Back on March 16 I mentioned reading Invitation to Solitude and Silence by Ruth Haley Barton, in which she discusses how she was drawn into these two spiritual disciplines, then provides specific practices the reader can follow to pursue solitude and silence also. The first step, after determining your desire to be in God's presence, is to sit quietly and let those distractions/thoughts/whatever just float across your mind then return to your simple prayer. I sit upright in my chair, feet flat on the floor, hands open on my lap with palms up, timer set for 10 minutes, take a couple of deep breaths, and pray "Lord, have mercy" several times. When distractions enter my mind I try to let them just float away. I'm not trying to do anything, just to be available to hear God's voice. When the timer sounds I pray then sometimes read or re-read a chapter in Barton's book.
You may ask, "Is it working?" That is a good question. I think I am better able to be quiet for a few seconds, maybe even a minute or two, but words are such a big part of my life from talking to writing to reading to playing Scrabble or doing crossword puzzles that just sitting and listening is very difficult! But I believe God has given me this desire to seek him, and he will honor it.
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