A friend of mine who leads spiritual retreats once told me that not one person who has followed his regimen of a silent retreat has failed to hear from God. Intrigued and a bit skeptical, I signed up for a 5-day retreat. We had much free time and just a few requirements, such as the assignment to spend 2 hours praying each day.

I doubt I had devoted more than 30 minutes to prayer at any one session in my life. The first day I wandered to a meadow and sat against a tree. How long will I stay awake? I wondered. To my great fortune, a herd of 147 elk wandered into the very field where I was sitting. To watch 147 elk in their natural habitat is enthralling and, eventually, boring. Yet after a while the very placidity of the scene began to affect me. Over the next few days I said many words to God. I was turning 50, and I asked for guidance on how I should prepare my soul for the rest of life. Many things came to mind while sitting in a field for hours at a time. I had to agree that I had indeed heard from God.

When Elijah stood before the Lord on Mount Horeb, he didn’t meet Him in the wind, earthquake, or fire. Rather, God spoke in a “still small voice” (1 Kings 19:11-12).

I’m more convinced than ever that God finds ways to communicate to those who truly seek Him—especially when we lower the volume of the surrounding static.

  — Philip Yancey