Learning to Be Still: 5 Life Giving Ways to start today

We have been trained to hustle and grind so the job gets done, but while neglecting an important spiritual practice that keeps us close and centered to Jesus. These are life-giving ways to learn to be still before the Lord again.

Ever feel like you haven’t stopped moving since the moment your eyes opened—and even in your dreams, you’re still getting stuff done?

Honestly, I get it. We’re trained to hustle from sunup to sundown, constantly pulled by to-do lists, time constraints, and the needs of those who rely on us.

But what if embracing the practice of being still could actually shift the trajectory of your day? What if the peace you’re aching for isn’t found in doing more—but in surrendering to less?

In the book of Psalms, many verses end with the word Selah. It means “pause,” or “stop and reflect.” After singing powerful truths about God, the psalmist didn’t just move on—he paused to let the weight of those words settle in.

Maybe Selah is an invitation for us, too. An invitation to pause in the middle of our own song—to reflect, breathe, and delight in the goodness of God.

This post is all about learning to be still before the Lord—starting with 5 life-giving ways you can begin today.

Life Giving Ways to Learning to be Still

1. Wake Up with Wonder

Start the day with awe and awareness rather than to-do list.

Imagine this: What if Jesus Himself appeared in your room and gently woke you up? He’d lead you to the coziest corner of your home, hand you your Bible, and maybe even your favorite warm cup of coffee. I guarantee your mind wouldn’t be on your errands, the kids, or the bills waiting to be paid. Your entire focus would be locked in on Jesus—because He is there.

The beautiful truth is this: Your mornings can be like this. This isn’t a fairy tale or wishful thinking—this is real! Scripture says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13). He promises, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8).

What if we shifted our morning focus? Instead of reaching for our phones or feeling pulled by all the demands of the day, we chose to pursue Jesus first? You would find Him—and your morning could become a powerful encounter with the living God.

Tips to Start Your Day with Wonder:

Wake up early (even just a few minutes before the house stirs) to meet with God.
Think to yourself: “I’m meeting with Jesus.” Approach it with joy and expectancy.
Be with Him as you would with a close friend or spouse. Acknowledge His presence, smile, and open your heart.
Expect Him to speak. He’s waiting for you more than you realize.

Scriptures to pray in the morning

Lamentations 3:22–23 – “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Psalm 5:3 – “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.”
Isaiah 50:4 – “The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.”
Mark 1:35 – “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”
Psalm 90:14 – “Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.”

2. Create a Sacred Pause

Choose intentional pockets in your day to pause everything—to simply be still before God.

Even Jesus frequently withdrew to be alone with the Father. He stepped away after ministering to crowds, before making major decisions, and even during moments of deep distress. If our Master demonstrated this rhythm, we can be sure it holds a powerful key to overcoming every challenge we face.

When we teach our hearts to slow down, these sacred pauses become moments where we encounter our beautiful King. Life becomes richer, more colorful, and full of gratitude. Scripture says, “We all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV). Every pause shapes us to look more like Him, keeping our inner fire burning red hot for the Lord.

There’s no agenda here—just surrender and delight.

The more you seek these sacred pockets of time, the more you’ll begin to notice them. These pauses won’t feel like a chore or something “extra.” Instead, they’ll become life-giving charge-ups that fill you with the joy of the Lord and reset your perspective.

Tips for Creating Sacred Pauses:

Scan your day. In the morning, look at your schedule and “loosely” plan where you can pause—during nap time, the drive home, or while waiting at your kids’ practice.
Ask the Holy Spirit for nudges. Sometimes our default is to grab our phones and scroll, but He can remind you to turn your attention back to Him.
Protect your moments. Set aside undisturbed time. Invite your spouse or family to honor this space so you can truly enjoy His presence, even if it’s just for a few minutes.

Scriptures to pray into while pausing

Psalm 46:10 – “Be still, and know that I am God.”
Mark 6:31 – “Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’”
Luke 5:16 – “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”
Matthew 11:28–29 – “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Psalm 62:1–2 – “Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.”

3. Let Scripture Hold You

Open the Word—not to study or check a box—but to simply sit with it and let it hold you.

“He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:17). Think about that! Jesus, the Living Word, not only created all things—He’s literally holding everything together right now, including you. When you open your Bible, you’re not just reading words on a page—you’re encountering Jesus Himself.

In moments of stillness, allow Scripture to sustain and strengthen you. This isn’t the time for heavy study or filling notebooks with notes. This is the time to let His words sink into your spirit like a healing balm.

This shifts your perspective entirely. When you read of His faithfulness, it stirs hope in you. When you read what God says about you, it cements your identity as His beloved child.

