Homepage Dreams Visions Prophetic How to Hear Resources
Interpreting Visions in the Bible Prophets in the Bible Expectations Subscription
Daniel Types of Visions The Purpose of the Prophetic Exercises Books
The Ministry of the Prophetic Eyes 2 See Ministries

A Time to be Silent

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

The seasons listed in Ecclesiastes 3:2–8 do not have pre-set time-frames…

a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

One season might last one week, while another season might last several years.

When our lives enter a specific season, we need to recognize and welcome that season. Like the seasons in nature, we adapt and conduct ourselves accordingly. We wear warmer clothing in the winter and mow the lawn in the summer. Our spiritual life has seasons. For example, we will have seasons of victories and rapid growth, and we will have seasons of valleys and stagnant growth.

There is a season included in the list of seasons that gets little attention, but is extremely valuable—the time to be silent.

Great men of God have had times of silence. Moses tended Jethro’s flock for 40 years. Paul withdrew for 3 years (Galatians 1:16 –18). After these times of silence, these men began to fulfill the callings that God placed on their lives.

God is still drawing people away to be silent for a season so that He can do a quick work in them that otherwise might take much, much longer.

This is not to mean that we take a vow of silence and not speak to anyone. It is a time, though, when we go (physically or not) on a personal retreat. It’s when we withdraw from as many of the activities in our lives as possible and quiet ourselves before man and God.

It’s a time when we pull away from our regular social activities. It’s a time when we speak far less than usual. It’s a time when our hunger for God’s voice and presence is so great that we willingly push away everything if it means that He will feed that hunger.

Here are a few signs that God is orchestrating a season to be silent:  

  • Our interest in your daily activities has waned significantly
  • Our friends and those in our church seem less friendly and more distant
  • The thought and act of being alone with God is more appealing than usual

These signs could indicate many other things. But the key to knowing that this is a season from God is that His presence is more evident than normal. We become more aware of His presence as we become more silent. He becomes the focus of our thoughts like never before.

During a season of silence, God often rearranges and reorganizes many things in our lives. He (not us) s able to make changes in our lives that we could not otherwise make—the words we speak are not there to mess things up.

When the season to be silent is over, we could see many changes in our lives and in our hearts. For example:

The negative feelings we harbored for someone has changed into compassion.

  • Ungodly soul-ties have been broken
  • Our focus on things above is clearer and we have a better understanding of the importance of the Greatest Commandment
  • We lose our independence and depend more on God

An excellent modern day example of the power of a season to be silent is the life of Jim Bakker (the televangelist from PTL). His heart and life needed correction. He was arrested and sent to prison for several years. After he was released, he spent over a year in solitude in a friend’s house that was far from populated areas. During Jim’s prison time and the year after his release, he was in a season of silence. It was unbearably painful at first, but by the time the season was over, he was a new man. It was as though he was born-again again. His arrogance changed to humility. His greed turned to generosity. His self-centeredness turned to compassion. Jim learned the most valuable lesson for ministering to others: love must be the motive (1 Corinthians 13:1–3).

Let us go willingly and expectantly into a time to be silent. God can change our hearts more quickly and dramatically into vessels of honor for His use.

It is my prayer for you that Father will continue to help you to hear His voice, and more and more frequently.

With God’s grace and in His peace,
Gary

Permission is granted to forward this e-newsletter without alteration to others as well as reprint it in hard copy form. We ask only that you keep the Ears-2-Hear website, email contact info, and author contact information intact. Thank you and may God be revealed more and more to you and through you.

Gary (gary@ears-2-hear.com), Author, Web Designer, www.ears-2-hear.com.

If you wish to subscribe, click here and be sure that “SUBSCRIBE” is in the Subject field of your e-mail (or send an email with "Subscribe" in the subject field to: subscribe@ears-2-hear.com ). If you wish to unsubscribe, click here and be sure that "UNSUBCRIBE" in the the Subject field.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.

NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks of International Bible Society. Use of either trademark for the offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent of International Bible Society.