Silence as an act of resistance
Each Tuesday, we release a prayer guide with the hope that we collectively join our hearts through prayer in a “laser-focused” way.
Today, as the Underground, we come together around the Prayer Focus: Silence as an Act of Resistance. We are called to silence. There is a way of knowing Jesus that only happens in silence. Solitude and Silence is the discipline of withdrawing from the daily routine of relationships, tasks and especially noise to come alone and be still and quiet before God.
Silence is praise before you, O God –Psalm 65:1
Be still and know that I am God –Psalm 46:10
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently
for him –Psalm 37:7
In repentance and rest is your salvation. In quietness and trust is your strength –Isaiah 30:15
For God alone my soul in silence waits –Psalm 62:1
Our souls long for it, and yet we avoid it.
You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. John 5:39-40
In this passage, Jesus beckons us to confront how religious activities, even reading the Bible or fasting, can divert our focus from authentic communion with God. We can actually hide from God, even when practicing spiritual habits like prayer or Bible reading. We often find our validation in productivity and achievement rather than simply being present with God. We are often more comfortable managing things, accomplishing tasks, performing, or achieving than simply being fully present to God.
That’s why we so desperately need to participate in the act of resistance known as silence.
Silence is one of the most subversive acts of resistance a disciple can engage in. In silence, we enter into a space where accomplishing and achieving aren’t a part of the vocabulary, where fulfilling another task creates no value, and where remaining busy is impossible. It’s a realm where productivity loses meaning, accomplishments fade, and busyness dissolves. In silence, we confront the truth: we have nothing to prove, defend, or earn.
Silence is an act of resistance against a culture that tells us we are what we do. Silence unhinges us from a system that tries to convince us that we are never enough. It disengages us from the dominant cultural imagination that keeps telling us to do more. It urges us to step off of the compulsive path of performance and enter into the rest that comes only from the non-anxious, life-giving presence of God.
Silence is an act of resistance against the antiquated notion of a distant God. Remnants of the pre-modern conception of a three-tiered universe are buried deep in our imaginations: Heavens, Earth, and Underworld. Heaven is ‘up’ and hell is ‘down’ below us. God is up. God is out there, and we are down here.
Yes, God transcends, but He also indwells. We are temples of His Spirit, and He is not distant but present within and around us.
1 Corinthians 3:16 ESV
Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
Often, we hear or say prayers like, “God please come. God please be with us.” He has come. He is with us. God doesn’t have a hard timing “showing up,” we do.
Silence is an act of resistance against that old mindset that God is far off. With silence we proclaim, “GOD IS HERE.”
Today, as we collectively fast within the KC Underground community, let us unite in silent contemplation before our God. For those accustomed to this practice, spend 20 minutes in silent communion with Jesus. For those new to this, begin with 10 minutes. Here is some coaching
as you begin.
STEP ONE: TRANSITION IN
Don’t run into solitude at 60 miles an hour. If you know you have a time for silence and solitude coming, starting ramping down mentally, physically, and emotionally. As you sit down, begin to take deep breathes, feel the oxygen filling up your lungs. Be present in the room. What is one thing you can see? What is one thing you can hear? What is one thing you can feel on your skin/body? What is one thing you can feel within you? Begin to slow your breathing and be present. Relax.
STEP TWO: TRANSFER OVER
One of the keys to relaxing in solitude and silence is to recognize some of the reason we are so worried, tense, and busy. Progress into silence is hindered until we surrender these concerns to God. We must let go of these burdens, allowing them to slip away like melted snow off a roof. The objective isn’t to meticulously pray over every detail but to release them and entrust them to God.
Many people find it helpful to use their imagination to see ultimate reality: Jesus on the throne. Also, see a box at his feet. As worries, thoughts, or unconfessed sins arise, visualize placing them in the box at His feet. Then, refocus your gaze on Jesus’ face. You may need to repeat this process throughout the period of silence. Remember not to criticize yourself for any difficulties encountered.
STEP THREE: TUNE IN
Once you’ve entrusted your burdens to Jesus, the next step is to become attuned to the presence of God, to tune in. You might need a “touch point” to assist in this process. Just as in music, where a tuning fork provides a reference note to bring instruments back into key or harmony, you need something to anchor your focus. This could be a brief scripture like, “Be still and know that I am God,” or a meaningful name for God such as “I Am.” Repeat this phrase or name softly to yourself internally, directing your attention, affections, and allegiance towards Jesus.
During moments of silence, the Lord may communicate or reveal something to you. As you conclude your time of silence, transform these insights into prayers of intercession. Pray for your own life, your context, your microchurch, our city, or the entire Kansas City Underground community. Offer back to the Lord what He has imparted to you in the silence. In closing, in prayer, bless the whole network with an ability to be still and know that He is God.