Friday, September 18, 2009

Power in Silence

This morning I had a time of prayer unlike any other. It wasn't a time in which I presented my requests to God. It wasn't a time in which I gave Him thanks for all my blessings. It wasn't a time in which I told Him how great He was. No, this prayer time was not like most of my times of prayer. This time was filled with silence. Yeah, silence. I didn't necessarily go into my time of prayer with this objective in mind, but it kind of happened. 

As I was getting ready to pray I started thinking about the LORD and who He is and what He has done. I was trying to get my mind focused. As I started to do this I found myself just focusing in deeply on Him. Requests and needs were no longer on the front of my mind, and the only thing that filled it was Him. I had yet to speak a single word, yet I continued to focus my mind on Him. Then a passage of Scripture came rushing to my mind: "Be still and know that I am God..." (Psalm 46:10)

As I thought about this passage it became like a roaring command from God to me in that moment. What needed to happen this morning was not for me to fill the space with talk, but to simply be quite. In those moments I was able to remember, though I've always known, that I'm conversing with the Living God, Creator of the universe. There are none like Him. He is the God that part the Red Sea while freeing the Israelites from Egypt. He is the One Elijah called upon on Mt Carmel who consumed the alter with fire from heaven. He is the One who called and anointed David to be king over Israel. And He is the One who sent His Son to give us life. As I sat in silence this morning I was reminded: sometimes our greatest prayer is to be quite and reflect on the glory and wonder of God. 

Questions: Do you ever have those moments of just sitting quietly to reflect on God? What is the most difficult challenge, in your opinion, to being still and quite during a time of prayer?

6 comments:

  1. Isn't amazing what silence can do for you? A quiet mind is a blessing from God no doubt this day and age. That one moment of silence that only HE can provide can be like no other feeling on earth. In a world that runs 1,000 mph and we are expected to keep up with it or get left behind or minds begin to run the same speed. Thank you Erik for reminding me what that silence is like when its given to you by God.

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  2. Patrick, I'm trying to remind myself of this lesson. You know me and silence are not good friends. LOL

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  3. My busy mind leads me to conversation not silence. I really struggle with this. I am extroverted so I am used to dealing with things on the outside of my body. I talk to God because it helps me process things easier.

    Last week while I was away, I had time to just sit on the beach and read and listen. It was nice. Thanks for pointing this one out bro, I needed it. Its hard to remember to be still. Thanks man.

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  4. My biggest struggle with this is that I have a really hard time getting my mind to stop in order to just be silent. The still part physically is great, but mentally it is a real challenge. My mind jumps from topic to topic even when I try to just focus on Him. I need to re-read "The Practice of the Presence of God" and then practice!

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  5. Shawn/Amber,

    Yeah, the busy mind thing is hard for me to. I had to gently guide my mind back to focus on Him. I'm hoping and praying that the more I pratice this spiritual discipline of solitude, the more I will grow in it, just like any other spiritual discipline.

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  6. The hard thing for me is to just shut up! I feel this need to keep talking and telling him what I need and ALL the requests I can possibly think of. Sometimes it wears me out asking and asking and asking. I wonder if it wears him out...

    I also feel like the angels are supposed to start singing and a roaring wind engulf me when I am quiet and just BEING in God's presence. I grow impatient or expect some supernatural event to happen.

    I needed the reminder to practice the discipline of simply meditating on Him. Sounds so easy, but exceedingly difficult!

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