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Silence and Solitude

The noise of our lives is keeping us from a life with God

Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. LUKE 5:15-16 NIV

But Jesus

often

withdrew

to lonely places

And prayed.

We need silence and solitude because…

This practice reveals what is happening in our internal lives

LORD, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp. Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me. PSALM 131:1-2 NLT

This practice can reveal purpose for our lives

Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” theLord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the LORD passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. 1 KINGS 19:11-12 NLT

This practice changes us by the love of God

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. EPHESIANS 3:16-19 NIV

But what is prayer doing to me?

How can we begin to practice silence and solitude?

Find some time in your day to be alone and quiet

Don’t underestimate how much Jesus can do with so little

Presence is better than perfect: Imperfectly show up to quiet prayer

Dealing with distractions: When I think about _______, simply say, “Jesus, here I am”

My Notes

Personal Reflection Guide

Find a place that is free of noise and distractions to help you to hear from God. Pay attention to your internal thoughts and emotions and allow them to become quiet. You may want to go for a walk and observe nature to help you become still. When you are ready, commit the time to God for His purposes. As you think about spending time with God in silence and solitude, what are your thoughts and feelings about doing this, and what do they reveal about what you believe? Ask God to help you experience His loving gaze upon you as you sit with Him in silence for a few minutes. Listen for what He may be saying to you through your thoughts and feelings, and have a conversation with Him about them. Thank God for His great love for you and the transformation He will accomplish in your life through these extended times of prayer. Close by planning when in the next week you can take a longer prayer time with God in silence and solitude and put it in your schedule. Finally, thank God for this time together, writing any reflections in the space below and sharing with your group if you feel comfortable.

Discussion Questions

NOTE: Choose a couple of the following questions from each section that best
fit your group. Or, have everyone read the questions, choosing which one(s) from each
section that they feel led to respond to.

  1. START HERE: What is the quietest part of your day? How much quiet do you have on any given day?
  2. START HERE: What do you think all of this noise is doing to us as human beings?
  3. START HERE: Why do you think people tend to avoid the quiet?
  4. KEEP GOING: What was the practice of silence like for you when we did it in church?
  5. KEEP GOING: Read Luke 5:15-16 (NLT). Jesus knows what it’s like to have a demanding schedule, and He still made silence and prayer a priority. What could change if you did the same?
  6. KEEP GOING: Think about the reasons or obstacles that get in the way of your own prayer life. If Jesus were sitting across from you, what do you think He would say to you about that?
  7. KEEP GOING: The intent of prayer is relational and transformational; how can we avoid prayer just becoming something we check off our “to-do” list?
  8. LIVE IT OUT: What noise in your day-to-day life will you intentionally turn off? How will you intentionally create space for silence during this series?
  9. LIVE IT OUT: This week, practice small doses of silence and solitude: consider eating lunch without your phone or computer, driving without music or a podcast, or taking small moments of silence once or twice during your day. Text each other during the week and talk about how that’s going.
  10. LIVE IT OUT: At the end of your time together, have someone read Ephesians 3:16-19 (NLT) as a prayer of blessing over the group.