It sounds like Paul is mobilizing a major prayer surge here with this introductory phrase. He prevails on us to fervently engage with requests, prayers, and intercession. He emphasizes the urgency even more by prioritizing this matter as “first of all.” This must be a serious concern indeed! What is it we are all to join in on, petitioning Heaven’s throne? A coast-to-coast crisis? An international calamity? Nations a’broil?
Nope. He urgently presses us to pray for everyone… that we might live peaceful, quiet lives. That is the urgency. That is the singular reason for marshaling a prayer army. Do you get a sense that this might be super important to God? Indeed, he continues by saying, “This is good, and pleases God…”
Yes. A quiet life is a treasure to God. It’s what He longs for us to have. He does not ask us to pray that we might have exciting, enthralling, soaring lives. Nor are we to aspire to exotic or illustrious lives full of grandiosity. No. Simple. Quiet. Peaceful. Deeply trusting. This is His ideal.
Similarly, in 1 Peter 3:4, Holy Spirit lets us know that a quiet spirit is exceedingly precious to God. Cultivating a quiet, serene heart, then, is something that we should put in our sites as a central, fundamental goal.
This does not mean that our lives won’t have exciting moments. Of course they will! However, we don’t want to make excitement for the sake of excitement our predominant aim. Rather, enjoying Jesus’ presence and spreading His love is to be the primary pursuit of our hearts.
Cultivating a quiet life also doesn’t mean that our days won’t be profoundly fulfilling. On the contrary, when one leads a calm, peaceful life, this enhances and deepens all the different kinds of seasons we traverse. A consistent, quiet, peaceful backdrop causes the momentous occasions woven into life’s fabric to become all the more meaningful.
A quiet life strengthens us. As Isaiah beautifully expressed: For the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, said, In quiet and rest is your salvation: peace and hope are your strength” (Isa. 30:15, BBE).
I will add, “quiet” does not necessarily mean noise-free. If you have young children in your family, silence probably only happens when they are sleeping. Instead, Holy Spirit is talking to us about the quality of our inner lives. Do we know how to be still in His presence? Have we learned to quiet our souls and trust deeply in His goodness? Are we resting in His immaculate care of every detail of our existence?
“Be still, and know that I am God…” (Ps. 46:10, NKJV).
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What are some practical ways that we can intentionally build more quiet into our lives?
Feeding On Jesus 
What works for me, even in chaotic environments, is bringing my attention back to my breathing and my body feeling the floor/ground on my feet, the sounds and my response to it..awareness if you will. A response from a calm state is always better than a reaction from outrage, fear or anger
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Thank you, Jeff, I really appreciate that insight. I was familiar with the helpfulness of focusing on breathing, but that is the first I had heard of focusing on the floor/ground. I immediately tried it, and could definitely see how effective that would be. So thank you!
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Amen && Amen!!!! Thank you Jesus. Be still and know that HE IS GOD! That scripture God uses almost ALL the time to remind me of who HE IS to me and to know that he IS in control of everything and to…just be still. He’s awesome!!! ❤
Bless you sis.
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Bless you too, my dear!! And YES!! It’s one of my favorites too! So, so, SO good!! Just to be quiet and still and know how huge, how loving, how wise, how sovereign He is!! Thank you so much for taking the time to share, Tammy. Love and blessings! ❤ ❤
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Haha! Thanks much my sister in Christ 😀
Yesssssssssss!!!!!!!!!! He’s a WONDER! No problem at all! 🙂 same to you!!
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YES He IS!! 😀 ❤ 😀 ❤ 😀
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Yessssss!!!!
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I heard a helpful sermon from a Godly Man the other day. He said……..You must first of all 1. REST in the certainty that you are LOVED AND DEARLY VALUED by God. 2. You must STAND without feeling you have to DO anything (ie pray or anything) simply STAND quietly KNOWING that the full Armour of God Ephs4 is by faith clothing you. (exactly as it would if you slipped on a dressing gown. STAND accept your armour and only then WALK…….(but in the Spirit), ie face the day with all its challenges walking in the Holy Spirit. (being quietly aware that He is with you and will never leave you nor forsake you). As you then begin to walk, the prayers you pray as the day progresses may not be always registering in your mind but resonating from His Spirit within. Be Still and KNOW that He is God…indeed! (Calvary has made it all possible for us to LIVE and not have to DO a lot of stuff others may put on us as ‘expectations’. ) REST in HIM . First before all other things even prayer. .SIT.. REST. Know that HE IS GOD!.
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Wow, that really is so helpful! I am edified, blessed, and strengthened by reading your sum-up of what he taught. Thank you, truly, for taking the time to do so. How beautiful is Daddy, and how precious is life in Him!
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