Creating Space for God in A Noisy World

Noise surrounds us like a blanket. It wraps itself around our lives until we hardly notice it’s there. We wake to it, work within it, and fall asleep beneath it. Podcasts, music, notifications, conversations, news, entertainment—our days are filled with a constant stream of sound and stimulation.

For many of us, silence feels far more unsettling than noise. In silence, there are no distractions to hide behind. The thoughts we’ve been avoiding begin to surface. Our fears, insecurities, disappointments, and unanswered questions become harder to ignore.

And so we return to the noise. Not always because we enjoy it, but because it feels familiar. It shields us from ourselves. We feel safer surrounded by the noise.

But what if the noise is not merely something we experience, but is something we have learnt to depend on?

In this age of constant connectivity, we have grown accustomed to endless stimulation. Rarely are we left alone with our thoughts. Whenever discomfort arises, there is always something to scroll, watch, read or listen to. Over time, distraction becomes our default response to the deeper longings and struggles of the soul.

As air is to the lungs and food is to the stomach, so silence is to the soul.

“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.” Psalm 62:5

Spending time in silence then becomes an act of faith. We step away from the noise because we want to be present to God without anything competing for our attention. We resist the temptation to fill every moment and instead make room to listen and simply be with Him. 

Perhaps one reason silence feels so uncomfortable is that it exposes what we have been using to avoid being with God. In the quiet, we discover just how many things we have built around us to keep Him at a distance.

Yet it is often there, in the silence we fear, that God invites us to abide with Him.

In 1 Kings 19 we read about Elijah fleeing in fear for his life. In the previous couple of chapters Elijah had experienced God showing up in miraculous ways, but now, on the run, he is at the end of himself, desperate and wanting to die. In verse 9b God asks Elijah to explain why he is here. Elijah offloads and God invites him to stand before him on the mountain where he is hiding.

“And as Elijah stood there, the LORD passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.” 1 Kings 19:11-13 (NLT)

Wind, earthquake and fire displayed God’s power, yet it was in the gentle whisper that Elijah encountered His presence. Elijah wrapped his face in his cloak out of reverence, humility and fear. He recognised that this gentle whisper was the literal presence of God.

And the result – God spoke with Elijah, listened to his fears and worries and set him back on a path to fulfil His purposes.

God’s invitation to us is to, “Pour out all your worries and stress upon him and leave them there, for he always tenderly cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7 (TPT)

And to ‘Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10)

Lay it all before God and then take time to rest in Him. Allow the silence and His presence to surround you. Enjoy Him. 

In setting aside time to sit in silence with God, we are expressing a desire to place Him at the centre of our lives. We are choosing His presence over distraction and making space to be with Him.

It takes time to cultivate the ability to sit in silence with God. It’s certainly not easy at first. Our minds race. But it is a valuable rhythm that we can learn, and it becomes easier the more we practice it.

I’ve found that spending even a few minutes each day in silence before God calms my mind and reminds me that I have a Father who loves me tenderly.

Sometimes I find a quiet place at home or I escape into a wild place, finding Solitude–a practice that often goes hand in hand with Silence–and simply walk with God in nature.

Not feeling any pressure to have to speak, or ask for anything, simply being myself in God’s presence is a beautiful thing. The more I practice Silence the more I am aware that it’s in these moments that God will meet with me, gently challenging my wayward thoughts, motives or beliefs. It is in these moments that God works to transform my heart toward healing and wholeness.

Pause for a moment and ask yourself, “What noise might God be inviting me to step away from today?”

This week, try sitting in silence with God for two minutes each day. Find a quiet spot, sit comfortably and set an alarm. Sit quietly with God. Don’t arrive with a list of requests. Simply become aware of His presence. When your mind wanders, and it will, gently return your attention to Him.

You may find it useful to use a breath prayer like “Be still and know that I am God.” Or “Come Lord Jesus.” The more you practice the longer you’ll be able to spend in silence, but build slowly.

Silence is not empty–it’s space for God. 

It creates the conditions in which God transforms our hearts. In the quiet, stripped of distraction and noise, we become more aware of His presence, more attentive to His voice, and more open to His work within us.

Our job is not to fill every moment but to create space for Him. His job is to fill that space.