Silence and Solitude
Think of a jar full of dirty water. When shaken up, the water is murky. If you let the jar sit, after some time, the silt and mud will slowly begin to settle to the bottom and the water will become clear. This is what silence and solitude can bring about in our own hearts. We spend so much of our lives shaken up and unsettled, and times of silence and solitude allow the silt of our lives to settle so we can more clearly see God and ourselves.
Now more than ever, followers of Jesus need to be intentional about cultivating regular times of silence and solitude to be with Jesus and to hear from him.
Where do I begin?
Start by watching this video:
This clip helps give some definitions and reasons for why we need silence and solitude in our lives. Silence is a quieting of both our outer and inner worlds. Solitude is a chosen separation for refining your soul.
Now, let's Practice!
A Helpful Place to Start
1. Put away your phone or any other distractions, settle into your time/place, and get comfortable
For most people, sitting with your back straight, shoulders relaxed, legs on the floor is a good start. Others do better lying on their back in a relaxed position.
Some of you may prefer to do this exercise while walking or doing something simple with your hands, like laundry or drawing.
2. Begin with a breathing prayer
Close your eyes.
Take long, deep, slow breaths (if you want, count 4 seconds in, 4 seconds wait, 4 seconds out, repeat). Inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth.
Start to pay attention to your breathing. Just “watch” your breath go in and out.
Release the constant chatter in your mind. Let each thought go as quickly as it comes, and just focus on your breathing.
Your mind will seize this opportunity to run wild with thoughts, feelings, memories, to do’s, and distractions. That’s okay. Don’t judge yourself, feel bad, give up, or worry. When you notice your mind start to wander, just recenter with a quick prayer, like, “Father…” and come back to your breathing.
In the beginning, just 1-2 minutes of this is a huge win, and 10 minutes is a home run.
3. Spend a few minutes “abiding in the vine”
Transition from your breathing prayer to “the practice of the presence of God.”
Notice God’s presence all around you, in you. For some people it’s helpful to imagine the Father is sitting in the chair across from you or on a throne.
Welcome his love, joy, and peace from the Holy Spirit.
If you want, open your mind and imagination to listen for God’s voice, or get something off your chest in prayer.
But the main goal here is simply to “be with Jesus.” Don’t feel like you have to “do” anything. Just relax and enjoy his presence.
4. Close in a prayer of gratitude and commit the rest of your day to the Father
A few things to note:
You can’t “succeed” or “fail” at this practice. All you can do is show up. Be patient. This takes some people years to master. Resist the urge to say, “I’m bad at this” or “This isn’t for me.” Don’t judge yourself, especially if you’re an overachiever type.
If you’re more of an “S” on the Meyer’s Briggs, and sitting still is just death, you might want to try this while doing a stretching exercise or going on a walk somewhere quiet and distraction free (like a park or short hike). Apply the same idea to a walking prayer, and just focus on your walking instead of your breathing.
From practicingtheway.org
Wanna go deeper? Check out these resources:
Silence and Solitude.pdfFrom How to Unhurry Workbook by John Mark Comer
This resource has a few more thoughts and ideas on how to engage in activities that slow down our hearts and allow us to focus more fully on God.
This is a part of a workbook that can be found HERE.