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“Secrets of the Heart” draws us into one of the most searching themes in all of Scripture: God’s concern not only with *what* we do, but *why* we do it.
Let us look at what the Word of God says:
> “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.”
> — Matthew 6:1 (NASB)
> “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
> so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
> — Matthew 6:3–4 (NASB)
> “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
> — Matthew 6:6 (NASB)
These verses expose the *secrets of the heart*. Jesus is dealing here with the hidden motives that govern our outward acts of righteousness—giving, praying, fasting. The song repeatedly returns to this refrain:
> “Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Two kingdoms are in conflict:
The central issue is this: Whose approval are you living for?
The song answers it clearly: *“Live for the audience of One alone.”*
This teaching is not marginal. It is at the heart of true discipleship. It exposes hypocrisy, dismantles pride, and calls us into a life of hidden communion with the Father.
---
These verses come from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7), one of the greatest discourses Jesus ever gave. The audience was primarily Jewish. They were familiar with:
Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount by announcing the values of His Kingdom (the Beatitudes, Matthew 5:3–12). Then He addresses the Law, not abolishing it, but fulfilling and deepening it (Matthew 5:17). He moves from outward observance to inward reality: from murder to anger, from adultery to lust, from oaths to simple truthfulness.
In Matthew 6, Jesus turns to three pillars of Jewish piety:
1. Giving to the Needy (almsgiving) – Matthew 6:2–4
2. Prayer – Matthew 6:5–15
3. Fasting – Matthew 6:16–18
In each case, He contrasts two kinds of people:
The setting is very concrete:
> “When you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others…” (Matthew 6:2)
Jesus is describing a public religious culture where standing, honor, and reputation mattered deeply. The religious leaders had developed a way of *using* spiritual practices to build their own image. They were not primarily serving God; they were using God to serve themselves.
Jesus speaks into this atmosphere and exposes it:
In that context, His words would have been radical. He relocates religion from the public square into the secret place, from outward display to the hidden chamber of the heart.
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Two key words help us grasp the depth of Jesus’ teaching.
### 1. “Hypocrites” – ὑποκριταί (*hypokritai*)
> “Do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do…” (Matthew 6:2)
The Greek word hypokritēs originally meant an *actor* on a stage, one who wears a mask. It is not merely someone who sins; it is someone who pretends—someone whose outward show does not match inward reality.
A hypocrite:
The song captures this:
> “Don’t sound a trumpet like the hypocrites do
> In the streets and synagogues to be honored by others
> They’ve already received their reward in full”
The essence of hypocrisy is this: using God’s things to get man’s praise.
God calls that “acting.” It has no value in His sight.
### 2. “In Secret / Who Sees in Secret” – ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ (*en tō kryptō*)
> “…so that your giving may be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:4)
The word kryptos means *hidden, concealed, secret*. From it we derive “cryptic,” “crypt,” “encryption.” It speaks of:
Jesus uses the phrase:
> “…your Father who sees in secret” (ὁ βλέπων ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ)
This reveals something vital about God’s nature:
The song echoes and applies this truth:
> “Every hidden act of kindness is known
> He sees in secret, He’ll reward in His time”
The more you understand this word kryptos, the more you realize that true Christianity is essentially a hidden life with the Father, made visible only as the fruit of that hidden reality.
---
### A. Giving: The Battle for Motives
> “When you give to someone in need
> Don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing
> Keep your giving quiet and private…”
Jesus assumes we will give. Scripture is clear:
But in Matthew 6, the issue is not *whether* we give, but *why* and *for whom*.
> “Be careful not to practice your righteousness
> Just to be seen by others…”
This warning reveals a spiritual danger:
Even good deeds can be corrupted by the desire for recognition. Giving can become self-promotion.
Jesus describes the religious “actors”:
> “Don’t sound a trumpet like the hypocrites do
> In the streets and synagogues to be honored by others
> They’ve already received their reward in full”
This is a solemn statement:
It is possible to do the right thing, in the right place, at the wrong level—in the sight of men only, not in the secret of the Father.
Then Jesus gives a striking image:
> “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing…”
This is not literal, of course. It means:
In other words, *stop rehearsing your own righteousness to yourself*.
### B. The Father Who Sees and Rewards
A repeated refrain dominates the passage and the song:
> “Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you”
This reveals three very important realities:
1. God is Father
Jesus does not say “your Judge” or “your Boss,” but “your Father.”
All true giving, praying, and fasting is relational. It flows from a child’s heart to the Father.
