Peace, Be Still

When I roll out of bed each morning, I get a cup of coffee and move to my office (my quiet place). I turn my computer on and begin my quiet time in prayer. I usually start praying over my family and possibly an immediate need but, most importantly, I get quiet and listen for His voice…. He already knows my needs and the condition of my heart.

As I began praying this morning, it was a bit noisier than usual. I found myself irritable and edgy, which happens from time to time when the enemy is trying to distract from something God wants to say; the carnal will always distract from the spiritual.

When I began to pray this morning, I could hear the noise through my office door and my focus was hindered. I generally get in a comfortable position, close my eyes and lay my head in my hands when I pray so I simply moved my fingers in order to plug my ears.

As soon as I plugged my ears, I began to hear the energy of blood flow through my body, a distant heartbeat and the sound of my breathing. The carnal was immediately stifled and I became very aware of the intricacies of His creation and the foolishness of our carnality. I realized that looking to the carnal for answers to our complex issues will never cease to disappoint as it is controlled by every whim of man. We must realize that God has authority over all things and drawing near to Him is the only way to see things clearly; reliance on carnality results in the twisting of all truth…. this is a root of what we see taking place in our world today.

While we focus on self, our ideology’s, our view of God, etc., He desires a complete denial of self and total reliance on Him as we are powerless and unable to self-regulate the outcome of our circumstances. He desires that we get alone with Him regularly in a quiet place and truly spend time ‘listening’ for His voice instead of approaching Him only when we have a need. He desires to inhabit your heart, soul and mind at all times so He can guide you in every circumstance. When you get to this place, you’ll find the real meaning of praying without ceasing as His voice within you will become constantly discernable.

I have found that my quiet place with Him is powerful and profound. When I am in that place with Him, I am totally fulfilled and desire nothing else. As I was praying/receiving revelation this morning, I opened my eyes for a brief moment and my computer was opened to my email. The moment I saw my inbox, my mind was instantly distracted from Him and I quickly closed my eyes, realizing that He can be interrupted but He will not be shared. God desires ALL of us in order to provide direction, revelation and wisdom. If your prayer time is shared with anything, whether it be driving, eating, reading, or anything that requires your attention, you are missing out. It’s always good to pray regardless of activity, however, God wants your undivided attention and when He gets that, you will experience His presence like never before.

The peace that we all seek and the wisdom that we all need can only be found in your quiet place with Him. Give Him a fresh mind in the morning that hasn’t been already influenced by a cell phone, T.V., internet, etc.. To all who are discouraged, weary and exhausted, remove yourself from the focus on flawed carnality and refocus on Him.