BE QUIET!
INTRODUCTION: If you’re anything like me, you often spend your prayer time offering God your ‘wish list’. Too often our prayer time is spent treating God like a spiritual Santa Claus. We spend our prayer time asking God for things. And that’s not altogether bad. We are called to present our requests to God. We need to depend on God’s provision. We should be lifting up other people’s needs before the Lord. But if that’s all we’re doing in our prayer time then we’re missing out on an important aspect of prayer. Being quiet before the Lord is a part of prayer that is often overlooked. Let’s see how looking at the importance of quiet prayer can help to motivate us to change the way we pray.
1) WHAT’S THE PROBLEM? Why is it so hard for us to be quiet before the Lord?
· Restlessness. We can’t sit still long enough to allow God the time to speak. We have our quick 5-minute prayer time and off we go, on to the next thing. We don’t have time to be quiet and listen to God. God’s going to have to catch up with me and speak to me on the fly because I’m moving, I’m on the run, I’ve got things to do. I’m much too busy to be bothered with being quiet. Plus I’m restless in my mind. I can’t focus on being still before the Lord when I’m distracted by the million and one things on my mind. I can’t get into quiet mode when my mind or my feet are racing. I can’t be quiet if I’m restless.
· Reluctance. We’re reluctant because it’s a foreign concept to us. It’s not what we’re used to. We’re used to noise and in a strange way, we’ve become accustomed to chaos. Are you one of those people who can’t have it quiet in your home? If it’s too quiet you feel like you’re going to go stir crazy and explode? You have to have some sort of noise whether it’s the TV or radio. Especially being in the city, we’re used to hustle and bustle. We’re used to hearing people talk around us. To involve this concept of being quiet and listening to God speak to us in our prayers is an uncomfortable unknown. Therefore, this unusual side of prayer makes us reluctant to commit to it.
· Resistance. We resist giving God the opportunity to speak. But why? Have you ever been around someone who likes to do all the talking? Depending on the situation, people do this either as a diversion tactic or a control method. When they can control the conversation, they can avoid any difficult questions from being asked or they can avert a situation where they will be challenged. Is that how we are with God? Maybe we want to do all the talking because if we allow God to speak then we will have to deal with what he reveals.
2) HOW DO WE GET QUIET? What do we need to do to adopt silent prayer time?
· Relax. We can be too tense trying to be quiet. We can be on the edge of our seat waiting for God to speak. We can feel like everything’s hanging in the balance and with abated breath we’re eagerly anticipating God’s words to come forth. We don’t have to approach it like this. It’s unnerving to be in this mindset. What we will end up doing is get frustrated and give up after 30 seconds of non-response. Instead, we need to relax and allow our mind to become clear of distractions. In a relaxed mode I can be more focused. In this mode I am more patient. I can actually enjoy the experience. I need to relax.
· Rethink. It will be helpful for us to rethink this idea of quiet. Quiet doesn’t necessarily mean dead silence. If we approach our quiet time as if we need to be in a sound proof room we might be in trouble. Sometimes dead silence can be a distraction. For some people, dead silence is necessary. But this doesn’t have to be the standard for everyone. If you’re distracted by complete silence try having a steady noise going like a fan. For many people, this type of sound helps them concentrate better than they would be able to with no sound at all. Just make sure that the ‘noise’ you’re using isn’t something like the TV or radio. That isn’t going to allow you to clear your mind to focus on hearing God speak to you. But a constant, rhythmic sound can help you to meditate; just so long as the sound you’re using doesn’t put you to sleep!
· Respect. Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” I might be more motivated to make this a priority when I realize it is a show of respect towards God. I am showing respect when I choose to give him time in my prayers to speak to me. When I’m quiet before the Lord it shows that I respect his voice; I respect his Spirit. It shows my humble submission to the Almighty God whose word to me is invaluable to my spiritual condition. I’m showing God that this time is precious. I’m recognizing that this is a time of connection with the triune God. I’m respecting God enough to give him my undivided attention. Being quiet before God is showing respect for God.
3) BENEFITS TO BEING QUIET. What are some benefits of quiet prayer time?
· Reflection. If my time is spent purely in making requests I’m not able to do ample reflection. I’m not allowing God to reveal his will to me about certain situations. I’m not allowing him to place a thought in my mind. I’m not allowing him to place a person on my mind to pray for them. I might have prayer requests about people or situations but God might want to add something or someone to that list for me to consider. But if I’m not allowing him to speak to me then I will miss that opportunity. And if I’m not quiet, I won’t be reflecting on what God wants to reveal to me about myself. I’m not allowing the Holy Spirit to examine my heart and mind and deal with what comes out. But if we allow God to speak, then we can see what needs to change and we can work on becoming what God has designed us to be. Reflection leads to revelation that will help me in my rejuvenation.
