/15

Silence. Some people seem unable and uncomfortable with silence. I remember years ago asking for  silence during prayer for people to offer their own needs and prayers. The silence lasted less than 120 seconds and I was faced with a barrage of complaints from people who were uncomfortable with silence. Others fill every waking hour with noise from TV and Radio or other means to fill the void.

I crave silence. It is one of the great routes to God and to self knowledge. If you can't be quiet, how will you hear the quiet voice of God, who doesn't roar at us but rather whispers to us in quietness.

I am lucky to live by choice in a place where as I wake in the morning there is total silence most of the time and most of the day, perhaps a bird or the cry of a child but apart from that the only thing I hear is the ringing of tinnitus in my ears.

But it goes deeper than the absence of external sound. Once we remove distractions, books, phones or anything else we are left looking only at ourselves. Our minds may scream at us at this point but we have to work through that and any anxiety or fear that troubles us, face ourselves and deal with each issue that presents itself, until we can master the chaos of noise from within. Silence for spiritual growth needs to be accompanied by physical stillness as well. 

For some people this can be extremely tough but work at it, the rewards and revelations are immense. As you still your body and mind which can take a lot of patient practise you will find that you can lay yourself open to the Divine Presence.

It is sufficient to say, Lord here I am.

Since God is God He knows everything you don't need to pour out words. The Lord knows. Be still and wait, silent in body and mind and be patient.

Try to do this as often as you can until it becomes second nature and you find you can quickly switch to this inner place for even a few minutes, filtering out all distractions.

This is how we learn and are led by God to discern His will for our lives.

There is great merit in reading and learning about the things of God but spending time with him in silent contemplation is a superior way to grow spiritually. After all an encounter with the author of all things is bound to be better than just reading about Him, gaining second hand knowledge.

Don't rush at this, you cannot achieve this in a day, it is hard work and may take you weeks, months or years. 

The rewards are worth it of course, otherwise it would be a pointless exercise. If life is too hectic to find time during the day, start in bed before you go to sleep, focus on silence, stillness and calming your mind and opening up in submission to God.

Be Still and Know that I Am God.