When was the last time you experienced a few minutes of complete quiet? Is it even possible in our noise-saturated society?

Ringtones abruptly waken us in the morning. The voice of a beloved author reads her latest bestseller as we drive. The chitchat of coworkers interrupts our concentration on a project due yesterday. A small child questions for the umpteenth time, “Why?” We exercise while streaming informative podcasts. Our phones ding notifications incessantly.

Silence is awkward. Dead air on the radio makes us anxious. When discussion lulls during a meeting, we become uneasy. Quick, somebody say something! We turn on the TV to hear the voice of another human being to fend off the loneliness. We numb our relationship pain by streaming a favorite movie on demand.

Practicing the spiritual discipline of silence helps to restore the peace and clarity that eludes the soul of a weary Christian pilgrim.

What Is the Spiritual Discipline of Silence?

One author defines the spiritual discipline of silence as, “A regenerative practice of attending and listening to God in quiet, without interruption and noise. Silence provides freedom from speaking as well as from listening to words or music.”[i]

In this practice, Christians intentionally place themselves in a quiet place to focus on God and His presence. They refrain from speaking, move away from the voices of other people, and turn off technology and entertainment.

Susan Muto observes, “In a noise-polluted world, it is even difficult to hear ourselves think let alone try to be still and know God. Yet it seems essential for our spiritual life to seek some silence, no matter how busy we may be. Silence is not to be shunned as empty space, but to be befriended as fertile ground for intimacy with God.”[ii]

The Christian Scriptures Teach the Spiritual Discipline of Silence

In the opening of the book he authored, the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk was confused and demanded answers from God. Why were the wicked prospering in the nation? From his Holy Temple, God then answered and shared his own viewpoint. He assured Habakkuk that He certainly was not blind to the violence and evil on the earth. God was neither absent nor idle. God’s vision and plan for his people would certainly be fulfilled, but in a radically different way than the prophet had expected.

God’s words deeply affected Habakkuk.

But the LORD is in his holy temple;

let all the earth be silent before him.[iii]

In this passage, the term silent refers to a respectful silence filled with awe, a holy hush, a time without speaking. For Christians to practice this command, they must strive to create quietness in the clamor of noise that infiltrates their everyday lives.

Out of the silence, the prophet responded with a new perspective in a beautiful prayer of trust in God. With catastrophic events on the horizon, Habakkuk praised God for his splendor, salvation, and strength.

Suggestions to Practice the Discipline of Silence

1. Find an intentional place

Think of a quiet, safe place where you can escape from the racket and chaos of your life. A sacred space set apart to be with God where other voices cannot reach in, technology cannot distract, and intrusive sounds cannot interrupt.

• A secluded spot in your home
• Alone in your office or workspace
• A quiet corner of a library
• An isolated seat in a museum
• A bench in a city park
• A hiking trail in the woods
• A solitary walk through your neighborhood or garden
• A path by a lake
• Sitting or walking on a beach

2. Set an intentional time

Make a sacred appointment. Put it on the calendar. Other responsibilities will easily push this appointment aside. Resist the call to attend to “higher priority” or “urgent” tasks.

• Over a coffee break or lunch hour
• While preschoolers are napping or after their bedtime
• Before sunrise
• Before the rest of your family begins their day
• Arriving to your workspace before anyone else
• In the evening after work
• Early on a weekend morning

3. Intentionally listen

At first, we may feel lonely, awkward, fearful, or out of control. If this practice is new to you, start small. Ten minutes is a good place to start. Experiment with what works for your everyday reality.

• Turn off your phone, iPad, laptop, and other technology.
• Set a timer to keep from watching the clock.
• You may be tempted to fill the noiselessness with words. Resist.
• You may be tempted to do something in your isolation. Just be still or walk quietly.
• Your thoughts will scream, “This is a complete waste of time!” It’s not.
• Listen to the quiet.
• Still your soul in the silence.
• Turn your thoughts to God.

Calhoun encourages, “And as the silence settles in and nothing seems to be happening, we often struggle with the feeling that we are wasting time… As we remain in the silence, the inner noise and chaos will begin to settle… Silence is a time to rest in God. Lean into God, trusting that being with him in silence will loosen your rootedness in the world and plant you by streams of living water.”[iv]

Practicing the Spiritual Discipline of Silence Deepens a Christian's Relationship with God

When Christians create silence, they place themselves in a consecrated space to begin to hear the gentle Whisper of God. They become aware of their own sacred personhood in the Creator’s eyes, unattached to a career, another person, or perhaps most importantly, their electronic devices.

As the quiet and calm seeps into our harried soul, the chaos in our life is stilled for a few moments. We gain clarity and perspective. As we practice the spiritual discipline of silence, we come to echo the prayer of the poet John Greenleaf Whittier,

Drop Thy still dews of quietness,

Till all our strivings cease;

Take from our souls the strain and stress,

And let our ordered lives confess

The beauty of Thy peace.

[i] Calhoun, Adele Ahlberg, Spiritual Disciplines Handbook, page 107.

[ii] Muto, Susan. In Spiritual Disciplines Handbook, Calhoun, Adele Ahlberg, page 107.

[iii] See Habakkuk 2:20.

[iv] Calhoun, page 109.