How to Be Still Before God • Deshen Daily

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. (Psalm 46:10 KJV)

If you want God to fight your battles, learn to be still. However, being still in a crisis is probably one of the most challenging things you will ever have to do. Nevertheless, the Spirit of God will enable you to do the naturally impossible because stillness is mandatory to see God’s supernatural. In this devotional, you will learn what it means to be still and how to be still before God.

The Hebrew word translated still in Psalms 46:10 above means “to put an end to a state or an activity.” So, being still means to stop or discontinue something. But what is this something we must stop? An easy way to understand this is to think about what our hearts naturally do in crisis moments. As we all know, when problems strike our doors, we naturally become anxious and fearful. As I described in a prior Deshen Daily devotional, anxiety and fear are spiritual noises in our hearts. So, our hearts become noisy, restless, and hyperactive in trouble. But God wants us to be still in crises; He wants us to put an end to restlessness, fear, and anxieties.

We see an example of spiritual silence amidst a crisis in Exodus 14:14 when Pharaoh’s army pursued the Israelites. As the Israelites cried out to God, Moses said to them:

“The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” (Exodus 14:14 ESV)

This silence was not merely keeping quiet with their mouths. It was an emotional, mental and spiritual silence. God wanted them to cease from anxiety, fear, and restlessness.

How can we be still amidst anxiety-provoking situations? Interestingly, God’s secret to spiritual quietness and peace is surprisingly simple—trust. Trust removes our minds from the circumstance and sets them on God, the Source of our expected solution. When we trust God, we connect a spiritual hose to heaven and drain the water of quietness and peace into our hearts.

You can do a few things to bolster your trust in crisis moments. Of these activities, setting our minds upon God is crucial. Isaiah said:

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you.” (Isaiah 26:3 ESV)

What you think or set your mind on matters.

Furthermore, one activity that will help keep your mind stayed on God is to read or meditate on the Word. God’s Word calms or stills the soul. Furthermore, as you set your mind upon God and tell Him what you want in prayer, His peace will fill and protect your heart (Philippians 4:6-8).

Do you want to know that God is God? Be still. This stillness can only come from the Spirit of God, as our hearts naturally become restless in crises. Yield to the Spirit. Follow the simple steps mentioned above. Trust God, set your mind on Him, and avail yourself of the scriptures and prayer as needed.

What is spiritual stillness? What is the difference between spiritual and physical quietness?

Trust is risking disappointment, pain, or suffering on God’s character. He rewards trust not only with peace but with the miracle expected. If you decide to trust God and be still rather than worry about that financial, relationship, health, social, or business issue, God will show up in your life. Be still and know He is God.

Ask the Spirit to help you learn how to be spiritually quiet or still.