Looking for some simple Bible devotions? Devotions like this are by everyday Christian writers—real people just like you! They help give us reasons why the Bible is relevant for everyday life, and how we can connect with God each day. 

Practicing Silence

We spend too much time being busy. 🏃

Sarah reminds us how the practice of silence and stillness can be a beautiful offering to God.

Luke 5:16

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”

Written by Sarah J Callen

I have a vivid imagination, which I often bring to the Bible stories I read. When I first became a Christian and read verses like Luke 5:16, I imagined Jesus passionately praying and interceding. After a few years, my mental image of this verse changed. I focused on the relationship between Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. I could imagine them chatting, talking about everything and nothing. While I think there were moments of both of those, I now wonder if some of Jesus’s prayer times were spent sitting in silence. 

The verse before this one, Luke 5:15, says that word spread about Jesus and large crowds gathered around him. I can’t even fathom the amount of noise, need, and desperation felt in those crowds. Someone always needed something from Jesus, which sounds utterly exhausting to an introvert like me. I wonder if some of these prayer times were spent by Jesus sitting quietly in the presence of the Father and the Holy Spirit. 

I used to think that prayer only happened when words were spoken by me. Then I began setting aside time to sit in silence, making room so I could hear God speak. While I believe both are great examples of prayer, I’ve started sitting in silence lately, not to hear something from God, but just to enjoy his presence. I now view silence as a form of worship— I can give God my silence and stillness without expecting anything in return. 

Why It Matters

In a world filled with noise, content, and movement, I’ve been challenged to choose silence in this season. We can lay down our right to speak, and our desire to hear, and offer silence and stillness as worship to God. 

We believe that simple devotions like this verse reflection help us connect with God, so we’ve curated a whole stash of short Christian devotions. Check them out here!