“A fool is known by his speech, a wise man by his silence.” ~Pythagoras
Anybody can say anything anytime that he or she wants. That is the premise of our society and is something that is always being debated. Some people say that we should have the freedom to say anything, no matter how incendiary it may be. Others say that our free speech should be checked if it elicits violence. The argument goes on. And so does the talk.
Yes, people can — and do — say anything. Anything. Anytime. Anywhere. No matter what. Because of that, the world is a very noisy place and more than a little confusing since what is being said is often contrary to other things that are being said.
We hear chatter all around us and we often engage in our fair share of chatter as well. The sheer number of words being said and the volume at which they are spoken contributes to a lot of noise all around us. It is hard to concentrate when so many people are talking.
It is hard to concentrate on God in prayer if we are doing all the talking. Many times, our prayer to God is not a dialogue. Instead, it is a monologue in which we attempt to make God our unwitting audience. That kind of prayer is not very effective. In order to have a conversation with God — or anyone, for that matter — we have to be silent at times so that we can hear the other speak.
If you feel that your prayer life is not as rich as it could be, ask yourself the simple question: how often do you remain silent so that God can carry on His part of the conversation?
FAITH ACTION: When praying today, spend as much time as possible in silence so that God can have the opportunity to speak to you without interruption.