The Journey Inward provides practical insights to facilitate the ability to sit still before God, using the contemplative writing of Teresa of Avila’s The Interior Castle as a framework.

Day Two

Luke 8:5-8: “A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell on the path and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered for lack of moisture. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. Some fell into good soil, and when it grew, it produced a hundredfold.”

Luke 8:11-15: “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones on the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe only for a while and in a time of testing fall away. As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who hear; but as they go on their way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance.”

Devotional

Jesus was aware that we struggle with the distractions of worry, problems, pleasures and wrong priorities that make us too busy to be still. He encouraged us to be patient and have an open heart and mind, so that we might listen and hear what God is saying to us in order to learn and grow as people. He explains this concept in the parable of the sower.

What we can glean from this teaching is that being still to listen to God comes down to our attitude. It is also an active choice we need to make.

Take a moment to reflect:

Reflect on what you have read.

Think about whether there is something in your life that is stopping you from being still and praying.

What would you need to change in your life so that you could slow down and just be?

I challenge you to have the courage to go a step further and make the choice to start the process, carve out some time in your day to learn to be still.

If you missed the first devotional in The Journey Inward series, catch up on it here.

Dr Thompson’s Christ Centred Mindfulness books – including two new mini-books Breathe and Still – are available at Koorong. Additional resources are available here.