Engaging Your Soul with a Silence and Solitude Practice

For Susanna Wesley, making time for silence and solitude was a priority. As a mother of nineteen children, nine of whom passed away in infancy, she did her best to manage an active household.

Nevertheless, Susanna found a creative way to find time with the Lord. Sitting in her chair with her apron over her head as she read her Bible was a subtle sign to her children: “I am having my quiet time with the Lord. Please don’t bother me.”

Her desire to seek the Lord directly impacted her children, two of whom are among the most influential men in modern church history–John and Charles Wesley.

Like this faithful woman, we too need that quiet time with the Lord.

With the internet and social media at our fingertips, we are constantly bombarded with notifications that interrupt us. We need to purposely tune out the world’s noise and intentionally focus on the Lord. We need to enter a time of silence and solitude, when our phones are on “do not disturb,” and distractions are nonexistent.

So how do we do this? We schedule it. It sounds crazy, doesn’t it? However, scheduling this silence and solitude is just as important as scheduling physical exercise or a night out with friends. If we don’t physically schedule it, it will not happen.

Even Jesus himself made room for silence and solitude while His ministry was in full swing, teaching, preaching, healing the sick, and raising the dead. If I think my calendar is full, it is nothing compared to all that Jesus was doing.

Jesus, who took on human form to save us from our sins, knew what it felt like to be exhausted.

Matthew writes that Jesus and His disciples traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues, and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom of God. By this time, Jesus had quite the following, and large crowds gathered around Him everywhere He went.

We know what that feels like at times, right?

When my children were toddlers, they would follow me all around the house. They were under my feet when I tried to make dinner. When I tried to have a moment of peace in the bathroom, they were right there waiting for me to come out. I can remember growling and grumbling most of the time! Now, I look back and realize that, by following me around the house, my boys kept close to me because I was the center of their world.

Likewise, Jesus was the center of the Jewish people’s lives. This humble servant, son of a carpenter, travelled throughout the land, healing the people from sickness and disease. He cast out demons and healed paralytics. Jesus cured all those who came to Him in need of healing.

And yet, amidst His busy, growing ministry, our Savior made it a priority to set aside time to pray.

The gospel writer Mark tucks a simple but powerful verse between the stories of healing and preaching. He writes,

“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.”

(Mark 1:35, ESV, emphasis added)

Note how the Scripture mentions it was still dark! If our Savior so prioritized quiet time with the Father, what excuse do we have to not spend quiet time alone with Him?

Here are four ways to engage your soul with your own silence and solitude practice:

1. Get up early.

Before the texts and emails come in, set your alarm to ring a half-hour earlier than you would usually get up. Read the Bible or sit in silence, listening for the whisperings of the Lord.

2. Take a walk.

Enjoy God’s creation and get some exercise at the same time. Silently focus on the beauty that surrounds you.

3. Take a drive.

If you are alone in the car, turn the radio off and just sit in silence. Listen for the Lord’s whispers or let Him know what’s on your mind. Have a conversation with Him. He’s there, and He’s listening.

4. Go the distance.

Engage in a 24 to 48-hour silence and solitude retreat. Christian camps in your area may have an off-season rate for cabin rental. Go alone, or invite a few friends and make a community spiritual retreat of it.

Practicing silence and solitude will lead us on the path of spiritual transformation. Finding rest for our weary souls is a discipline we must routinely practice. It’s time to tune out the noise and focus on Jesus—and like He Himself demonstrates for us, it’s time to engage in silence and solitude.