Sit in Silence With God

"I wanted to spend time with the Lord, so I began taking my Bible to work, and I spent my lunch hour with Him. I had the distinct impression that He was pleased with my taking that time just to be with Him," a friend said.

Her comments prompted me to add to my devotions a time simply to focus on God. Perhaps it's one form of what the Psalmist David called "waiting on the Lord." I begin by praying, "Lord, I want my spirit to commune with Your spirit." I'm often amazed at the sense of communion with the Holy Spirit I experience during those times. I leave those times of silence strengthened in my spirit.

"Be still, and know..." (Psalm 46:10). There is a deep inner knowing in our spirits when we quiet ourselves in His presence.

We prepare ourselves for listening to the still, small voice by practicing silence during our daily devotions. It helps to not think of silence as not speaking but as listening to God. We are taking time to be still, allowing His Spirit to speak to our spirit.

Practicing silence is a time-tested discipline. John Wesley condemned those who practiced the form of stillness that said we could not better ourselves through means of grace but should simply wait on the Lord. Instead, he taught that there is a scriptural obedience to the command to "Be still and know that I am God." It is time to revive this valuable spiritual discipline.

We gain strength when we silently sit before Him. After we have experienced the communion of the Spirit in silence, we can maintain this inner silence even when with others. Perhaps it was silence in His inner being that allowed Christ to recognize what His Father wanted Him to say and do. 

Dear Father, give us the confidence to know that You are with us in our times of silence.

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth" (Psalm 46:10).