But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth
Just a few miles south of Astoria, past Four Corners on Old Hwy 101, on the Lewis and Clark Road, stood the building of Lewis and Clark Bible Church.
The church had once been pastored by Paul Hatt, almost a legend in the area. He had assumed the congregation when a handful met in a converted mink barn. Under his leadership, the church had grown to nearly 300 people and built a beautiful building out in the country. But then the congregation turned on their pastor, dismissed him, and dwindled to only a handful in the huge auditorium.
I had come to Astoria in 1984 to plant an independent Baptist church. We were meeting in an abandoned service station just north of Four Corners on Old Hwy 101, and I had become familiar with the story of Lewis and Clark Bible Church.
Wow, we needed a better facility so badly!
We had no money and, frankly, at that time fewer people than the Lewis and Clark congregation. But we did have a pastor. They did not. (As it turned out, they didn’t really want one. They had decided pastors cost money and have expectations.)
I used to sit across the valley from that church building, open my Bible to this passage, and in secret ask God to give me that building. I never told anyone. I never made a big deal about it. I just asked God for the building and left it in His hands.
God did not give us that building. But He did give us one—north instead of south, inside city limits rather than in the country. I never asked for it, but in that case the small congregation of Bayview Baptist Church had been watching me. They came and asked me if I would consider pastoring them.
Can I tell you? God is, and He hears the secret prayers of those who put themselves in His hands. I am afraid much of what passes as Christianity today is nothing more than a religious machine. They do not believe God does anything. Their motto is, “God helps those who help themselves.” So they never think to pray real prayers to the living God in secret and discover that He genuinely helps those who trust Him, ask Him, and wait for Him to work.
#SecretPrayer #TrustGodsTiming #FaithNotMachines #GodAnswersInHisWay #QuietFaith
Secret Prayer: Faith in the Quiet Place
✨ God still hears prayers whispered in secret. Matthew 6:3 reminds us that faith isn’t about show—it’s about trusting Him to work in His time and way. Many today rely on self-effort, but real Christianity depends on a living God who answers hidden prayers.
❓ Have you ever seen God answer a prayer in an unexpected way? Share your story in the comments—I’d love to hear it!
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