Module 4: Silence as a Way of Knowing
Stillness makes room for discernment.
Opening Teaching
By now, you’ve tasted silence in its smaller measures—thirty seconds, one minute, and more. You’ve seen that silence is not the absence of thought but the widening of awareness. It is not about creating a void but about making space—space in which God can draw near, in which your own heart can surface, in which truth can be heard without distortion.
In this module, we step into another layer of the practice: silence as a way of knowing.
Silence is not simply rest—it is also revelation. Revelation that is not forced or manufactured, but given. It comes quietly, sometimes subtly, like light shifting in a room, slowly showing you what has been there all along.
Scripture’s Pattern for Knowing in Silence
The life of Jesus is threaded with deliberate withdrawal into quiet.
Luke 5:16: “Jesus would withdraw to deserted places and pray.” This was not avoidance; it was alignment. In these unhurried, unobserved spaces, the clamor of voices gave way to the Father’s direction.
Mark 1:35: “In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.” Stillness came before the demands of the day—a choice to hear before speaking, to receive before giving.
1 Kings 19:12: Elijah, wearied and undone, experienced the raw power of wind, earthquake, and fire—but God’s voice was in none of them. It came instead in “the sound of sheer silence.” That was the place of encounter.
These moments tell us that stillness is not passive. It is active participation in God’s presence. It is the work of setting down the noise, so that the One who speaks in whispers can be heard.
Why Silence Is Essential for Discernment
We live in an age of acceleration—where noise doesn’t just fill the room, it follows us into our inner life. Discernment becomes difficult when every space is saturated with input. Silence slows us enough to notice what is actually here.
In the absence of interruption, what has been buried rises. Sometimes it’s joy. Sometimes it’s the ache of grief. Sometimes it’s confusion or clarity. And sometimes, it’s simply the companionship of God, holding you without words.
We will enter a longer stretch of silence in this module—fifteen to thirty minutes—not as a spiritual feat to achieve, but as an opening to receive. Our aim is not to “get an answer,” but to be available to whatever is true, whether it arrives as peace, conviction, rest, or mystery.
Somatic Discernment: Tracking “Yes” and “No”
God has given you more than one way to know. Discernment is not only a mental or spiritual act—it is also embodied. Long before the mind settles on a conclusion, your nervous system has already responded to what is before you.
You may have felt this before:
A deep, ease-filled breath when something is right—a widening in the chest, a sense of groundedness.
A constriction, heaviness, or knot in the stomach when something is wrong—or not yet right.
In this practice, we honor those signals as part of our spiritual listening:
In silence, bring before God a question, a Scripture, or a choice you are holding.
Notice what happens in your body.
Spaciousness, warmth, relaxation may indicate a “yes.”
Tightness, heaviness, agitation may indicate a “no.”
Resist the urge to interpret immediately. Let sensation be what it is before assigning meaning.
This is not about replacing Scripture or prayer with physical sensation. It is about allowing your whole self—body, mind, and spirit—to participate in listening for God.
Guided Practice: 15–30 Minutes of Silence
1. Prepare Your Space
Choose a position that supports alertness without strain—feet grounded, back supported, shoulders soft.
Remove what distracts—silence devices, close the door, dim the lights if it helps.
If possible, choose a place where you feel safe enough to be still.
2. Orient
Notice three things you see, two you hear, one you feel.
Let your body register: I am here. God is here. I am safe enough to rest.
3. Anchor in Breath
Breathe naturally, without forcing rhythm or depth.
If you drift, return to the breath or to a short prayer cue: “You are here.” “I am listening.”
4. Notice Without Grasping
Thoughts will come; emotions will surface. The body may speak through tension or ease.
Acknowledge them gently: “I see you.” Then let them pass without chasing.
5. Listen with the Whole Self
Pay attention to what surfaces—an image, a verse, a feeling in the body, a shift in mood.
If a question or thought feels significant, note it without trying to resolve it in the moment.
6. Close with Gratitude
Offer thanks for whatever came—or didn’t come. In silence, the noticing itself is formation.
Reflection Questions
What surfaced during your silence?
Did you notice any sensations of “yes” or “no” in your body?
How did it feel to allow discernment to unfold without forcing it?
Did you sense God’s presence in a particular way?
The Invitation
Discernment is not about producing an answer on demand—it is about becoming the kind of person who recognizes God’s movement in the ordinary and the quiet.
Fifteen or thirty minutes may feel like a stretch. That’s the point. This is where you build the capacity to remain—present to God, to yourself, and to what is real in this moment.
You are not here to master stillness. You are here to meet God in it, to let truth rise at its own pace, and to trust that whatever comes—or doesn’t—is part of the knowing that silence makes possible.