He Restores My Soul: The Secret Place of Refreshing in Ministry

I am not unfamiliar with the lifestyle of ministers. I grew up in a worship pastor’s home. My weeks revolved around Sunday gatherings and Wednesday night services. I was the church nanny, worship leader, greeter, server, and the main consumer of the after-service doughnuts. The deacons and deaconesses became my aunts and uncles, and the elders felt like grandparents.

I loved the church. I loved ministry. I dreamed of becoming a missionary. And yet, I saw the burden of taking up this kind of cross. My dad was tired. My family was tired. Often, it felt like my life was under a microscope, open for people to examine and pick apart.

Our church was full of grace and acceptance, but there still seemed to be this looming sense of exposure.

My relationship with Jesus became most real when I was alone—far from church services and far from my parents’ faith to lean on. In hard moments, I learned to cling to Him. I realized that no one else’s time with the Lord could become my own.

I limped across the finish line at graduation with my bachelor's degree, completely worn out. Even the idea of sitting at the feet of Jesus sounded exhausting.

I was working at a non-profit that overworked and overburdened me, writing hundreds of papers for graduate school, trying to discern my future, and wondering where Jesus wanted me.

When I accepted a ministry role this past summer in response to the Holy Spirit’s call, I secretly felt like a phony. How could I, the most exhausted person I knew, take on a mantle of leadership, especially spiritual leadership?

I am a deeply sensitive person, and I did not know how to carry the weight of people and their stories. But what I didn’t realize all those years watching my dad pour himself out for the church was that there was a hidden place I had not yet learned to visit.

There is a secret place with the Lord that welcomes tired ministers and exhausted graduate students. It refreshes spirits, prunes hearts, and prepares minds. Through the discipleship of a leader who herself remained seated at Jesus’ feet, I was gently shown how to enter that place of prayer.

There, I met Jesus and allowed Him to begin gardening in my heart.

At first, I met Him in a garden. Then, in a throne room. Later, on a quiet beach. And now, I often meet Him on a hill with three crosses and a bench meant just for the two of us.

As my heart was pruned, many things in my life began to change. The distractions that once filled my quiet times faded. My priorities shifted. I became a better friend, daughter, and listener.

My anxious complaints moved from my friends to my Father. My cries shifted from despair to hope as I began interceding for people I cannot save and burdens I cannot carry alone. I ask many questions, and sometimes I hear answers. Ministry is not easy. But the ability to do the work is found in the secret place with Him.

For me, finding this place means seeking solitude: turning off my phone and opening my Bible or journal.

Sometimes I pray the Psalms. Sometimes I worship through music. Sometimes I sit in silence and listen. Other times, I have much to say.

In Mark 1:35 it says, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”

Ask the Lord to show you where your secret place will be. It may change with time.

The places where we meet with God sometimes shift as our seasons change—but the invitation remains the same.

I urge you to rise early, before the kids wake up and the notifications begin, and sit with God.

It may be silent. It may be full of conversation.

Ask Him to show you His plans and His strategies. Tell Him your dreams and your worries.

There is a good Father waiting to meet with you—ready to fill you with what makes the rest of the day possible.

So where will you meet with Him next?

~Isabelle Thomas, Worthy Content Writer

1. What does it look like to move from relying on others’ relationship with God to developing your own?

   
   

2. What is the “secret place," and why is it essential—especially for those who feel spiritually exhausted or overwhelmed?

   
   

3. In what ways can solitude with God transform how we handle stress, responsibility, and relationships in everyday life?

   
   

4. What practical steps can you take to create your own “secret place”?