The power of silent prayer

Have you ever asked yourself what silence means to you? - Personally silence means quiet, peace and reflection.

Last night at church we heard a sermon on the power of praying silently, which challenged me to think about how often I actually take the time to be silent. When was the last time you found a time of silence with no other noise or distraction?

Before we ask the following questions it's important that we approach the topic with an open and generous heart.

So what does it mean to pray silently?
Well firstly, and quite obviously, it means to pray without words. And we must remember that it is only one approach to prayer; for some people this isn't a way they can draw close to God in prayer, and thats fine... you must pray as you CAN and not as you CAN'T. But we must all pray as we read in Jeremiah 29:12 "Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you." By praying in silence we often contemplate more things than we may do with distractions around us, it allows time for us to clear our minds and it brings rest, refreshment and trust in God. We are temples that He longs to dwell in, so by removing those things we allow Him to fill us completely.
Silent prayer is simple AND difficult. Finding the time to actually do it is hard enough! Yet when we reach that place of peace and reflection it becomes the easiest and most natural thing to do, because we are with our Daddy. Silence acts as a magnifying glass into the deepest places in our lives. Silent prayer is freedom AND discipline. I love this quote from Minnie Aumonier that perfectly describes how silence is an opportunity to listen to God. "There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it." Listening is a gift to anyone that is listened too, and we are all listened to by God, therefore we can all listen to him! Praying silently allows intimacy with God, intimacy to hear him and to act on what he says to us - we were made to be human BEINGS not human DOINGS!

So why should we pray silently?
Well it's in the Bible so that's a good start! If it's in there then it must be good to do! It bears fruit in our lives as we listen to God. We can find refuge in Him through silent prayer: Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God", Psalm 62:1 "For God alone my soul waits in silence" (NRS) Lamentations 3:26 "it is God to wait quietly for the for the salvation of the Lord", Matthew 6:5-15 - "When you pray..."

You might be thinking, well this is great but how do I actually pray silently?
Keep it simple & restful. God knows what's in your heart and your every thought, he just wants to hear you say it. If you don't know where to start, try starting by saying "Here I am God". Offer Him your thoughts and find peace in Him.
Use what helps you to find that place with God, that may be a candle, scripture or a picture. Don't worry if your mind is full of thoughts, just return that thing that helps you focus.
Have a simple framework, even set a timer so you know when to stop. It's the idea of keeping things simple again and do something significant to mark the beginning and end of prayer.
Reflect on what comes up for you in prayer, perhaps write it down - I find journalling really helpful.
And finally... BE EXPECTANT. Persevere in your prayer time and trust that God would talk to you.

Have a go at it and then ask yourself the question again; what does silence mean to you?