Practicing Silence

Creating space for practicing silence isn’t easy. We live in a world full of noise—whether it’s notifications on your smartphone, the constant drive for productivity, companies longing to sell us something, or even enjoying your favorite music playlist while driving or exercising. What would happen in your relationship with God if you intentionally took time to be silent?

Practicing silence creates space in your mind, heart, and even body to remember that God is always present with you. Being with God in silence can be similar to spending time in the presence of someone you love without conversation.

Learn more about practicing silence and create space to try it out through this podcast episode and downloadable resource.

Practicing Silence Together

Join Lyndi Lee Markus as she walks you through a brief time of silence through the “Practicing Silence” episode of The Ripple Effect Podcast. The Ripple Effect is a ministry of The Navigators Train-Develop-Care department. This podcast offers micro-retreats of 10 minutes or less. Things you can do almost anywhere to connect right where you are with God.

Where is practicing silence in Scripture and how is it beneficial?

Practicing silence attunes us to God’s voice. Elijah practiced silence and then experienced God’s presence as a gentle whisper. “After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper” 1 Kings 19:12 (NIV).

Practicing silence helps us wait on the Lord. “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord” Lamentations 3:25-26 (NIV).

Practicing silence is a posture of reverence for God. “The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him” Habakkuk 2:20 (NIV).

Practicing silence creates a deeper connection with God. Jesus practiced silence and solitude to connect with His Father. “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” Luke 5:16 (NIV).

Practicing silence connects you with how God is at work. In this Scripture, silence reflects a significant moment from God’s perspective. “When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour” Revelation 8:1 (NIV).

How do you practice silence? 

Set aside five minutes and find a quiet place free of distractions. Set an alarm so that you can avoid checking the time while practicing silence. Take a few deep breaths and enter into the silence, knowing God is with you and you are with God.

Sometimes getting quiet before the Lord can cause everything that has longed for your attention to come to the surface. Don’t stress if your mind wanders. Allow these thoughts to pass and come back to the fact that God is with you and you are with God.

Pay attention to what happened during the silence and how God met you there. After practicing silence for five minutes, consider incrementally increasing the time and trying this practice more than once a week.