Learning the art of stillness is a vital part of becoming a spiritual warrior. It’s where we learn to be enveloped in the confident strength of the Lord, trusting that He’s got this and we are tucked reassuringly in His embrace as He leads us. Stillness creates an atmosphere in our hearts where we can relax into rest and peace, regardless of the circumstances or opposition we may be facing. Fear and anxiety fades away when stillness takes over, and we are better positioned to see what the Lord is making available to us.
For someone that loves the fight of intercession, I’ve learned the hard but extremely valuable lesson of not driving myself into the ground in some misguided attempt to gain victory in prayer via my own efforts! The Lord is always intimately aware and focused on my growth in the process, just as much as He is in hearing and answering my prayers. In stillness, I can hear what is on the Lord’s heart for me to agree in prayer with, instead of meandering every direction and hoping I hit the mark somehow. Stillness positions us to connect with His heart and intentions in a greater way.
Recently I faced an unexpected circumstance that positioned me perfectly to receive an upgrade in my ability to hear the Lord’s voice. As I lay awake all night in a hospital bed, having positioned my heart in stillness while the bustle of activity around me continued through the night, intercession and gratefulness rose out of my heart freely. Without having asked the Lord, a steady stream of revelation and ideas poured into my heart about many different things. But the best thing was the presence of the Lord there with me, filling and overflowing my heart, speaking volumes about who He was to me in that moment. It wouldn’t have mattered to me what actual words He shared with me, as He so filled that place with Himself.
In Qualities of a Spiritual Warrior, Graham says: “God will speak more to a person in silence than He will in conversation; He has a way of inhabiting an environment that speaks volumes.” (p47)
The way He is there in the stillness just overtakes everything else that might be on my own agenda. There is just something that happens in that moment of Him revealing His strength, His peace, His majesty, and His goodness. I can often forget what I have come to Him in prayer about.
As spiritual warriors, we are growing up in the ability to quiet our hearts in the face of all things, because the Lord wants to entrust us with much greater assignments. He desires to bring the light of His hope into every environment He sends us to, in those places where it’s never existed before. How we enter into rest, and quiet our minds and hearts on the most challenging days, are opportunities for upgraded thinking and also our training ground into these greater things. I encourage you to allow the words of Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God” transform your inner person and lead you into greater freedom.
Victoria Boyd
Member of The Warrior Commission
