This is one concept that definitely needs to be encouraged in the personal devotional/prayer life of all modern believers. Even for myself, this was a difficult lesson to begin learning back in 2009, but it was a lesson that God knew I needed. As a worshipper used to God meeting me intimately through lyrics expressed in excellence in His presence, suddenly being thrust into silence was a shock to my spiritual system! But as T.C. Spellen has observed, this ability to meet God in the silence opens up a level of intimacy not found in the busyness of life.
Many people are scared of the silence. Silence causes a person to come face to face with who they really are, and yes, that can seem quite scary. The discovery of who you are in the silence, having to face your issues seemingly alone, causes you to do one of two things: Either A) you’ll run from the silence and seek to fill it with background music or turning on the TV, or B) you’ll unload all those uncomfortable thoughts and feelings onto God instead, and begin to let Him address them in your life.
Silence is vulnerable. Silence is wide open. Silence hides nothing and reveals everything. As T.C. Spellen says, this level of intimacy with God is necessary to the healthy development of your relationship with God in your growth as a follower of Christ.
Developing the habit of silence is strongly encouraged!
Today’s comments are short, but perhaps that’s the point. Our times with God should not be filled with just us doing all the talking. Take time in your next personal devotional time, to just sit in God’s presence, focussing on Him without filling the air with your own words. If you have to repeat His name every so often to stay focussed, do it. If feelings of gratitude begin to well up, express them, but quietly so as not to drown out anything He might say. Suddenly feel a particular Scripture verse coming on? Look it up! It may very well be that God has chosen that particular Scripture to speak to you in your moment of silence. Let Him speak. Give Him time to engage with you. Then as both my daughter and T.C. Spellen say, you will get to know the voice of God and begin to hear Him even in the busyness of life.
