Silent Encounters

Sometimes we do too much talking in prayer! An evangelist from the 1800s realized this one day while he was lying on the floor crying out to God. In the middle of his prayer, it occurred to him: Here lies a fool who knows nothing doing all the talking to Someone who knows everything!

Being silent before the Lord is a wonderful way to wait on Him, and it’s also very wise. Through the Psalms, David shows us that quietness in prayer can bring great spiritual strength. In Psalm 62:5, he tells himself to wait in silence for God alone. In that place of stillness, something happens and puts fervent hope and strong expectation to work.

Your silence is a state of receiving. More than just being quiet, submitting to God in silence means you intentionally yield to Him and focus your thoughts only on Him. This is where people often become frustrated because they haven’t trained themselves to wait on the Lord. Perhaps you have experienced this? You pray for a few minutes then realize your thoughts have wandered off somewhere else!

It’s much like children who say whatever crosses their minds! Your thoughts do that too. When that happens, just turn your mind toward the Lord again. God gave you the ability to direct your thinking wherever you choose.

We are created by God and naturally equipped to study and investigate the world around us. As believers, we’re spiritually equipped to study and look into God and His ways. You don’t have to be a theologian! Setting your mind on God and His Word is a part of the training to keep your mind on track.

Isaiah 40:31 reminds us that those who wait on the Lord are changed and fortified with God’s power. They receive a strengthening from Him that enables them to get up and go forward. Great spiritual strength can come to us if we’ll practice being still in God’s presence. Practice means if you slip up, don’t give up!

Let’s practice today. Set yourself before the Father and concentrate on Him. Perhaps use a Psalm to connect your thoughts to His attributes and read it with the expectation of receiving what it says. If your mind goes off track, gently pull it back to the Word. As you practice being still, you give God opportunity to speak to your heart!