Tips to let Scripture hold you:

Pray before reading. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and open your eyes to revelation.
Start with the heart. If you’re unsure where to begin, try the Psalms or Song of Solomon for moments of worship and intimacy.
Meditate slowly. Choose one verse, chew on it, read it aloud, and let it echo in your heart.
Listen as you read. Invite stillness. Don’t just read—pause to hear what God is whispering back to you.

Scriptures that help us fall in love with God’s word

Psalm 119:105 – “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
Hebrews 4:12 – “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
Joshua 1:8 – “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
John 15:7 – “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
Psalm 1:2–3 – “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever he does prospers.”

4. Rest with Intention

We need to confront a lie that many of us have unknowingly believed: that rest equals laziness or unproductivity.

But Psalm 23 paints a completely different picture. The Good Shepherd leads us to lie down in green pastures and beside still waters to restore our souls. He doesn’t push us into motion—He invites us into rest, even as He leads us in paths of righteousness.
This is the kind of rest that replenishes and heals.

We live in a culture that glorifies hustle, but if we’re not careful, we’ll become too busy to receive what God is longing to give us—soul-level restoration. Rest isn’t weakness; it’s worship. It’s a declaration that God is in control, not us.

There’s a difference between numbing and resting.
Numbing might look like doomscrolling, binge-watching, or zoning out. It may offer a momentary escape, but it doesn’t restore. True, life-giving rest comes when we stop managing everything and trust God to do what only He can do.

“Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)
Resting says to God: “I trust You.”

Scripture even shows us in 2 Samuel 7:1 that rest is a gift from God: “After the king was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him…” Rest doesn’t mean passivity. It means positioning ourselves to watch God move.

And remember—Jesus rested, even during the storm (Mark 4:38). If the Son of God saw rest as essential, how much more should we?

Tips to resting like Jesus

Honor a Sabbath rhythm. Set aside one day (or a portion of a day) each week to slow down, enjoy God, and refresh your soul.
Take real naps. Your body is not a machine. Lay down and breathe deeply. If weather allows, lay on the grass or stretch out on your patio—change your scenery and rest.
Unplug to reconnect. Turn off the devices. Silence is not empty—it’s full of God’s presence.
Ask God what kind of rest you need. Sometimes you need physical rest. Sometimes your soul needs space to grieve, laugh, or worship. Trust Him to show you.

Scriptures to meditate on while resting

Psalm 23:1–3 – “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.”
Matthew 11:28–30 – “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest… you will find rest for your souls.”
Isaiah 30:15 – “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength…”
2 Samuel 7:1 – “The Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him.”
Mark 4:38–39 – “Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion…”

5. End the Day with Selah

I believe how you begin your day is vital—but just as important is how you end it.

Have you ever noticed how your mood at night carries into the next morning? It’s wild, but it’s true. If I fall asleep consumed with worry, or after obsessing over a TV show, I wake up already distracted—anxious, frustrated, and spiritually distant. Instead of hearing the voice of God, I wake up hearing the noise of my own anxiety.

Maybe you’ve experienced the same. Could it be that the reason you’re reaching for your phone first thing is because it was the last thing you touched the night before?

Let’s shift that pattern. Let’s end our day with intention, not distraction. Let’s choose to pause and still our hearts before sleep, inviting the peace of God to cover us like a warm, cozy blanket.

Practicing stillness before bed doesn’t just bring better rest—it prepares your heart to meet God in the morning, and even in your dreams. When we take time to release the burdens of the day, we’re placing them in the hands of the One who never sleeps or slumbers (Psalm 121:4). This is not only a gift to your soul, but your body will thank you too. Peaceful sleep begins with peaceful surrender.

Tips for ending your day with Selah

Practice stillness. Get alone for a few moments—just you and God. Let His peace settle over you like a soft blanket.
Try a breathing prayer. Inhale deeply and whisper, “You are near.” Exhale slowly and say, “I trust You.”
Journal with God. Reflect on how you saw Him that day. Write down even the small moments of grace or breakthrough.
Lay down your burdens. Literally imagine picking up every care, concern, or fear—and placing it at Jesus’ feet.

Scriptures to pray into while ending your day

Psalm 4:8 – “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.”
Matthew 6:34 – “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
1 Peter 5:7 – “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”
Psalm 121:3–4 – “He who watches over you will not slumber… the Lord watches over you.”
Isaiah 26:3 – “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”

Stillness isn’t about doing less—it’s about becoming more aware of the One who holds it all together; may you learn to be still and find Him in every pause, whisper, and breath.

This post is all about learning to be still with God.

Learning to Be Still: 5 Life Giving Ways to start today