It comes as no surprise that the Bible regularly addresses our need for silence and solitude.

Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
for my hope is in him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress where I will not be shaken. Psalm 62:5-6

Perhaps the most consistent role model for the need for solitude and silence was Jesus.

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. Mark 1:3-5, NIV

Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:16, NIV

Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the
night praying to God. When morning came, he called
his disciples to him and chose twelve of them. Luke 6:12-13, NIV

Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make
him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain
by himself. John 6:15, NIV

Jesus understood the need to recenter and reconnect with the Father. He understood the power of quiet to be able to hear the voice of His Father. How can we think we are able to function spiritually and emotionally without occasional silence and solitude? This is not something I am accomplished at. I have probably had more intentional, undistracted time during this pandemic than I have had in years, if not ever.

Noise becomes a habit. If I am alone, I used to need the television in the background or music in my ears. I am learning that sometimes I just need silence.

A. W. Tozer said that “only after all the noise has spent itself do we begin to hear in the silence of our heart, the still, small, mighty voice of God.”

That requires us to slow down, give up our perceived control, and simply be quiet. I can tell you it does not come naturally in this culture. Being alone and quiet so you can hear the still voice of the Holy Spirit is about a heart attitude more than location. For me, there is one really important benefit of reflective quiet in the presence of God: it interrupts my typical prayer time of delivering a monologue to God. I was taught to make my requests known in prayer after a little perfunctory praise. I went down my list, and I was done. One-way conversation.

I am outta here!

Forcing myself to be quiet gives me a chance to look inward. To see where I might need to allow the light of God’s grace to shine on some dark area. I allow myself to be fully in the moment and not worried about tomorrow. I allow myself the time to reflect on who I am and how the Father looks at me. It clears my mind to clearly think about what needs to be done. I remind myself that I don’t have to constantly manage and be in control.

Be still, and know that I am God! (Psalm 46:10)

The Hebrew word for “be still” might be better translated as “cause yourselves to let go” or “let yourselves become weak.” I have had to learn to slow down, unplug, and be still. And I have had a major surprise: I am really enjoying it.

It is a lesson I intend to build on. God is powerful enough to teach an old dog new tricks. I invite you to find a place to be quiet today. In the sounds of silence, God may very well meet you.

Excerpts from Waking Up Slowly