Silence & Solitude: Creating a daily space for attention to God
You know that feeling of constantly having stimulation around you?! Constant noise, intake, distraction, hurry, restlessness- you know “normal life”. EXCEPT IT’S NOT. Friends- this year I’ve made a massive shift in my life this year that has allowed me to realize the things I was letting stand in my way from living with an unhurried soul and hearing His voice clearly. Things like constant restlessness and this “new normal” of not knowing what it feels like to simply b e silent and still before the Lord LONG ENOUGH to hear Him speak and f e e l Him move. I talk all about what that shift was here and the Resource that changed our lives. It’s all about this way of living that models after the way of life Jesus intentionally lived, these intentional practices He did so that He could live with an easy yoke and then turned around and said, “follow me”. “Walk with me instead of running ahead of me because of your constant restlessness.” DON’T YOU LOVE that in a world that tells you to make it happen on your own, find peace in self care and hustle- that we serve a God who tells us to r e s t and lean into Him?!
Over the past few months I have been doing one of those intentional practices we see Jesus consistently include in his days (especially the busiest ones) and it has made the biggest impact on how I’m able to recognize His nearness and walk in His peace, other than Sabbath! And I had to share it with you. What I love about this practice is that it is a straight up CLAIMING BACK of our attention. It’s us saying, “I’m choosing to start my day by quieting the noise, planting myself in His presence and giving Him my attention before giving it to the World”. It’s a practice that Jesus knew His soul needed in a world full of distraction and hurry and “urgent”. It’s called Silence & Solitude and you guys- it has absolutely become an anchor practice in my days!
We are distracting ourselves into spiritual oblivion and thinking depth in God isn’t possible. But the root issue is, we can’t sit still long enough for healing and life.
There is a SOUL REST, a space for true healing, a new awareness of God’s nearness to y o u and a new clarity in how you’re able to hear His voice in y o u r life that SIMPLY comes from learning to s i t still long enough to learn what that feels like. To let God move. And it takes practice to live in awareness and attention to God, especially in a modern world. And the Lord is FULL of grace as we learn what that looks like in a culture that is literally built around grabbing our attention. He isn’t oblivious to what is grabbing your attention, and He knows that some of it isn’t bad. He has given us the freedom to enjoy the things around us, and has called us to steward those well- but the b e s t way we can enjoy things without being enslaved to them and steward well what He has given us is by allowing ourselves the s p a c e in our day to be grounded in Him and His presence.
Silence & Solitude isn’t a new practice and it’s new con artist “meditation” is trying to steal the show. But silence & solitude is a JESUS focused practice that is also a time of quieting ourselves and being still but it offers you something secular meditation never can. Access to the Lord and HIS power and peace that f i l l s you up!
I love that the Lord was intentional to show us this in Jesus’s life in Scripture. That on days when Jesus was teaching to thousands or busy doing good, when he was needing to make an important decision, heading into or out of a wilderness season, before the CROSS or simply in the mundane of e v e r y day - He always knew what His soul needed most and He prioritized it. Sometimes even over sleep (wuff, I know. Stick with me hahah). It was time alone with the Father. Intimate time to quiet his soul, quiet the noise and simply be alone with the Father. So much so that it became a major theme in the Gospels; a beautiful consistent reminder to us that time alone with God isn’t just something to cross of our list, it’s the intimate place that God wants to breathe l i f e into us.
“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35)
“Because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’ So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.” (Mark 6:31-32)
“Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16)
This place Jesus consistently returned to in Greek is translated to the “eremos”: a quiet and solitary place.
[SILENCE]: quieting the external noise around us & the internal noise within us.
[SOLITUDE]: getting away and being alone with the Father. Intimate time, just y o u and Him.
AND HERE IS GOD’S HEART in inviting you to this “eremos” with Him:
He isn’t expecting you to be perfect. This isn’t some legalistic law He is forcing on you. He has never ending grace for you friend. This is the overflow of God’s love for you, individually, that says, “you weren’t intended to go throughout your day without me. Let me bring you back in to what matters most. Let me give you soul rest and fill you with my peace and come near to you with my presence- so that you can walk throughout your day grounded in m e and with my easy yoke.”