2. The Father Sees in Secret
3. The Father Rewards
God is not indifferent. He is a rewarder:
The song says:
> “The applause of people fades away so fast
> But what’s done in secret is built to last…”
Here is the contrast:
### C. Righteousness Without Show: Giving, Praying, Fasting
> “Whether giving, praying, or fasting—keep it real
> Not for show, not for praise from the crowd
> But for the eyes of the One who sees everything”
Jesus applies the same principle to three areas:
1. Giving (Matthew 6:2–4)
2. Prayer (Matthew 6:5–6)
3. Fasting (Matthew 6:16–18)
In each case:
#### 1. Prayer
> “When you pray, go into your room
> Close the door and pray to your Father who is unseen
> He hears every word whispered in private”
Jesus does not forbid public prayer; He forbids praying *for the sake of being seen publicly*.
The “inner room” (Greek: *tameion*) was the store room, the most private part of a house. Jesus is emphasizing:
True prayer is not a religious performance. It is a heart relationship with the invisible Father:
> “…pray to your Father who is unseen…”
The unseen Father is more real than any visible audience.
#### 2. Fasting
> “When you fast, don’t look gloomy like the hypocrites
> Wash your face, anoint your head
> So only your Father sees what’s in your heart”
The hypocrites used fasting to project spirituality. They made themselves look miserable so that others would say, “How devout! How holy!”
Jesus commands the opposite:
True fasting is not about impressing people; it is about humbling ourselves before God (Psalm 35:13).
### D. The Deep Issue: Audience and Identity
The song summarizes this in one line:
> “Live for the audience of One alone”
This is a central truth of the Christian life:
This touches identity:
> “Your Father is watching—He knows your name”
If you are secure that the Father knows your name, sees your heart, and values your obedience, you will no longer need constant affirmation from people.
Spiritual warfare is involved here. One of the key snares of the enemy is the fear of man and the love of human praise:
When you choose the Father’s secret approval over public applause, you are resisting a demonic system that thrives on pride, comparison, and show.
### E. Eternal Perspective: What Will Last?
> “The applause of people fades away so fast
> But what’s done in secret is built to last…
> Heaven’s reward will one day abound”
This is an eschatological truth. Jesus links secret obedience with *future* open reward:
There will be a day when the secrets of the heart are revealed. On that day:
The song declares:
> “He sees in secret, He’ll reward in His time
> Openly, beautifully, perfectly divine”
God’s reward is perfectly just and perfectly timed. He will not forget any act of love done for His sake, no matter how hidden.
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We must respond practically. These are not abstract truths. They demand a change in how we live, think, and measure spiritual life.
### 1. First, We Must Renounce the Love of Human Praise
We must make a deliberate, conscious decision:
Suggested step:
“Father, I renounce the love of human praise and the fear of man. I choose to live for Your approval alone.”
Meditate on scriptures like John 5:44 and Galatians 1:10 until your heart is aligned.
### 2. Second, We Must Cultivate the Secret Place
Make secret fellowship with the Father a priority:
Guard this time:
Ask the Holy Spirit to make the Father’s unseen presence more real to you than any human audience.
### 3. Third, We Must Practice Hidden Obedience
Deliberately choose unpublicized acts of obedience:
Ask yourself regularly:
This is a test of motives. It purifies the heart.
### 4. Fourth, We Must Make Biblical Proclamations
Derek Prince emphasized the power of declaring God’s Word. Take these Scriptures and turn them into personal affirmations. Speak them aloud regularly until they reshape your inner world.
For example:
Spoken truth, based on Scripture, is a weapon of spiritual warfare. It breaks the grip of fear of man and the addiction to praise.
---
### Proclamation
Say this aloud, thoughtfully and deliberately:
> **I declare that I am a child of my Father in heaven.
> I choose to practice my righteousness not to be seen by men, but to please my Father.
> I renounce the love of human praise and the fear of man.
> I choose the secret place over the public stage.
> When I give, I will not let my left hand know what my right hand is doing.
> When I pray, I will go into the inner room and meet with my Father who is unseen.
> When I fast, I will do it for my Father alone, not to impress anyone.
> My Father sees in secret. He knows my heart.
> He will reward in His time and in His way.
> I live for the audience of One.
> The applause of people will not govern my life.
> My treasure, my reward, and my honor are with my Father in heaven.
> In Jesus’ name, amen.**
### Prayer
Father,
In the name of Jesus, I bring before You the secrets of my heart. I confess that many times I have sought the praise of people more than Your approval. Forgive me for every act of righteousness done to be seen by others. Cleanse my motives by the blood of Jesus.
Holy Spirit, search my heart. Expose every trace of hypocrisy, every hidden desire to impress, every fear of man. Give me a pure heart that longs only for the Father’s smile.
Teach me to love the secret place. Draw me into hidden fellowship with You. Help me to give, to pray, and to fast in a way that is real, sincere, and unseen by men. Let my life be an offering known in heaven, even if it is unnoticed on earth.
Father, I choose today to live for Your eyes alone. Thank You that You see in secret and that You will reward what is done for You. Establish in me the life of a true disciple—no performance, no acting, but truth in the inward parts.
I ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
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