The Quiet Place: Learning to Hear God in a Loud World
I’m scrolling through my Facebook profile, posting a picture of freshly harvested peaches. The platform prompts me to choose music, so I sample soundbites labeled beautiful, simple, joyful, quiet, little—as if the whole world wants to soak life in a soft soundtrack about flowers blooming.
I’ve lived in a loud world. As an introvert with people skills, I once believed true connection happened in crowded concert halls, on nine different social media apps, or while walking busy city streets wrapped in the chaos of culture.
We’ve all let FOMO drive us into a pace that promises “memory making” and deep connection. And we’ve all felt the sting of sitting home on a Friday night, imagining the rest of the world adventuring without us. “They are really living,” we think. “And I’m here shoveling another bowl of cereal while watching someone else live their best life.”
I’ve done both—the parades, Irish Fest, rooftop parties for fireworks and the Netflix-binge-with-ice-cream nights. Strangely, I felt equally lonely in both.
What if social activity—or the lack of it—has little to do with fulfillment?
What if quiet is different from loneliness?
What if, instead of choosing between being with people or being alone, we chose to be alone with God?
When My Soul Needed Saving
Being an introvert isn’t what made me start curating my calendar. Soul preservation did.
Anxiety was creeping into every corner of my mind. The fringes of certain relationships had my overthinking running on a loop. I wasn’t okay in my own skin, constantly feeling the pressure to say the right thing, be assertive but not pushy, carry convictions but never judge. Everyone had an opinion on how I should be, and I couldn’t find peace with any of it.
Until I started noticing prescriptive cues in the Bible:
“Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved.
In quietness and confidence is your strength.
But you would have none of it.”
-Isaiah 30:15, NLT
Through Isaiah, God reveals His desire for us to rest in quietness. It’s here, in the still space with Him, that we find a stabilizing confidence. Turning our gaze away from everyone else’s life and toward Jesus strengthens the weak places where anxiety and fear like to camp.
Quiet Is a Practice
Quiet is not something we stumble into—it’s a muscle we develop.
Our minds are flooded daily with global information. We’re expected to be available, responsive, and updated 24/7. But setting boundaries is a form of soul preservation.
When I was in high school, my dad shut down our house at 9 p.m. If someone called after that, he’d pick up the landline and politely say, “Please don’t call after 9.” Teenage me was mortified. Adult me wishes my dad would still turn off the world for me at night.
God built a Sabbath rhythm into creation—not as a burden, but as a gift. He knows our souls need regular rest from constant work, noise, and striving.
Three Ways to Begin Practicing Quiet
1. Set technology boundaries.
Decide your “quiet hours” and stick to them. For example, turn off your phone at 8:30 p.m. and don’t open it again until 8:30 a.m.
2. Keep a weekly “Remember What’s Good” time.
Choose a window—maybe Friday dinner to Saturday evening—when you intentionally talk about God’s goodness with friends or family. Recount His provision, wisdom, protection, grace, and kindness.
3. Slow down once a week.
Find a slower pace, even if only for a few hours. Spend it in nature, letting the rhythms of creation draw your attention to God’s wonder:
A prairie in the wind
A forest path
A hammock under the sun
Quiet Is an Attitude
Silence isn’t about eliminating all sound—it’s about finding stillness in the midst of life’s movement.
Wind in the trees, ocean waves, sunshine on leaves, the beating of hearts—creation itself speaks of God’s wisdom and goodness. Quiet is simply tuning our ears to hear it.
Practical Tools for Cultivating Quiet
Prayer Books: A resource like The Divine Hours can help reorient your mind toward God throughout the day.
Bowing Low: Physically lowering yourself in prayer reminds you of God’s greatness and your dependence on Him.
Journaling: Write down the racing thoughts that come when you first get quiet. This clears mental space to hear God’s voice.
Thankfulness Out Loud: Speak your gratitude to God. It’s hard to be anxious and thankful at the same time.
A Closing Encouragement
Quietness and rest are not luxuries—they are biblical prescriptions for the health of your soul. Making space to receive God’s peace is vital. Learning to listen to His voice is life-changing. Don’t settle for simply being alone. Choose to be alone with God.
New Contributor: Lindsay Knapp