Silence

Stop and listen
- being silent in the presence of God (and others) in order to hear what they are saying.

"Sometimes I tend to say that 'the Lord is not speaking to me', but i refuse to stop and listen."

"I believe when I am silent before God, its when I can receive His love. Because I am doing nothing or expecting nothing, it is easy to receive."

"Being silent is a discipline that God's been teaching. There are a lot of noise from normal noise to virtual noise. There are a lot of aspects to the practice of silence!"

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If we learn the secret of carrying a living silence in the center of our being, we can listen (to God) on the run. The listening silence can become intertwined with all our inward prayers. A few moments of relaxed silence, alone, everyday are desperately important - Thomas Kelly

Silence is a needed ingredient of our lives if we hope to deepen our intimacy with God.

[Psalm 46:10]
Be still and know I am God.

[Isaiah 30:15]
... In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength ...

[Exodus 14:14]
The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still.

We long for silence and yet we are afraid of silence. For when the outer world is quiet, we begin to hear our inner noise. Our heads are filled with chatter; …in the silence we begin to realize that we are everywhere but here.
- J. Vennard

The noise of our world has become a way of separating us from ourselves and from God.
The continual noise does not let us hear what is going on deep within.
As a result we live unexamined lives.
We live lives where there is no depth.



Think about these questions and explore with God your attitude toward silence.

When you think of being silent what feelings, thoughts, images arise within you?
What has been your experience of silence as a child, adolescent, adult?
How do you use silence with others?
Has anyone ever used his or her silence to punish you? What was that like for you?
When has silence deepened a relationship?
How does being silent in a group affect you?
Was there ever a time in your life when you experience silence as a gift…what was that like? What were the positive results that came from that time?
Do you long for more silence (be honest with yourself)?
If not, why are you resistant to silence?
What frightens you about being silent with yourself…being silent with God?
If so, where and when do you long for more silence in your life?
What is the difference for you between silence alone and silence in a group?
What can be the benefits of being silent with God?




Silence is difficult for most people. It can make us feel helpless, fearful, and vulnerable. We rely on words to manage, control, manipulate and protect, and in silence that is all taken away from us.

When we make room for silence we make rooms for ourselves…
Silence invites the unknown, the untamed, the wild, the shy, the unfathomable –
that which rarely has a chance to surface within us.”
- Gunilla Norris

Your internal silence will be a place of peace, a place of being with God and yourself…a place where you experience the grace, mercy, faithfulness, compassion and power of God in a personally transforming way no matter what may surround you.

Silence helps to create an empty space in your busy life for God.
Silence prepares you to hear the words of God.
Thus silence is not the end but a vehicle for paying attention to God.
It calls you to be present in the moment…to show up and place yourself in the way of God.
God is always present but you are not always present to God…silence enables you to be present to God.

It is so hard to be silent, silent with my mouth, but even more, silent with my heart.
There is so much talking going on within me.
It seems that I am always involved in inner debates with my friends, my enemies, my supporters, my opponents my colleagues, my rivals, and myself.
But this inner debate reveals how far my heart is from You.
- Henri Nouwen

[Psalm 37 :7]
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. ...

[Psalm46:10]
Be still and know I am God.

True silence is the rest of the mind;
it is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment. - William Penn

( Source from www.abidinginthevine.com )