Introduction to Silence and Solitude
Jesus and Silence and Solitude
Mark 1v35-39 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. 36 And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37 and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38 And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” 39 And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.
What is silence and solitude?
Silence and solitude is the practice of spending time alone, and in prayer. The goal is not to avoid people, but to be there for people. In the above passage, Jesus gets away for these reasons:
Jesus’ capability for serving his Father—Against the exhaustion and distraction, Jesus was strengthened—Energy, alertness, awake; A time of silence allows us to rest and be restored to strength
Jesus’ clarity of purpose (“Let us go on to the next towns”)—Against the constant pull of crowds of people, stuff to do (Look how busy he was: Mark 1:32-34; Silence helps us think, process, get direction
Jesus’ identity in his Father (like a weaned child with its mother)—Against the tendency toward “do do do” and “productivity/pride,” Jesus knew who he was (“This is why I came out”); In silence, we spend time with God, deepen our sense of self in his presence
“We can become like Christ by doing one thing—by following him in the overall style of life he chose for himself. If we have faith in Christ, we must believe that he knew how to live.”
How to practice silence and solitude
In Psalm 131, David finds a path out of that anxiety by “calming and quieting” his soul (v2). Take a few minutes to breathe, quiet your spirit, and be silent before the Holy Spirit. (Get alone if possible.)
Express a simple prayer of childlike trust in Jesus. Say something like, “Jesus, I trust in you. Save me from trusting myself.”
More resources on silence and solitude
A Praying Life, by Paul Miller