As mentioned previously, quiet is not something that comes easily to us. Therefore, developing the habit of silence and solitude requires training and practice. It begins with training our minds and our bodies to be fully present to the Lord. Who, by the way, is fully present to us!
Begin by choosing one small step to implement this week. Then provide yourself with some daily reminders in the form of post-it notes or phone alarms. During these first weeks of training and practice, be patient with yourself and with God.
In the discomfort of the silence, continue to sit. Allow the stillness and emptiness that surrounds you to be filled with His presence. Continue to sit. Right there. Climb into His arms. Enjoy the deep communion. He longs to be with you.
Creative Ways to Observe Silence & Solitude
EARLY MORNING STILLNESS
In the quiet and stillness of the morning hours, spend ten to fifteen minutes engaging with God while reading the Bible or in prayer.
SET A TIMER
Grab a kitchen timer or your phone. Set it for five minutes. In a quiet spot away from noise, distraction, and hurry, simply sit. Be present with God until the timer goes off.
CREATE LINKS
Make silence and solitude part of your daily habit by linking it to something you already do. Enjoy a time of solitude while enjoying your morning cup of coffee. Linger for five to ten minutes after lunch. Take a daily solitude walk or experience some silence while sitting on your patio at the end of each day.
TAKE A WALK
Go for a leisurely walk, no phone, no earbuds. Talk with God as you walk or simply stroll in silence.
COZY UP
Cozy up in a quiet little corner of your nearby coffee shop. And if you don’t drink coffee, try a local park, your backyard, or a church sanctuary. Pull out your Bible or journal and spend an hour or so in reading, study, or reflection.
GIVE THANKS
One of the great enemies of a quiet heart is hurry. A hurried life often fails to see. It fails to pause. And as a result, the giving of thanks is seldom offered.
To notice and acknowledge time is required. Time that can be found in the observance of silence and solitude. Get alone; if even for only five to ten minutes a day, and during that time give thanks. Pray, create an ongoing list, make journal entries, draw pictures. Gratitude is evidence of an unhurried heart.
ENJOY NATURE
Grab your lawn chair and spend an hour or so sitting under the shade trees or by the pond of a nearby park. Surrounded by the beauty of God’s creation, calm your mind and your body. Sit in silence, converse with God, or contemplate what He has been doing recently in your life.
P-A-U-S-E
Practice being quiet in your mind. As you read a passage of Scripture, pause on a verse. Be still. Slow your thoughts. Savor a word or phrase. Reflect on God’s words to you. In silence and solitude, linger and listen to the Lord. Train yourself to occasionally come to a complete stop in your reading. Then quietly absorb and simply rest in the loving arms of Christ. Take a “Selah” – a pause in which to reflect and pray. This is a sacred space and place to be still and quiet before the Lord, abiding in His presence.
TAKE A BREAK
At regular intervals (monthly, quarterly, etc.), take a break from your normal day in and day out. Be intentional. Choose an amount of time that fits your current season (an hour, two hours, half a day). Put it on the family calendar. Arrange a sitter if necessary. Use this break time for some silence and solitude with your Heavenly Father.
EXPERIENCE AN EXTENDED RETREAT
Plan to get away for an entire day or weekend. Choose a location that is personally inviting and relaxing (a retreat center, hotel, cabin in the woods, nearby beach). Pack up everything you will need for an extended time of silence and solitude with God.
Madeleine L’Engle describes it this way, “Deepest communion with God is beyond words, on the other side of silence.” Yes, silence is uncomfortable, but deep communion is indescribable. Be intentional. Be persistent in solitude and through it experience deep communion with your Heavenly Father – a communion where words are not required.
