Seeking the Lord in Silence
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Our theme for 2020 is Seeing Spiritually.
Our church and many churches are spending some time in prayer and fasting as we begin the new year.
Prayer and fasting is a spiritual discipline that has been practiced by the church since the time of Christ, but there are more spiritual disciplines than just fasting.
We will talk specifically about prayer and fasting next week, but before we do that we need to learn how to be still.
As I was preparing this message, my week emphasized the need for stillness and solitude. Thursday was the day in my week set aside for sermon preparation. My entire week was back to back meetings and appointments up until that time.
I attended a wedding last night and was to give the meditation, so I had that to prepare. The Dove/ Hopewell Leadership and Ministry School was also this weekend and I was going to be teaching in two sessions. We have nightly prayer meetings at Telford focused on prayer and fasting and Thursday was our turn to lead that.
So as I am trying to reflect on silence and solitude, I have all of these different task swirling around my head. How am I supposed to hear God’s voice through all of that?
9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. 13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
To seek the Lord, you need to get away from distraction.
To seek the Lord, you need to get away from distraction.
Holiness means to be “set apart.”
God is holy - He is set apart, beyond anything we know or can fathom.
People who want to know God want to set themselves apart, at least for a time to be able to get God’s perspective.
Elijah went and lived in a cave in the desert.
Jesus, John the Baptist, the Apostle Paul all spent time in the wilderness.
Many godly men and women throughout the centuries have found it necessary to spend time alone with God in order to get spiritual direction and perspective.
The early church Father: Athanasius spent his time in exile writing. One of the books that he wrote was “The Life of Anthony” about a Christian hermit in Egypt.
Anthony was from a wealthy family, but as a young man his parents died leaving him a lot of money and entrusting to him the care of his sister.
Anthony felt that God was calling him away from the world and all of its cares to pursue Him alone.
At first he lived in a graveyard away from everyone else. There he was attacked by demons which left him beaten and unconscious.
The people of his village intervened and nursed him back to health.
He left again, this time living in an abandoned Roman fort.
He fought with demons on a regular basis, but this time he overcame them by the authority of Christ.
For 20 years no one saw him face to face. But people would come to him, asking for prayer or for advice and would pass bread to him through the cracks in the wall.
When he eventually emerged people were surprised that he was in such great shape.
They have heard of his trials, but found that he was actually rejuvenated through the experience.
Pachomius was inspired by Anthony’s story and began the first monastery around the beginning of the fourth century.
If Jesus needed time to get away, you do too!
23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,
13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
Jesus, John the Baptist, the Apostle Paul and many godly men and women throughout the centuries have found it necessary to spend time alone with God in order to get direction.
The early church Father: Athanasius spent his time in exile writing. One of the books that he wrote was “The Life of Anthony” about a Christian hermit in Egypt.
Anthony was from a wealthy family, but as a young man his parents died leaving him a lot of money and entrusting to him the care of his sister.
Anthony felt that God was calling him away from the world and all of its cares to pursue Him alone.
As first he lived in a graveyard away from everyone else. There he was attacked by demons which left him beaten and unconscious.
The people of his village intervened and nursed him back to health.
He left again, this time living in an abandoned Roman fort.
He fought with demons on a regular basis, but this time he overcame them by the authority of Christ.
For 20 years no one saw him face to face. But people would come to him, asking for prayer or for advice and would pass bread to him through the cracks in the wall.
When he eventually emerged people were surprised that he was in such great shape.
They have heard of his trials, but he was rejuvenated through the experience.
Pachomius was inspired by Anthony’s story and began the first monastery around the beginning of the fourth century.
13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns.
Jesus had crossed the sea of Galilee to find a place to be alone but the crowds followed him.
Jesus had crossed the sea of Galilee to find a place to
13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns.
Jesus had crossed the sea of Galilee to find a place to
In Matthew’s gospel, all of this follows the death of John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin and friend.
Time away is important.
When you are grieving.
When life get too busy.
When you need to connect with those closest to you.
When you want to connect with God.
If you can’t get away, eliminate distraction.
Finding a cave or being alone in the wilderness might not be an option for you.
You can start by turning off the TV or your phone.
Take a fast from social media.
You might need to go where you can’t see the laundry pile or cobweb on the light fixture.
How about a park, a coffee shop or a hotel?
I began in 2013 to have an annual personal retreat. I usually go away somewhere. I prefer a nice scenic place, but sometimes it has just been a park or a hotel.
I begin by looking back on the past year. I reflect on what I have done and praise God for what He has done!
I then try to assess where I am in relation to God and His call on my life. Am I being obedient in every area of my life? I look at my relationships with my family and in the church and consider where I need to change.
Then I begin to set goals for the future. I try to hear what God is saying that I should aim for. Sometimes I hear things that I feel are beyond my reach at the time and I just write them down for future reference.
I then go back and review things that I wrote previous years and I try to align my expectations with what God has been showing me all along.
When seeking the Lord, present yourself before the Lord
When seeking the Lord, present yourself before the Lord
Then he was told, “Go, stand on the mountain at attention before GOD. GOD will pass by.”
