Thursday, October 22, 2026

Quiet Time

Evangelicals have something of a rule about scheduling a Quiet Time every day. In the discussion, they often will point to the many times that Jesus went to a quiet place to pray. Yet notice that these do not say the prayer time was quiet, only that the place was quiet, which I am assuming means free from distraction. Being both God and Man, distraction was a possibility, and he provided a demonstration of how to minimise that.  What are the few times we get to listen in on Jesus's time with God?  Gethsemane, certainly. Even though it is a quiet place, it doesn't seem like a quiet time to me.  Luke, the physician, records that his sweat became like drops of blood. That doesn't sound like doing breath work, centering, or resting in God at all.

Jesus invited a couple of his disciples to come up on the mountain with him and the sky exploded with ancient prophets. They did not respond by murmuring how peaceful it all was. Maybe time with God is supposed to be dramatic, not near-somnolent. Heaven sounds pretty noisy as well, what little we are told about it. It is described as being like a wedding reception, which is not usually anyone's idea of a rest. I find I have to go outside and away from everyone at those, frankly.

What about that still, small voice talking to Elijah? I think it pays to look at the context in 1 King 19. 


 

For debate: trying to "get quiet" in a place rather than going to a quiet place to meet God is actually an evasion of God.  

Release the hounds. 

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