As I shared with you in last week’s Prayerful Pause, I want to encourage us individually and collectively to find ways to practice Holy Stillness before God during July and August. I believe that the time we spend in the stillness with God at the start of this new church year will help us as we seek to move forward together in our shared ministry. This week, I want to share some suggestions for helping us be still and know God more deeply.
My first tip is to begin your time of stillness with a prayer. David’s prayer in Psalm 131 paints a beautiful picture of stillness before God. If you've ever watched a child still and quiet as they drift off to sleep in a parent's arms, you've seen a picture of what Holy Stillness looks like. It's a place of comfort, satisfaction, and rest. You may want to consider praying the words of Psalm 131 as you enter a time of stillness with God.
1O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.
2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
3 O Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore.
Here are a few more tips for practicing Holy Stillness during July and August.
Find a comfortable and quiet place to sit when you practice stillness. Listen and talk to God in a place where you feel relaxed and at peace.
Put away all the things that distract you. Focus on something that soothes you and helps you be still.
You can pray out loud or silently. You can journal, draw or doodle your prayers to God too. At times, I’ve also found joy in writing letters to God.
Listen to quiet hymns or praise music in the stillness. I have found that Instrumental music works well for me.
Read and reflect on a Bible verse or passage.
Try starting with 5 or 10 minutes of stillness and then build up to 30 minutes or more.
You can practice Holy stillness at any time of the day or night whenever it's convenient for you.
Give yourself permission to doze off in the stillness but be sure to set an alarm if you have somewhere to go!
Above all, be still and know that God loves you and will never leave you. In the stillness, may you find love and the deep peace of Christ that fuels our life and ministry together!