Immanuel Lifestyle | Quieting Practice

The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you. He will quiet you with His love... - Zephaniah 3:17

A quieting practice is finding peace for your body and soul, which then grows your awareness that you are in God's presence. This is a practice of receiving, trusting, and approaching God as glad to be with you in both the joys and distractions in your life.

Here's how to practice:

1.      Begin by noticing your lack of quiet. Note the things causing you stress or anxiety. Acknowledge what is taking up space in your mind.

2.      Name your distress and desires. Name what you are feeling (remember the emotional check-in?), or longing for. 

3.      Calm your body. For this practice, take a deep breath in and exhale "When I am afraid, I will trust in you, O Lord." Repeat this a few times until you feel a sense of calm.

4.      Calm your soul. Place both hands open in front of you. In your left hand, imagine holding a negative thing you noticed at the beginning of this exercise. On the right hand, recall an appreciation memory that we practiced during our Growing Joy practice. Ask Immanuel God what He wants you to know about both the appreciation memory and the negative feeling. "Immanuel, what do you want me to know about this? How do you feel about me?"

The beauty of the Quieting Practice is that it ties in all the practices explored during Immanuel Lifestyle - from exploring emotions to rehearsing joyful memories, to practicing presence and hearing God's voice. As you continue to integrate these practices into your daily life, expect that your friendship with God and with others will grow in joy!