spiritual disciplines book quote 10

From Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, by Donald Whitney, on silence and solitude...

In The Still Hour, Austin Phelps wrote, "It has been said that no great work in literature or in science was ever wrought by a man who did not love solitude. We may lay it down as an elemental principle of religion, that no large growth in holiness was ever gained by one who did not take time to be often long alone with God" (p. 194).

When Solomon's Temple was erected, "no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool was heard at the temple site while it was being built" (1 Kings 6:7). In like manner, our personal temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19) needs to be built up with interludes of silence and solitude. Schedule such a retreat for every day. The busier you are, the more hectic your world, the more you need to plan daily spaces of silence and solitude (p. 199, emphases mine).

A. W. Tozer expanded on this by saying, "Learn to pray inwardly every moment. After a while you can do this even while you work... Never let your mind remain scattered for very long. Call home your roving thoughts... Practice spiritual concentration. All the above is contingent upon a right relation to God through Christ and daily meditation on the Scriptures..." (p. 199, emphases mine).

As sleep and rest are needed each day for the body, so silence and solitude are needed each day for the soul (p. 199).