Being quiet and focusing.
I suppose the first step in being quiet is to get quiet.
We live in a noisy world. TV, radio, cell phones with unbelievable capabilities – text, Twitter, Facebook, and anything else you desire in addition to ipods and all the various gaming devices, and on and on. Mercy! There’s a lot of racket out there!
If you can find a moment when you’re unplugged and disconnected from all that stuff you can then begin to get quiet.
Once you’re unplugged you’ll likely notice your thoughts – “I should do this, check that, etc…” Just be still with your thoughts and observe them – don’t act on any of them!
We have to learn to be quiet – and it takes a bit of practice. Just relaxing and becoming the observer of your own thought process is the best way I know of – and it’s free!
Sometimes a guided meditation is helpful or soft music – but if you can do it without external help, go for it!
Once you’ve experienced quiet you can tap into that state of being even while surrounded by the noise of everyday life.
Quiet can become your internal state of being even while going about your normal day.
To me this is one of the keys to peace. When your internal state is still and quiet you become immune to the upset that is often around you – and you will become an influence of peace wherever you are.
With respect to focusing – I think we need to be careful here. If you quiet yourself and your intention or focus is to be still to hear God’s voice that’s all you need to communicate with God.
If however, after you become quiet you then begin to focus on something – even hearing God’s voice, you are likely getting back into your own mind and shaping the experience dependent on your own thinking. The danger here is that anything you receive may be produced by your own focused mind.
Focused to me is a state of intense concentration – summoning all the reasoning power of the mind. That’s not what we’re after as we seek communication with God.
My advice is to become still and quiet and practice that. Don’t worry about focusing on anything.
Don’t make communicating with God as difficult as your mind thinks it is!
Does this make sense to you?
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Robert
At first when I started meditating or being still and listening I felt like there where a lot of mind thought obstacles in the way to get to where I wanted to go, but it took a lot of practice and letting go of my old belief systems I was conditioned to such as fear, guilt and follow traditional religion rules. I guess I didn’t give god enough credit and trust that he would understand and give me guidance in his favor
When I meditate I first express my thankfulness to god for all that has been given to me through him, such as health, family,friendships and fellowships, then I thank him for all the possessions and material items I’ve accumulated over the years. that helps pacify my desires for my flesh,( some people might frown on this part but I think god understand ) this part helps when I go into meditation so my mind won’t race on the materialism of the worldly system we where born into. Once I can totally free my mind of this, that’s when I start to feel I’m almost in another dimension hard to explain. a overwhelming sense of peace and my spirit will connect with my mind, that’s key for me and some how that numbing and peaceful place I’m in and feeling of such a comfort and connection to my creator doesn’t make me feel so small, like I’m part of everything. Some days I’m fully in that state of peace and some days can’t connect, so I keep practicing.
sorry if I got to deep but that’s the only way I can explain the feeling I get and wanted to share with others. Everybody keep searching I think god loves when we pay attention to him.
keep it going Robert god bless gene
Gene,
Using gratitude in the way you’re describing is beautiful! You’re effectively cutting off the distractions by dealing with them up front with thankfulness.
Excellent guidance for all of us. Thanks for sharing that. This is what I love about the Internet!
Robert
Hi Gene,
Thanks for your insights, however have you ever considered that God want’s you to have those material things just as much as the spritual gifts. Just think how you feel when you give a present to someone on their birthday, I would imagine God feels the same way when you receive ‘material’ items and experience a buzz of joy.
Unfortunatley other forces try and remove that joy by creating guilt in us. It’s a jealous action and we should see it as such that way it looses power. So next time you thank God for you material things let him ‘feel’ how much you enjoy them.
Best wishes,
Charles
Hi Robert,
Just wanted to say how good your website is looking, I’ve been accessing your wisdom for some while now and it is like a good wine, it’s maturing well.
Regards,
Charles
Hello Charles,
I think it was Mark Twain that said “I can live 3 months on a good compliment.”
Thanks for yours!
Robert
Dear Robert,
I too must thank you for the work you are doing here. You are upfront and real. You are on the front lines and confronting deep issues which we all struggle with. You are helping us to dissect them and examine them honestly with passion and priority. Thank you for not being timid about approaching these challenges and indeed taking the courage to dive into the supernatural world of our Triune Divine Being Who Created us and Who Loves us Unconditionally and Who longs to have a genuine personal relationship with each and every one of us!
Thank you most kindly for your fervent efforts to help make this a real possibility for us.
In Jesus’ Precious Name,
Alice
Dear Alice,
The timidity is wearing off gradually. Thanks to you and many others who encourage me to keep on going!
Love and Blessings,
Robert
What a find! Thank you so much for this website. I have just finished a book on listening for a counselling course I’m doing and since then have found in different ways the phrase ‘be still’ coming up in different situations. I felt God was wanting me to do something about that so really that’s how I found your site by putting ‘Be still’ into google.
So I’m beginning a journey of learning to ‘be still and know that he is God’ and one question I have is that I find in ‘trying’ to be still I find that I ‘drift off’ in my thoughts. Once I realise I bring them back to God but it keep happening. I guess I just need to keep practising but will my mind ever be really still?
Thanks again for all your hard work.
God bless
Chrissie,
Maybe the mind isn’t really ever completely still but I’ve found that if I put myself in the place of observing what my mind is doing, it slows down, allowing me to become still. I don’t know if that makes sense?
Don’t worry about drifting off and don’t beat yourself up for doing so. Just be with the process and hold the purpose you have to know God. Nothing to fear!
Thanks for your kind words!
Blessings,
Robert
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