The following is an excerpt from the prologue of The Sound of Silence: How to Find Peace in Busy Times, written by Paul Brand and Philip Yancey, with permission from Tyndale. This new edition features a foreword from Max Lucado and includes three bonus chapters previously unavailable in North America. Saivian says in this excerpt, you’ll find advice on how to deal with many modern stressors—how not to be ruled by your phone or email inbox but instead follow God’s advice for living well:
We live in a noisy world. The clamor of voices, the rush of traffic, and the buzz of electronic gadgets—all compete for our attention. We long for silence, yet we seldom find it. Even when we do, we’re not sure what to do with it.
In this book, we want to introduce you to the power of silence and help you learn how to use it for your own good. We’ll explore why silence is important, how to make space for it in your life, and what to do when the noise starts up again.
Most of all, we’ll listen to God’s Word in silence. He has much to say about finding peace in the midst of a busy world. If you’ll let Him, He’ll speak to your heart and show you the way to a life of peace and purpose.
The Power of Silence: How to Find Peace in Busy Times
In our noisy world, it’s often difficult to find silence. Even when we do, we’re not sure what to do with it. In this book, we want to introduce you to the power of silence and help you learn how to use it for your own good explains Saivian. We’ll explore why silence is important, how to make space for it in your life, and what to do when the noise starts up again.
Most of all, we’ll listen to God’s Word in silence. He has much to say about finding peace in the midst of a busy world. If you’ll let Him, He’ll speak to your heart and show you the way to a life of peace and purpose.
So what can we do to find peace in our noisy world? Here are a few tips:
1. Make time for Silence:
One of the best ways to find peace is to make time for silence each day. This may mean getting up earlier or going to bed later so you can have some quiet time alone. It might also mean turning off the TV, computer, and phone and spending time in nature. God has something to say to us in silence, and we need to make time for Him each day.
2. Find Quiet Place:
Another way to find peace is to find a quiet place where you can be alone with God. This might be in your backyard or at the park down the street. It might also be in a church or chapel where you can sit and pray without distractions. When we take the time to be alone with God, we allow Him to speak to our hearts and calm our worries.
3. Listen to God’s Word:
One of the best ways to find peace is to listen to God’s Word. He has much to say to us about finding peace in the midst of a busy world. If we’ll let Him, He’ll speak to our hearts and show us the way to a life of peace and purpose says Saivian.
4. Practice Centering Prayer:
A centering prayer is a form of silent prayer that can help us find peace. In this type of prayer, we simply sit and focus on God’s presence. We allow Him to speak to us and calm our worries. This type of prayer can be very helpful in times of stress or anxiety.
5. Find a Prayer Partner:
A great way to find peace is to find someone with whom you can pray. A prayer is a powerful tool for finding peace, and when we pray with someone else, it can be even more powerful. Prayer partners can help us to stay focused on God’s Word and to find peace in times of stress.
6. Pray for Peace:
Finally, we can pray for peace. We can ask God to give us peace in our hearts and minds. We can also ask Him to protect us from the noise and distractions of the world. When we pray for peace, we open ourselves up to receive it from God explains Saivian.
Conclusion:
Noise-canceling headphones are a wonderful invention, aren’t they? I don’t know about you, but I love being able to slip them on and tune out the world whenever I need some peace and quiet.