The Sweet Sound of Silence — A LifeWords Devotion

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. (NIV)

There are times in our lives when we are called upon to observe a set time of silence. It may be on a ceremonial occasion. It may be as part of a church service. Though many church gatherings seem to be led by those who feel they have to fill every minute of time with lots of words. Silence is uncomfortable an interruption to our word-based worship.

When we meet with someone in need, we often feel as if we have to fill the time with words. We must say something. Being silent seems the equivalent of being useless. When it comes to spending time with our God, we may feel we have to inform him of what is on our mind. We have to explain things, analyse things. We may even use words so as to impress him with our spiritual vocabulary.

Jesus reminds his hearers that the Father is not swayed by the volume, the amount, or the eloquence of the words we use. Sure, we can use words, but not as a means of impressing God, or filling him in on things he might otherwise not know. He can interpret our silences, and he can speak in our silences.

Words are not always necessary when we gather collectively or meet with God individually. Our hearts can silently leap out to him in pain or pleasure. And who knows, he may even get a word in if we hold our tongues long enough!