Wisdom of the Saints:
“He accomplishes more by his silence than others that talk to no purpose.” – St. Ignatius of Antioch
“Silence is indeed the friend and helpmate of thought and invention.” – St. Gregory the Wonderworker
“Silence is a gift of God, to let us speak more intimately with Him.” – St. Vincent Pallotti
“We must strive after a quiet mind.” – St. Basil the Great
Relevant Points:
- There is a sacredness in silence – it is a gift from God.
- Often times we won’t realize how much we need silence or all that we are missing until we stop and get silent.
- Silence can be voluntary on our part, as well. God gave us two ears and one mouth, to be used proportionally.
- Silence often makes us uncomfortable because it forces us to be introspective and to “spend time” with ourselves. Many people don’t like such an exercise because it illuminates all they wish to hide, forget or otherwise
ignore in their lives. - How can you hear God if your life is filled with noise?
- We don’t know how to pray as we ought to, but the Spirit will show us how to pray (Romans 8:26).
- Often times our best bet would be to get quiet and let the Spirit really speak.
- Sometimes it is when we stop talking that we find out what we really believe.
- It’s been said that you would accomplish more in silently listening to God for fifteen minutes than you would in speaking to Him for an hour. Why not test that hypothesis?
Things to remember when discussing this topic:
- Silence makes teens uncomfortable. Even an exercise in where you ask them to be silent for an extended period of time is “too difficult” for some of them. Try it anyway. It might be the greatest gift you can give them in their spiritual walk.
- Silence is not only necessary for teens, but for leaders. Don’t encourage them to spend time in silence, if you
have not been. It is essential that you are speaking from experience. - Don’t be afraid to share little things or simple insights you gained by becoming more silent in your prayer. Topics like this are ripe for personal testimony.