Be Still and Know That I Am God: 8 Tips
“Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
Psalm 46:10, NIV
“Be still and know that I am God”
My mornings by the window have changed. These days, our two cats crouch like sentinels as we marvel at the chickadees and house sparrows outside.
I’ve been starting my days beside this window for at least a decade now. The cats joined our family just over a year ago, and their stillness is a daily reminder to quiet myself and be present with the dawn. Today, we’ll explore some practical ways to be still in God’s presence.
What does it mean to “be still and know that I am God?”
Psalm 46:10 shares some of the most frequently repeated words from the Old Testament: “Be still and know that I am God.”
In the original language, the Hebrew word for “be still” was raphah. This word denotes a cessation from striving, literally letting our arms hang loosely in inactivity.
God wants us to relax, slow down, and trust that he is in control.
Most of us could use this kind of stillness in our lives. Meanwhile, we need to intentionally create this space. Let’s look at some practical ways to step out of the noise of our lives, be still, and fix our thoughts on God.
I also invite you to read to the end of today’s devotion for a free eBook to help you connect with God in deeper ways.
How to “be still and know that I am God”
1. Recognize the invitation.
The command to “be still and know that I am God” reminds us that God is pursuing us. The invitation to be still comes from him, and stillness is a gift.
When we spend time in stillness, we are responding to an invitation from the Creator of the universe. The same God who made the galaxies and the oceans cares about us and wants to spend time with us.
The first step toward stillness is receiving his invitation to embrace it.
2. Go to a quiet place.
Silence helps us slow down and attune to God’s presence.
I find this silence by sitting next to a window each morning, usually with earbuds ushering the sound of falling rain to block out the noise in our home.
We can find silence in our bedrooms or other quiet corners of our homes. Sitting outside or turning off the music in the car can also provide this space.
3. Focus on breathing and resting.
As we slow our breathing, letting our bodies we relax, our limbic systems become calm.
We move out of the rushed pace of life and are ready to connect with God.
More Ways to “Be Still and Know That I Am God”
4. Let yourself rest in God’s love.
After breathing deeply and resting, allow your attention to shift to God’s love.
God is with you, and he wants to reveal his love to you. You might imagine God wrapping you in his arms as his love washes over you. If this feels like a stretch, imagine him in the room smiling upon you.
As you rest in his love, his peace will likely wash over you.
5. Claim the promise that when you draw near to God, he draws near to you.
Regardless of whether you have a sense of God’s presence, cling to the promise found in James 4:8. When we draw near to God, he draws near to us.
God is with you.
Rest in this truth, whether you feel it or not.
6. Minimize distractions, but don’t let them frustrate you.
Do you ever feel frustrated because your mind wanders away from God in times of silence?
Instead of feeling frustrated, allow those thoughts to float past like clouds in the sky.
Return your focus to God as the thoughts pass. Also, note that God can bring thoughts that he wants us to address with him. If you sense that a thought is from God, talk to him about it. He might want to reveal something to you.
7. Meditate on Scripture to help you remain focused on God.
Ask God to lead you to a verse you can speak when your mind wanders. Speak the verse as you return your focus to the Lord.
Here are a few centering verses: 1 Peter 5:7; Philippians 4:6-7; Isaiah 26:3.
8. Listen more than you speak.
We’ve mostly focused on how to quiet ourselves in God’s presence.
Let’s now talk about how to listen for God’s voice.
The primary way God speaks to his children today is through his written Word. As part of your time in stillness, open your Bible and begin reading. As God illuminate a verse or message from Scripture. Then, read with expectations.
Some days, I read until a verse touches my heart. On other days, I follow a set reading plan. When I’m done reading, I write the verse the stood out to me in my journal and reflect on it.
God often speaks very gently, and if we rush, we miss it. Simply meditating on a life-giving Bible verse is a powerful way of hearing from God.
In addition to reading our Bibles, we can ask God questions during our quiet moments and listen for what comes to mind.
God’s thoughts are pure, peace-loving, wise, life-giving, and always align with Scripture.
Be Still and Know That I Am God: 8 Tips Share on X5 Questions to Ask as You Listen for God
Here are some questions to ask as you sit in God’s presence:
God, what is on your heart today?
Lord, is there any unconfessed sin in my life?
Father, what do you want me to know about the day ahead?
Lord, who are you calling me to become today?
God, show me how to align myself with you today.
More often than not, God will speak over you with his love. Most often, I receive the impression that God loves me during these quiet moments. We can trust that this thought is from God.
It’s important to note that we can get it wrong when it comes to hearing from God. For this reason, it’s important to test our impressions to see if they align with Scripture.
We can also share them with other believers and discern whether they align with common sense, wisdom, and God’s character as he is revealed in Scripture.
Be Still and Listen to God Beyond Your Devotional Time
God calls us to go away to quiet places and meet with him, and he wants us to slip away and meet with him in silence. Jesus often slipped away to quiet places to pray, and we should do the same.
However, this is where some of us stop.
We seek God in our daily devotional time, and then we go live our lives and forget about God as we go about our daily routines.
Meanwhile, God has something better for us: He is inviting us to cultivate stillness throughout designated pockets of time within our busy, everyday lives.
What might this look like?
God is inviting us to pursue stillness—space to quiet our souls and connect with him—all day long.
He has provided built-in opportunities for connecting with him in stillness while we drive our cars, stand in line at stores, sit in waiting rooms, eat lunch, and unwind at the end of long days.
Most of us don’t think twice about listening to the radio while we drive, checking our phones while we wait in line at stores, getting caught up on texts while we sit in waiting rooms, zoning out to daytime talk shows while we eat our lunches, and watching the news for “relaxation” at the end of long days.
There’s nothing wrong with any of these habits. Yet these habits can prevent us from encountering God in replenishing ways as we go about our days.
Moments for stillness are woven throughout the tapestry of our days. God is waiting to meet with you in these moments.
~~~
If these tips on how to “be still and know that I am God” encouraged you, I invite you to explore our family devotionals and library of free devotional eBooks below. May you experience God’s presence as you seek his face.
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.
Calling 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.
Learn Why Willpower Doesn’t Work and Experience God’s Deliverance and Healing
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!
A Free Devotional Book to Help You Learn How to Be Still and Listen to God:
Lastly, I have a gift for you today: my free devotional Space for Your Soul to Stretch.
Does the idea of slipping away to recharge and refresh sound inviting? Space for Your Soul to Stretch is your 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. I also offer a library of free online devotional eBooks for free. I invite you to explore the collection right here!
