How to Empty Yourself and Let God Fill You
The syncopated sound of rain on a metal roof nearly lulls me to sleep on a grey afternoon. Life has been full lately, and this afternoon to rest is nothing short of a gift. Perhaps you need this gift, too—space to empty yourself and let God fill you.
We’ll talk about creating this space today. Also, be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you draw near to God and be filled.
Empty Yourself and Let God Fill You
Every few years, I reread a book called Invitation to Solitude and Silence by Ruth Haley Barton. I rarely read books more than once. Yet I return to this book because I need its truths regularly.
I read the book again this summer, and it reminded me of what it looks like to quiet myself and connect with God.
If you’ve been longing for a fresh encounter with the Lord, here are a few practical ways to empty yourself and let God fill you.
4 Ways to Empty Yourself and Let God Fill You
1. Spend time in silence and solitude.
One of the most powerful ways to empty ourselves and let God fill us is to set aside our agendas and pursue God’s presence in solitude and silence. This might look like an afternoon spent alone in a quiet place or a few minutes spent watching a candle flicker.
The goal of this time is to set aside our plans, stop hustling, and rest with God.
Ruth writes, “Solitude and silence are not self-indulgent exercises for times when an overcrowded soul needs a little time to itself. Rather, they are concrete ways of opening to the presence of God beyond human effort and beyond human constructions that cannot fully contain the Divine.”
What do we do in solitude and silence?
We center our thoughts on God’s love for us, allow all other thoughts to pass like clouds in the sky, and rest in the awareness of God’s love.
2. Empty yourself and let God fill you by being fully transparent with him.
Ultimately, pursuing silence is about seeking intimacy with God. Only God can fill the empty parts of our hearts.
This pursuit of intimacy often begins by creating space to be honest with God about our longings, needs, fears, and emptiness.
As Ruth writes, it is saying, “Here I am. With my whole heart, soul, mind and body I am here, ready and willing to move more deeply into relationship with you. I make myself available to you, and I will wait for you. There is nothing I can do to control the outcomes, There is nothing I can do to force your response or make your response what I want it to be. All I can do is put myself out there and wait.”
In this space, we are quiet in God’s presence. We don’t try to force anything. We make ourselves available to him.
Ultimately, pursuing silence is about seeking intimacy with God. Only God can fill the empty parts of our hearts. #faith #God #silence #rest Share on X3. Name your desires.
Part of emptying ourselves to be filled by God includes being honest about our longings and desires. In silence, we pour out our desires and longings to God. We answer the following questions:
What am I longing for most right now?
What desires do I sense rising within me?
Do I need to sort through any emotions with God right now?
The deeper we go, we find that we long to meet with God and be filled by him more than anything else. Admitting to this can be scary. What if God doesn’t show up? What if our expectations aren’t met?
Ruth asks the following question: “Are you brave enough to own your desire, to say it and claim it as the truest thing about you, so that it can take you where your heart has been longing to go?”
In this place, you are finally able to empty yourself and let God fill you.
4. Empty yourself and let God fill you as you let your mind rest.
Last, in silence, we let our minds rest. We stop trying to fix the areas of our lives that feel broken.
Ruth writes, “If we are able to stay with our frustrations long enough and not give up, we may begin to suspect that the things that most need to be known and solved and figured out in our life are not going to be discovered, solved or figured out at the thinking level anyway. The things we most need to know, solve and figure out will be heard at the listening level, that place within us where God’s Spirit witnesses with our spirit (Rom 8:16). Here God speaks to us things that cannot be understood through human wisdom or shuffled around and filed away in the mind (1 Cor 2:10-13). Spiritual discernment is given as a pure gift in God’s way, in God’s time, beyond what the human will can force.”
If these invitations speak to you, I encourage you to check out this book right here. And now, here is a free devotional to help you meet with God in silence and solitude.
Calling All Parents (and Grandparents)!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 15, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. You can find all three books here or read more below.
Attention All Boy Moms (and Dads)!
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
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 for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
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, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Find Our Family Devotionals Here
Find all three books right here. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
A Free Devotional to Help You Find Hope in the Lord
I invite you to create space for God to transform your life by downloading a free copy of my devotional eBook, The Lean Into Grace Devotional: An 8-Day Devotional for Healing, Deliverance, and Replenishment. Find it for free here. I also offer a library of free online devotional eBooks for free. I invite you to explore the collection right here!
