5 Things Every Woman of God Needs: Quiet

Do you know what it is to be quiet? For those of you who do not know me personally, being silent or even remotely quiet is nearly impossible for me. I blame this mostly on the fact that I am extremely extroverted; always wanting to be talking and hanging out with people. With that said, Jesus has taught me the beauty of spending time with him in the one place that I don't like to be: the quiet.

As I said in my first blog of the series, reading the Bible is important to gain knowledge and understanding. Along with reading the Bible we all need time away from everyday life to listen, reflect and pray on the things that are tucked away in the crevasses of our hearts. So how do we spend time properly with the Lord? There is no set list of rules to follow but the Bible clearly says that spending time in prayer is vital to our relationship with Jesus!

The power of prayer is a beautiful thing, that directly connects us with God. So many times in life I have neglected to go to the One who deserves to hear my problems because I think I can figure them out myself, when in all reality I can't. Friends, we shouldn't harden our hearts, but instead should be vulnerable and transparent with our Creator in the quiet. For at the loudest times in our lives, we should seek silence. In Psalm 145:18 it says, "The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth." In your time alone with the Lord be honest about what is going on inside and out; although he already knows everything, he wants us all to communicate directly with him. That's the beauty of prayer and reflection. Our creator is longing for you to take time for him, for he wants to understand and know his beautiful creation. Part of letting him fully understand you is spending time alone in a quiet place.

There are few places I would rather be than outside under a big tree sitting in my hammock. It is my place where I can relax and just talk with Jesus in such a casual way, just like I would with my best friend. If you will, my hammock is my favorite place to "hang out with Jesus" (pun intended). Some of the best times I have spent with the Lord recently haven't involved me even talking; rather I spend it listening and reflecting in silence. Instead of listing the endless amounts of petty problems I simply wait and listen to what he wants to teach me through his Word. My encouragement for those of you reading would be to go and find that place where you can be with the Lord, letting his speak into your life while you listen patiently, in the quiet.