But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
2 Corinthians 8:7

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A practice that’s most commonly associated with recent spiritual awakenings is that of seeking times of silence in our lives.  It’s hard to hear the Spirit with all the noise around us.  So, many Christians have learned to take some small part of each day and set it aside for silence.  This means shutting off the beeper, turning off the TV and radio, taking the phone off the hook, and closing the door.  Or, it means walking off to the beach or garden or mountains, as Jesus Himself did, and not doing anything but leaving yourself open to the Lord.

This time set aside for silence during the day is often called “quiet time”.  It’s usually done first thing in the morning, but some people have been able to use their train or bus ride to work for it, or perhaps they slip off to a neglected cubbyhole of their workplace during coffee break or lunch.  (I myself can’t do that: I am still too easily distracted.)  Quiet time, as with other devotional activities, can help give some divine rhythm to the daily routine.  That takes care of outside noise.  But what about inside noise?  Our own mind is constantly thinking about what to do, what’s going to happen, what others are thinking, and what we aspire to or lust after.  That sort of stuff is also noise, at least to our spirit.  To turn that off, the ancients did something very simple: they breathed.  That is, they breathed through their nose, slowly, deeply, using their diaphragm, focusing their mind on the act of breathing.  The body reacts to this sort of breathing by relaxing; muscle tension fades away, and blood pressure drops.  The mind reacts too; as the body relaxes and the thoughts focus down on the one basic action we can’t shut off, other thoughts and sensations are left behind.  This leaves us free to hear God whisper to us.

Many Christians who use quiet time lead into it with a certain kind of noise; praise or intercessory prayer (prayer that asks for our needs and for the needs of others).  Most of us find it easier to be silent once we take off the weight of our burdens for those we love and lay them before God.  But others, especially those of a ‘contemplative’ approach, find that to be too ‘noisy’, and find that the first thing to do is to listen to God by silence, and then lead out of it with intercessions.  Whatever order you find useful, trust that God will receive your prayers and will speak to you in the silence.

Quiet time is more than just a daily appointment with God.  It’s more like a visit with your closest friend.  It’s especially important for those of us who’ve made our lives in such a way that we’d make God get an appointment to speak to us.  Good relationships need the time; they can’t live as just another item on the agenda, yet they are lost if time isn’t specifically set aside for them

Daniel 6:10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

Let's consider Daniel for a moment.  Here is one of the great rulers of the Persian empire, in charge of the King’s affairs and of the affairs of the entire government.  Now if anyone is really busy - it’s Daniel!  But in spite of all this, he makes it a point to set himself apart from the world and pray three times a day.

This really got me.  I mean, how busy are we...really?  And what are we really doing?  It’s like this.  If we are neglecting the important things of God, we’re simply doing more than God intended!  Let’s keep our priorities in order!  Let’s be a people of prayer!  There’s so much work to be done!

In Christ,

Diana Kennedy