Be more quiet now and wait for a voice to say...

Have you ever been asked the question, "How does God speak to you?" I can only identify one consistent way in my own experience that provides an answer to that question. He impresses something upon your heart, and it doesn't go away. It keeps coming up in your thoughts, and then usually starts showing up in the things you read, in the conversations you have, or the opportunities that start coming your way. Just when the idea starts to fade, and you start wondering if God was really speaking, something stirs it up again. Anyone else ever have this happen?

So along those lines, I've felt like God has been telling me to be intentional about silence and solitude. Several months ago, I would occasionally feel like I shouldn't turn the CD player on while driving in the car (very rare for me). Then I started becoming more aware of the noise in my thoughts. Then I read Prayer and Temperament, and while trying some of the exercises I became even more aware of how noisy my mind was while praying. For the past few months now, I've been slowly working through a book called Devotional Classics. Early on there was a chapter that specifically challenged the reader to practice silence and solitude daily. I tried for a few days, but it didn't last long. This has really hurt my pride, which is obviously good for me, but I never imagined that this discipline would be so hard for me.

I've continued reading through Devotional Classics over the last month, and of course, I've come upon another excerpt that challenges the reader to practice silence and solitude. The writer in this chapter, Henri Nouwen, gives a particularly helpful suggestion. He says,

"We do not take the spiritual life seriously if we do not set aside time to be with God and listen to Him...We may have to write it in black and white in our daily calendars so that nobody else can take away this period of time."

I don't think we can argue with that statement. Jesus Himself made it a point to regularly go off to be alone and listen to the voice of the Father. How much more then do we need that time, even if it means putting it in our calendars? Anyone else want to accept the silence and solitude challenge with me?