Ponderings: 2026

Saturday, January 3, 2026

The Sanctity of Silence

Have you ever found yourself in the presence of one who loves to talk and commands a conversation so well that you can scarcely get a word in edgewise? Nothing tries my patience more than listening to someone talk a thing to death, yet that is precisely what many of us do when we pray.

As someone who has kept prayer journals for decades, I am sure I wear God out with my many words. Last year alone, I wrote over 280,000 words in my prayer journal, according to Notability (my journaling app)! This year I am determined to speak less and listen more in my prayer time, trading my prolific and persistent prayers for the sanctity of silence.

In his sermon on the mount, Jesus instructed those gathered, “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:7-8, NIV). In the verses that follow, he instructs us how we should pray by offering a simple and concise prayer model:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. (Matthew 6:10-13, NIV).

In Exodus 14:14, it is written: “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” If we believe that God sees us, knows us, and loves us, we can confidently trust him and cast our cares on him, knowing he cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).

As much as I love my electronic devotional and Bible apps, I have decided this year to read through the Bible using a printed reading plan and a good old-fashioned hard copy of God’s word. Sitting in silence and unplugging from technology allows me to better focus on and digest what I’m reading versus my previous practice of “scrolling through” various devotionals and Bible readings.

God has much he wants to say to us, but how can he get through if all we ever do is talk to him?

Lord, help us to listen more and talk less when we pray. You know our hearts and our concerns even before we speak. May this be the year we really learn to listen, that your truth may penetrate our hearts and guide our steps. Teach us how to pray simple, effective prayers and to trust that when words fail us, your Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words (Romans 8:26). Let us embrace the sanctity of silence, knowing that we will meet you there. In Jesus’ name. Amen.