There is something so personal, powerful and necessary that the Lord wants to do in you if you’ll give Him your attention, friend, and this practice is a way for us to give Him our attention before we begin our day so that we can invite Him to bring us back to Him and steady us for whatever comes our way. I have noticed such a massive difference in my days when I spend this time in quiet with the Lord. And MAN DO I notice when I haven’t. When I start my day spending a few minutes in silence & solitude, especially when I push through and do it even when I’ve woken up late and feel like I just need to “Get on with my day already”- I feel grounded. I feel refreshed at a soul level. I feel strengthened by his presence, put at ease by his peace and with a clearer perspective that is set on Him instead of the overwhelm that may be around me. The way I react to things throughout my day, the way that I process thoughts and people’s statements, the deep hope that I feel, the way I’m able to walk throughout my day and assess my emotions- is drastically impacted by this simple time away with the Lord.
Because it’s in silence & solitude where Jesus let His w h o l e self rest in the Father. It’s there where He practiced what it felt like to abide in the Father and be filled up and in turn be able to bear fruit throughout His day. For GOD’s glory and the good of others. And if we are being completely honest as we look to the Word, if JESUS needed this time and prioritized it- then so do we.
SO LET’S BREAK IT DOWN!
Silence & solitude is a n y t h i n g but complicated, it’s the place where complicated things and emotions and thoughts come and find r e s t in Him. For me, daily silence & solitude is simply a 5-10min time of just quieting myself and getting alone with the Father. I do it every morning before I even open my Bible, journal etc. It’s this simple, separate time of just being with and listening to God. Somedays I get distracted a l o t, somedays I only get in 2 minutes right before I walk into work. But that’s okay- because each time the Lord is faithful to meet us. And even if today was scattered, He knows and He comes near anyways. He is after our heart not our perfection.
Daily Silence & Solitude is a 5-10min time of practicing God’s presence and practicing listening to His voice.
It’s simply learning to just b e in His presence. To be still and rest in His nearness. Practice giving Him our attention and pushing aside distraction. Practice waiting on His voice and pouring ourselves out to Him. So that we can learn what His presence and voice feel like for u s, in our lives.
I have so loved this simple practice of silence & solitude and know that you will too. Because time with the Lord always fills us with exactly what we crave and need most- Him. Try it out with me!
HERE’S A SIMPLE ROUTINE FOR STARTING THIS PRACTICE OF SILENCE & SOLITUDE IN YOUR DAY.
Get alone (even if that’s while your littles nap) to a quiet place before you start your day.
Quiet as much external noise as you can and tell yourself that these next few minutes are simply a time of pushing aside distractions and internal dialogue to focus in on the Lord.
Set a timer for 5-10min. Or make space, for even 1-2 minutes of your time!
Start by taking a deep breath and take as many as you need throughout your time.
Deep breaths instantly help me release any anxiety, overwhelm and help me to re-focus on Him in more peace.
Practice simply being still,
imagining breathing in His presence and breathing o u t any worries, prayers or struggles you’re dealing with. Breathe out — breathe HIM in.
Imagine yourself being grounded in His presence and peace.
Imagine His presence in Heaven or picture the person of Jesus right in front of you. Plant yourself. Sit there a while.
Practice listening.
When distractions come into your head, intentionally push them aside and refocus. Wait and listen, look for peace. Imagine what He would say to you if He was right in front of you.
Practice His presence.
Look out the window, close your eyes, imagine His nearness and invite Him to fill you with His tangible presence. Note what it feels like. Peace? Comfort? Joy? A deep hope? A pressure on your chest that makes you feel EXCITED and joyful and alive?
Each day for the past few months, I woke up because I wanted something. I wanted time to refresh my soul and plant myself in His presence before the world came rushing in. I wanted His voice to begin my day. I wanted HIM and I needed HIM.
And even if today was scattered, shorter or more distracted than usual- that’s okay. We met the Lord and we’ll be right back here tomorrow. Starting our day in the quiet place. Receiving rest for our souls.
xo, Lanissa
P.S. If you want to learn more about this practice & what it looks like to follow after Jesus in your everyday with an unhurried soul, TRUST ME & grab this book that has changed our lives!! <3
