How to Be Still Before God When Your Mind Is Racing
After a few dry days, the rain returned this morning. Torrents fell in silver swaths that drowned out the melody of birdsong and swept us into the synchronous song of the sky. I sat by the window and let the crackling hush of falling water wash over me as I resisted the urge to begin the work of the day. It felt like an invitation to learn how to be still before God all over again.
Being still before God has never come easily for me.
I find a quiet place to sit, and within three minutes, I’m writing my grocery list or planning dinner.
Perhaps you know how it feels to settle into your quiet spot only to find yourself scrolling through Instagram within five minutes.
Your mind refuses to rest, and being still feels impossible.
A few years ago, I studied Psalm 46:10 and unpacked Truth which has helped me learn how to be still before God.
Psalm 46:10 reads, “Be still, and know that I am God.”
How to Be Still Before God
The original language offers helpful insight into God’s invitation to “be still.”
In Hebrew, the word for “be still” is raphah. Raphah is more than merely sitting down and silencing our thoughts. Raphah is an image of letting our hands drop. It can be translated as “sink” and “relax.”
I appreciate this image.
God is inviting us to let our arms relax.
He is asking us to let our arms hang loose and surrender control as we let him be God.
One of the best ways to quiet your mind is to create space where you can regularly be still and let God be God. You might think of it as your “safe space.” Your safe space might be the silence of your bedroom, a special chair, a tree in your yard, a park down the street, or the only place where moms of little ones ever find peace: locked in the bathroom.
For the next week, I encourage you to begin each day with just a few minutes spent resting in stillness with God. Let go of your cares, let your arms hang loose, and thank God for being Lord in your life. Be still, and let God love you. God is waiting to meet with you, and he wants to revive your weary soul.
Be still, and let God love you. God is waiting to meet with you, and he wants to revive your weary soul. #bestill #restwithGod Share on X
Where to Begin
Here’s what it might look like to connect with God in your safe space this week:
Begin your time by resting with the Lord and letting your thoughts settle. Literally, let your arms hang loose as you imagine God caring for you and loving you. Breathe deeply and slowly. Thank God for being sovereign over every detail of your life.
George Muller was famous for saying that the first business of each day was to make himself “happy in the Lord.”
What would it look like for you to make yourself happy in the Lord?
For me, this looks like sitting by a window and getting lost in the glory of God’s created world. Some mornings, I watch clouds pass by or admire birds at the feeder. I often read poetry, and I almost always begin the day by soaking in a Psalm before I begin my scheduled daily Bible reading.
Most importantly, I remind myself that I captivate Jesus’ heart with just one glance in his direction (see Song of Solomon 4:9).
I imagine the joy of Jesus’ countenance shining upon me as we sit together and enjoy one another.
In the same way that four-year-old Aiden often says, “I’m happy to be with you, Mom,” I tell Jesus I’m happy to be with him.
I think about the joy that fills my heart when Aiden speaks these words to me, and I soak in the joy the Lord feels when I speak these words to him. I then sit and enjoy him for a few short moments. This practice revitalizes my heart.
I encourage you to try these steps. Go to a quiet place, rest with the Lord, and tell him you’re happy to be with him. Let his joy give you strength.
More Insights on How to Be Still Before God
Here are a few more ideas to help you find stillness with God:
Take a slow walk in a peaceful place. Imagine your cares falling aside. Simply enjoy God’s presence with you.
Spend five minutes listening to worship music in a quiet place.
Take a relaxing bath and enjoy resting with the Lord while your body rests.
Find a beautiful scene and rest with God while you admire its beauty. You might sit by a body of water, watch a sunrise or sunset, or, like me, admire a tree in your backyard.
I also have a free devotional book to help you learn how to be still before God. Check it out below.
A Free Devotional to Help You Be Still With God
Does the idea of slipping away to recharge and refresh sound inviting? Space for Your Soul to Stretch is your personal invitation to create space to deeply connect with God. Each day invites you to encounter God’s created world and spend time in his written Word. You will walk away from this journey replenished and refreshed. It is yours right here.
These books are free on Kindle Unlimited or available to purchase in print:
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book as a free eBook on Kindle Unlimited or for 12.99 in print right here. (If you do not have Kindle Unlimited, you can try it out with a free three-month trial!) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!
Calling all moms and daughters!
Additionally, my teen daughter, Bekah, and I are passionate about helping moms and daughters grow closer while connecting with God. We have written two mother-daughter devotionals together. Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section after each devotion.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, purity, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. We will help you!
Multitudes of mothers, daughters, mentors, and younger women are being transformed by these books! You can buy them as paperbacks or get your free Kindle Unlimited eBooks on Amazon right here.