· Releasing. When I allow myself to be still before the Lord I will be able to release the tension I’ve been carrying. I will be able to release anxiety, fear, and worry. Being quiet before God gives me the opportunity to not be bothered with anything else. All of the negativity I’ve been exposed to can be released through my time of connection with God. When I’m quiet before God he can remind me of the verses that teach me to not worry, not be anxious, not be afraid. He can remind me that I can depend on him. I can take refuge in his promises. Through my quiet time I can release the grip Satan may have gotten on me through his lies and deceptions. Those are countered with God telling me that I’m his child and that I’m priceless to him. A lot can be released when I’m willing to release my reluctance to be quiet in prayer.
· Replenishing. Psalm 23:1-3. The quiet waters are also referred to as ‘restful’ waters. The quiet place allows me to rest. In my time of quiet I’m allowing God to restore my soul. Mark 6:30-32. The disciples had just finished a journey where they had been preaching, driving out demons and healing people. And because there were so many people around that they couldn’t even get a break to get something to eat, Jesus knew they needed to get somewhere quiet so they could rest. Jesus understood the importance of quiet time. In the first chapter of Mark, it tells of Jesus traveling around driving out demons and healing people. He was very busy but he made sure he took time out to be quiet. Mark 1:35, “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.” We need to understand the importance of quiet time so we can become replenished. When we get away from the chaos of life and spend quiet time with God, listening for him to speak to us in a peaceful, uninterrupted setting, we will be better equipped to press on. If we don’t take the time to get quiet with God we will be drained and irritable. Then we are at risk of becoming ineffective and unproductive because of our spiritual fatigue. We become spiritually replenished when we are quiet before the Lord.
· Rejoicing. In the busyness and chaos of life we can become frustrated. When the fast-paced lifestyle catches-up with us the effects can be debilitating. We can be edgy, jittery and short tempered. All these can be joy-stealers. But, when we take the time to get connected with God, that quiet time will result in our rejoicing. We will rejoice in his Holy name. We will rejoice in his power and omniscience. We will rejoice in his caring and provision. We will rejoice in the time we’ve shared with him. We will rejoice in his love. But we won’t rejoice if we don’t take the time to connect with him and be still before him.
· Relationship. Samuel was an important man used by God. He was set apart by God to be a judge and a prophet who provided continuity between the period of the judges and the period of the kings. He anointed Israel’s first two kings, Saul and David. Samuel’s relationship with God started with his willingness to listen to God. 1st Samuel 3:1-10. God revealed things to Samuel because of Samuel’s desire to listen. In his devotional book, “My Utmost For His Highest” Oswald Chambers writes, “Get into the habit of saying, “Speak, Lord”, and life will become a romance. Every time circumstances press in on you say, “Speak, Lord”, and make time to listen. Chastening is more than a means of discipline-it is meant to bring me to the point of saying, “Speak, Lord”. Think back to a time when God spoke to you. Do you remember what he said? As we listen, our ears become more sensitive, and like Jesus, we will hear God all the time.” Being willing to allow God to speak to me in my prayer time will make it easier for me to hear God speaking to me in everyday life. Whatever situation I’m facing, I need to be able to humbly say, “Speak, Lord”. If we’re not asking God to speak and then making time to listen, then we’re missing out on relationship building. I talked before about the person who dominates a conversation? If you were a friend to a person like that, how deep do you think the relationship would be if all the conversations were one-sided? How could there be an understanding on their part about what you thought? How much would you think this person cared about you if all they did when you got together was talk about their life? You wouldn’t enjoy that very much. God wants to have a two-way conversation with us. He wants to build a relationship with us. He will be able to build a strong relationship with us when we are willing to ask him to speak and then listen to him speak. We know he’s listening to us, are we listening to Him? If we’re going to build a relationship with God, then we need to be willing to listen to God.
CONCLUSION: The last ‘Re’ is Response. How are you going to respond to God’s prompt for you to include being quiet in your prayer time? It’s not going to be easy, but we now see why it’s necessary to be quiet before the Lord. Being a listener to God and not just a talker enhances and enriches our prayer life and ultimately our walk with Jesus. When we learn how to be quiet we will experience a closer relationship with our Lord and Savior. So, the next time you’re in your prayer closet make sure you’re not doing all the talking. Let God get a word in edgewise. This means you’re going to have to be quiet.
