How to Be Still {even if you don’t like silence}

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Is your life full of noise, activity, and chaos? Do you find your schedule packed and hectic? Are you struggling to find peace, quiet, and tranquility in your life? Do you long to hear God’s voice more clearly in your life?

Learning how to be still will bring more peace to your chaos, more calm to your busy. Not only will you calm your heart, but you’ll also learn to hear God more clearly in your life. 

Practicing Stillness is Essential to Keep Your Busy Life Focused on God

Most of us are living busy, hectic lives. Too often we push aside stillness and quiet, replacing them with more activity and tasks. I know there’s not much quiet in my house between two active kids, busy school and sports schedules, and the daily tasks of running a family.

Yet, when I don’t take time to be still, I begin to feel run down, exhausted and stretched thin. I feel myself walking off in my own path, rather than walking in lock-step with God.

One of the best ways I stay connected with God is to spend time in stillness. Spending time in the Bible and in prayer are great ways to stay spiritually connected, but all too often these become tasks to complete and I fill the space with my words instead of listening for God’s.

When I take time to be still, though, I focus on not doing, not speaking, not rushing ahead. I sit still and listen. I spend time just ‘being’ with God and He renews me.

10 Ideas for How to Be Still With God {even if you don’t like silence}

Stillness is when you step away from the busy of life and connect with God. It’s when you slow down for a few minutes and listen – truly listen – for God’s voice. Stillness is how you stay focused on God’s vision for your life and listen for His direction and guidance. Stillness is how you allow God to calm your restless heart.

If you’re not sure how to carve out this space and time to practice stillness, below are ten ideas to be still and listen to God. Try some of these contemplative prayer ideas today. Renew your relationship with God and calm your weary soul.

1) Find a quiet place and simply sit in silence with God.

Sit in the silence for 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes. Use this time for listening prayer.

Resist the urge to fill the space with words. Simply ease into the silence and just be.

2) Do some breathing exercises.

Take the time to pause, breathe, and reflect. As your breath becomes relaxed and steady, settle in and listen.

One of my favorite breathing exercises to help me settle into silence is to count backward from 50. Begin by counting backward from 50, one number on each inhale and exhale. When you get to 20, only count on the exhales until you reach 1.

I’ve found this to bring an extraordinary calm and focus.

3) Take a walk around your neighborhood in silence.

Go for a walk with no music, no telephone, no checking the internet.

Just walk in silence, listening to the sound of the world around you.

Allow your mind to drift into the steady beat of your footsteps and listen for God.

4) Take a long bath.

Play some light music or just listen to the sound of the water. Allow yourself to relax into God’s presence.

As your body relaxes, allow your mind to relax and drift into stillness.

Set aside your own thoughts and to-do lists and just listen.

5) Find a labyrinth near you and walk it.

Walking a labyrinth is one of my favorite ways to be still with God, even in the movement of walking. Allow Him to speak to you as you journey.

If you can’t find a labyrinth to physically walk, you can print one out or even follow one online for a virtual walk.

6) Practice stillness through art.

Coloring and painting are great ways to pray and find stillness as you relax into the movement.

Don’t worry about what you’re creating. Instead, create it as a prayer and allow God to direct your paintbrush.

7) Doodle as you pray.

Prayer doodling is my favorite way to pray through art. Linger over each person on your prayer list, drawing their name on a piece of paper and then doodling all around. Don’t fill your prayers with words, also lean into the prayer and listen.

8) Practice Lectio Divina and listen for God through Scripture.

In your Bible time, take a small piece of scripture, even a single verse and linger over the words.

Listen for how God is speaking to you through that scripture, turning the words over and over in your mind.

Sit still and listen for His words.

9) Practice stillness through music.

Instead of using scripture for your reflection as in #8, use music to enter into stillness.

Close your eyes and listen to it play over and over.

Listen for words or phrases God places on your heart during this quiet time as the music plays.

Allow the ear of your heart to connect to God.

10) Share your morning coffee or tea with God.

Sit in silence as you watch the sunrise or enjoy a beautiful morning.

Get up a little bit early, before the rest of your house, so you can have quiet time with God.

Or, if you’re not a morning person, sit and watch the sunset with God, enjoy some quiet time outside at the end of your day, or lay under the stars.

How Will You Practice Stillness This Week and Reconnect with God? 

Practicing stillness in my everyday, busy life is one of the most essential components of my relationship with God. I need to spend time just ‘being’ with God, to sit quietly and listen, to allow Him to renew my spirit and refill me with energy and inspiration.

When I get too busy and neglect stillness, I can tell. I feel more run down and further from God. 

Don’t neglect stillness in your spiritual life.

Make time for God – not just for talking, studying, and serving, but also for just sitting with him in stillness.

Allow God to fill you back up and speak into your heart.

“In the rush and noise of life, as you have intervals, step home within yourself and be still. Wait upon God, and feel his good presence; this will carry you evenly through your day’s business.” ~William Penn

I’d love to hear from you. How does stillness help in your life? What are your favorite ways to spend time with God?

Want to dig deeper into stillness and find the power of being still in God, even amidst the storms of your life? Try 21 days of prayer focused on finding stillness in the storm. Find peace and calm in the middle of life’s chaos. Discover how to find stillness and Sabbath for your life and live into the rhythm of rest and restoration. Unlock the power of “be still” for your own life and learn to trust God’s plans.

Learn more about Pray Deep: Finding Stillness in the Storm.

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[This post is part of the Visible Faith series. Click here to learn more about this series on how to live a vibrant, visible faith.]