By Ptr. Jesame von Tronchin
When was the last time you’ve intentionally stepped out of the busyness of work and life—not to be productive, not to fix anything—but simply to sit in silence?
To let go of the worries and fears that constantly run through your mind. To stop replaying conversations, responsibilities, and what-ifs. To go to God in prayer, not with carefully chosen words, but to talk to Him as a friend—to pour everything that’s been weighing on your heart into His hands.
That question has been sitting with me lately.
So often, we approach God only when we need something. We come to Him in prayer asking Him to provide, to protect, to intervene. And God does care about our needs—He invites us to bring them to Him. But God is more than our Provider or Protector. He is also our friend.
He’s the God who wants to hear what’s been stirring in your heart and mind. The God who isn’t just interested in your requests, but in you. He invites us not only to pray to Him, but to walk with Him—to speak honestly, to listen quietly, and to be fully present with Him.
I’m reminded of Elijah’s story in 1 Kings 19. Elijah is exhausted, afraid, and convinced that he’s alone. Jezebel is hunting him down, and he’s questioning God in the middle of his fear and discouragement. He goes looking for God’s voice—expecting to find it in the dramatic and overwhelming moments. In the wind. In the earthquake. In the fire.
But God isn’t found in the noise. Instead, Scripture tells us that God speaks in a gentle whisper.
Renewal didn’t come to Elijah by doing more or pushing harder. It came when he stopped running, sat still, and allowed God to meet him in the quiet. God didn’t rebuke Elijah for his questions. He didn’t rush him. He simply showed up—present, patient, and near.
Maybe renewal looks like that for us too.
Not adding more to our schedules, but creating space. Not louder prayers, but quieter hearts. Not treating God only as the One who solves our problems, but rediscovering Him as the Friend who walks with us through them.
Sometimes God isn’t trying to shout over the noise of our lives. He’s waiting for us to slow down long enough to hear Him.
“Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)
Maybe today, renewal begins with silence. With sitting still. With remembering that God isn’t distant—He’s near, He’s listening, and He longs to meet us in the quiet.