One way that can be helpful in quieting ourselves for prayer is through a simple, short “breath prayer.” This is a way of praying that is used by many Christians to quiet our minds and help us to hear God’s still, small voice. So, how can we quiet our minds enough to begin to hear God’s still, small voice? Our minds can be very noisy! Finding internal silence can be just as challenging as finding external silence, but also just as essential to our life of prayer. As soon as we find a little solitude, silence our phone, and catch our breath, we immediately think of endless other things that we should be doing – a text to return, an appointment to be made, an item to add to the grocery list, and on and on. ![]() What about internal silence? For many of us, we find that as soon as we have managed to find a time and place with no external noise to distract us, our minds get to work, creating all kinds of internal noise. Silence of the heart is necessary so you can hear God everywhere – in the closing of the door, in the person who needs you, in the birds that sing, in the flowers, in the animals. What are some ways that you can incorporate external silence into your time of prayer (or that you already do)? Or, it might mean waking up a little earlier than others in our household, and enjoying that quiet time with God with our coffee or tea. Other ways to incorporate this kind of silence into our time of prayer might include going for a quiet, solitary walk, or spending quiet time in a favorite spot outdoors. I took that instruction literally when my children were young, and went into our bedroom closet for my quiet time with God. ![]() Jesus also taught us another way: “ Whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret” ( Matthew 6:6). That is one way to reduce external noise. Jesus taught us by example one way to do this: “ In the morning, while it was still very dark, got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed” ( Mark 1:35). To put it another way, what is really needed to have external silence is some form of solitude. External silence comes when we take a little time away from these things. Of course, if I were surrounded by family and friends, or if I had a cell phone with me, there would have been noises that I could not ignore. It was not quiet, but the noise around me was not something I needed to pay attention to. I used to have my “quiet time” on a train, for example, during my daily commute to Chicago. External silence does not mean that there is no noise, but that the noise is not something we have to pay attention to. There are two types of silence needed in prayer: External silence and internal silence. And let’s look at ways to incorporate more silence into our life of prayer. So, let’s think about silence and its importance in prayer. But silence is no less important now than ever, especially in our lives of prayer. The truth is that we have many more ways to avoid silence than any generation before us. We pick up our phone, turn on the tv, or distract ourselves in countless other ways. And even when we manage to find quiet moments in our day, silence can make us uncomfortable. That is when I remind myself to do as the Psalms teach: “ For God alone my soul waits in silence from him comes my salvation” ( Psalm 62:1).īut it is not always easy to find silence in our noisy world. ![]() In fact, I have noticed that when I am struggling in prayer, it is often because I am not spending enough time in silence. Silence is an essential element of our life of prayer. And if we are going to hear that voice, we must be silent. If we are going to pray, we must be willing to listen quietly for God’s “ still, small voice” ( 1 Kings 19:11-12). Prayer, like any conversation, involves listening as much as talking. Talk in prayer is essential but it is also partial. Here is a version of the handout that I shared. In our second week, we looked at the importance of solitude and silence in our lives of prayer. You can find the blog post based on that handout here: What Is Prayer, and How Can I Grow in My Life of Prayer? I also introduced the Divine Office in our first week together, which I have introduced on my blog here: What Is the Divine Office? In our first week together, we looked at prayer through the lens of relationship. I am teaching a 5-week class on prayer at my congregation, and as I do so I am sharing a version of my handouts here on my blog. ![]() In the morning, while it was still very dark, got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.
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