#PRAYER IN SILENCE TRIAL#

Jesus did not directly speak of silence, but demonstrated its importance throughout his ministry. Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. The Lord is in his holy temple let all the earth keep silence before him! Listen to me in silence, O coastlands let the peoples renew their strength. Here are a few:įor God alone my soul waits in silence from him comes my salvation.įor everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven … a time to keep silence, and a time to speak. In Scripture we can also find a number of important quotes on silence. Prayer requires both silence and crying out at the same time, both in the presence of God in response to God’s Word. The speaking of the church through silence is the proper proclamation of Christ. This is what it means to make an obedient response to the revelation of God that occurs in the Word. Silence about Christ is the ground of speech. Speaking of Christ originates in silence. Insofar as the church proclaims Christ, it must fall down in worshipful silence before the unspeakable. The Holy Spirit himself preaches here, and one word of his sermon is far better than a thousand of our prayers. If such an abundance of good thoughts comes to us we ought to disregard the other petitions, make room for such thoughts, listen in silence, and under no circumstances obstruct them. It may happen occasionally that I may get lost among so many ideas in one petition that I forego the other six. If preaching is not born of silence, it is a waste of time. Preaching the word of God implies silence. Silence and solitude are the supreme luxuries of life. Silence … is the room Jesus told us to enter into when we pray.

To counteract this age of too many decibels, the way of silence and stillness in prayer speaks to us of a deep human need and a spiritual path that is rooted in the ‘inner desert’ of the heart where the Spirit is waiting. Talk in prayer is essential but it is also partial. The Father spoke from all eternity just one word. If he is not edified by my silence, there is no hope that he will be edified by my words.Ībbot Pambo, Sayings of the Desert Fathers

#PRAYER IN SILENCE TRIAL#

Silence shows you what you are suffering from.Īny trial that comes to you can be conquered by silence.Ībbot Pastor, Sayings of the Desert Fathers We cannot put ourselves directly in the presence of God if we do not practice internal and external silence. Souls of prayer are souls of great silence.

The Word of God must be heard in the silence of the heart, the place in which it can be welcomed and given space so that it might become creative. Silence is nothing else but waiting for God’s Word and coming from God’s Word with a blessing. Silence of the heart is necessary so you can hear God everywhere - in the closing of the door, in the person who needs you, in the birds that sing, in the flowers, in the animals. So, I thought I would share here some of my favorite quotes on silence, particularly as they relate to prayer, to remind us of why it is such a vital aspect of our spiritual lives. The kind of silence that is essential to prayer can be challenging to find in our noisy, busy world. As Eugene Peterson says, “ Talk in prayer is essential but it is also partial. But silence is an important aspect of prayer, especially if we think of prayer as not just talking to God, but also listening to God. And there is silence that can be chosen as the easier way out, when speaking up is the better choice. There is involuntary silence, forced silence, and unwelcome silence. For God alone my soul waits in silence from him comes my salvation.

Prayer in silence