If you want God to speak, you need to open yourself to God.
Every encounter with God starts with vulnerability.
How are you going to hear God or receive what He has for you if you are closed and guarded?
Elijah had to come out of his hole in the ground before He could encounter God.
What about you? Are you in your little hole in the ground or are you out there saying, “God, here I am!”
Richard Foster in his classic book “Celebration of Discipline” writes, “The Disciplines allow us to place ourselves before God so that He can transform us.”
Be honest with God about what you are thinking and feeling.
I like to begin my time with praise, but from there I move into a time of confession and repentance as I open my heart to God.
As I come into the light of God’s presence, I often see where I fall short.
Instead of hiding those thoughts and feeling we need to bring the into the light and let God speak to them.
Expect God to show up!
I wish that I could tell you that all of my prayer times are amazing or that my personal retreats are the highlight of my year.
Actually they’re not. Most of the time they are rather uneventful.
No bright lights or golden revelations, they’re more like an everyday conversation with a friend.
In fact, some of the most profound things that God has spoken to me didn’t occur to me at the time, but I remembered (or wrote them down) and later realized how powerful it was, what God was saying.
God is there, but not always as you expect. You just have to know it.
Keep on seeking until you hear the Lord’s calm and quiet voice.
Keep on seeking until you hear the Lord’s calm and quiet voice.
New Living Translation Chapter 19
And as Elijah stood there, the LORD passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
God is speaking, but are you listening?
So far we have talked about solitude and getting alone with the Lord, but silence is also a discipline.
Getting away is one thing, but getting quiet is another.
Meditation was long considered a distinctly Christian practice before it became a mystical thing.
You can’t listen and talk at the same time.
Active listening is a skill that takes practice. (Example: reflective listening exercises)
Learn to meditate the Christian way, center your mind on God’s Word.
Center your mind on God’s Word.
If you are like me, there are a lot of different thoughts that go through your head, most of them are not God.
When someone comes to me and says that God told them something I watch their demeanor.
If they seem really agitated and insist that we HAVE to do what God told them immediately. I would wonder if they are mentally stable?
If someone tells me that God told them something and it sounds really harsh, (That in itself does not make it wrong. God sometimes needs to say harsh things to get our attention.) but it is just condemnation and leaves no room for repentance or redemption. I would say that that person is misrepresenting the God that I know.
If someone says that God told them something but they are not open to the discernment of other believers. I would be concerned that they are acting out of pride, or even worse, deception!
If it’s really God, you don’t need to shout.
Sure. Lots of preachers shout. But do you know why?
Because there was a time when churches did not have amplified microphones and people didn’t have hearing aids.
Then radio and television came along and preachers had to over-enunciate so that people could understand them over the static.
God doesn’t need you to shout because the message itself has power.
When you hear God’s voice you will know it.
Either because it speaks to the depths of your being that God only knows.
Or it brings with it such a glorious transformation that the devil wouldn’t approve.
Keep in mind also that God’s voice will always align with God’s Word.
God’s voice brings with it the power to change.
God’s voice is quiet and gentle, but it is powerful!
When I was growing up on the farm I was an active child and my mother would often send me across the porch to my Grammy and Grandpop Meyers.
While my childish behavior seemed to be an overwhelming frustration to my parents, Grandpop and Grammy took a different approach. When I would get louder, they would get quieter. They would wait for me and listen to me, and they expected me to listen to them.
I remember sometimes when i was especially disobedient, Instead of getting angry, Grandpop Meyers would shed a tear. I liked going to Grandpop and Grammy’s house and I was usually very well behaved because I didn’t want to see Grandpop cry.
I remember sometimes when I was especially disobedient, Instead of getting angry, Grandpop Meyers would shed a tear. I liked going to Grandpop and Grammy’s house and I was usually very well behaved because I didn’t want to see Grandpop cry.
God will not ask anything of you that He will not also empower you to do.
I remember when I first learned about the gifts of the Spirit. I was afraid that God would have me stand up and speak in front of the whole meeting, and that was when I was only a kid!
I learned that just because my heart was beating really fast wasn’t always a guarantee that I had a genuine word from the Lord. So I would pray, “God, if this is from you, you know what it takes to move me.”
I would find myself standing and speaking almost without effort. Afterward, my heart would be beating out of my chest. But the grace to do what God wanted me to do was there when I needed it.
God’s voice comes with God’s peace.
That doesn’t mean that everything you hear from God will be nice and wonderful.
It does mean that even though God speaks an urgent message, there is a grace upon that word.
Most of all you can trust that whatever God is saying is for your good and to make you more like Himself.
Questions for reflection:
Questions for reflection:
What are the distractions in your life? What might be keeping you from “holiness” in the literal sense of setting yourself apart for God? Where can you make space, both physically and in your schedule to get alone with God?
What would you like to say to God? Really? If you open up your heart to God what comes out? Find a way to express yourself honestly and openly to God.
What is God saying? When is that last time you had a word from the Lord? How did that word change you? What is God speaking now?