Silent Prayer

There’s a story about a father and son who went to lunch together one day. When the waiter brought the food, the father said, “Son, we’ll just have a silent prayer.” Dad got through praying first and waited for the boy to finish his prayer. His son sat with his head bowed for an unusually long time, and when he finally looked up, his father asked him, “What in the world were you praying about all that time?” With the innocence and honesty of a child, he replied, “How do I know? It was a silent prayer.”

The truth is, sometimes, silent prayers are the best ones.

I once heard a pastor ask the question: Have you spent the same amount of time worrying and talking about your difficult, confusing situations as you have spent in silence listening to what God might have to say?

A friend once told me his spiritual disciple is to turn off the radio when he’s in the car alone. Another friend with small children shared that she would climb into the closet to hide the first thing in the morning so she could have 10 minutes of prayer. However it looks for you, I hope you can find a few minutes each day to sit and listen.

In Habakkuk, we read, “…the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him!”

Luke tells us in chapter 5: But now more than ever the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds would gather to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray. (Luke 5:15-16)

Let us pray: Grant us your grace and strength, O God, that we would be able to carve some quiet into our lives. In that space, heal us, guide us, lead us, and grant us the fullness of your peace. Amen.