Sit down, shut up, and listen

 - by Andi Grimes

Be still. I don’t know about you, but those words are very difficult for me. I feel like I am always talking. I was the kid who constantly was told that I talk too much, and it hasn’t changed over the years. Even when my mouth isn’t moving, my mind is still having conversations: going through to-do lists, planning for upcoming meetings, or even having arguments with people that I haven’t spoken to in years. My mind is rarely quiet. I found this especially true when I prayed.

I had a pretty set form. I would thank the Lord for all that I have in this life and the opportunities for growth and learning that I have been given. Then I asked for blessings on my friends and family, followed by anyone else that I had promised to pray for. Then I’d close with my general concerns for the world and that would be it. What I realized that I was missing was that I didn’t give God any time to talk to me. I was so busy giving him a laundry list of needs that I never took the time to quiet my mind and let Him speak to me. I could ask a million times for direction and purpose in my life, but when was I giving him the opportunity to tell me anything?

I found that once I stopped spending all of my prayer time yammering on and just stopping, that I was finding focus and clarity for some issues that had been troubling me. I also found new ideas that I had never considered- like actually doing blog posts. I never thought it was something that I would do. So, the next time that you sit down to pray, stop and try to turn off your mind. I realize what a challenge this can be, especially if you are a chatterbox like I am. But, if you take the time to sit down, shut up, and listen, you can start to hear what the Lord wants to say to you.

“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” Psalms 46:10