purposes. Are we so wedded to Jesus Christ’s idea of prayer—‘Thy will be done’—that we catch the secrets of God?”3

God says there is a time for everything, which includes a time to speak and a time to be silent in prayer (see Ecclesiastes 3:1-7). Ask the Spirit, “Am I always talking during prayer? Do I give You time to reveal Your mysteries? Have You been trying to tell me something that I have not been quiet enough to hear? If so, what is it?” Be still and listen. What is the Holy Spirit speaking to you?