Twelve years ago, I had my first experience of extended silence. I never expected that prayerful silence would profoundly impact my busy life of leadership. At the time, I was participating in a gathering of 25 Christian leaders from around the world. We met in a beautiful, lodge-like home tucked into the mountains of western North Carolina.
Each morning, those who were interested gathered for a time of extended silence—for centering prayer, a quiet, Scripture-rooted practice of resting attentively in God’s presence. The leader would begin by reading a short passage of Scripture, and then we would enter the silence. We sat together before the Lord in complete stillness, gently bringing our inevitably wandering minds back to the Scripture that had been read, and simply sitting in His presence.
I didn’t expect silence to change my prayer life. But after twenty minutes of wordless sitting before the Lord, I found myself sensing a deeper intimacy with Jesus—a deeper grounding, and a fresh experience of God’s grace and presence.
That initial experience stayed with me. When I returned to Mexico and to my leadership role with Avance, I sensed the Lord inviting me to set aside just five minutes each morning — during our busiest ministry season — to be quiet before Him. Once again, I was struck by the grounding effect this had as I entered full, demanding days. I noticed anxiety lifting, and God’s peace quietly taking its place.
A few years later, during a different season of life, we took an extended home ministry assignment for a full school year. During that time, I learned of a local Christian Spiritual Direction and Formation ministry that offered group centering prayer for pastors and Christian leaders. This opened the door once again to a deeper and ongoing experience of this “prayer without words.”
Once a month, just a handful of leaders would gather. One person would read a passage of Scripture, and then we would sit together in silence for twenty to thirty minutes. At the end, we’d take a few moments to share anything we sensed the Lord placing on our hearts. Occasionally, those sharings were deeply impactful, but more often they reflected a quiet assurance of God’s presence in our lives.
Centering prayer—or focusing prayer—has since become a valued part of my personal rhythm of life. Time and again, I’ve been surprised by how much I sense the Lord meeting me and speaking to me in the silence. I’ve also continued to experience the steadying, grounding effect of simply sitting before Him.
Most recently, I found myself in a prayer chapel early one morning, hoping to begin the day in silence before the Lord. As has often been the case, I felt restless and had difficulty settling my mind and heart. A few minutes in, another person entered the room and quietly took a seat, also sitting in silence before God. I noticed that the simple presence of another—someone I didn’t even know—helped me “hold the silence” and settle more fully before the Lord.
That moment reminded me why silence is a practice I need not only alone, but also in community. There is something about sitting together before God that helps us carry the stillness, especially when it feels elusive. In a gentle, almost imperceptible way, we help one another remain present before Him.
I’ve come to see silence as an unexpected gift from the Lord—one that continues to deepen my prayer life, ground my leadership, and remind me that God is at work even when no words are spoken.
Where might God be inviting you to make space for silence—to sit with Him, even briefly, and simply be present?
