Begin with two minutes of silence and stillness before God.
I still remember the crushing silence of the waiting room. The doctors had told us that CK’s “simple” procedure had some unexpected complications. Her little two-year-old lungs couldn’t breathe as they tried to wake her up from the anesthesiology. The doctors asked us to wait in a private room while they got her situated in the Pediatric ICU. A few minutes turned into an eternity. The silence of that small room was one of the heaviest things I’ve ever felt. I don’t know if you have ever been there, but silence can feel unbearable when you’re desperate for movement.
That kind of silence, the kind that holds both fear and hope, is the same silence that falls over heaven in Revelation 8. After the intensity of the seals, the Lamb opens the seventh one—and heaven falls silent. No thunder, no singing, no movement. “There was silence in heaven for about half an hour.” It’s the kind of stillness that feels thick with anticipation and anxiety.
Then the scene shifts: an angel gathers the prayers of the saints—our prayers—and mixes them with incense before the throne. Before judgment proceeds, God pauses to give sacred attention to every cry for justice, mercy, and hope. The silence isn’t empty. It’s holy.
We often think God’s silence means He’s not listening. There have been seasons in my life when heaven’s quiet felt like absence. I prayed for clarity and heard nothing. I wanted action, and instead, I got stillness. But looking back, I can see that those pauses weren’t punishment—they were preparation. God was aligning hearts and circumstances in ways I couldn’t yet see. His silence wasn’t distance. It was design. God doesn’t rush through the cries of His people. He holds them, gathers them, and in His perfect timing, responds with power.
If you’re in that quiet space right now, take heart. Heaven’s silence isn’t God turning away. What if God’s silence isn’t a “no,” but a “not yet”? How might your waiting season look different if you saw it as an altar moment—where your prayers rise like incense before Him?
When it feels like nothing is happening, something sacred usually is. Heaven’s silence might just be the sound of God getting ready to move.
Take two minutes to reflect in silence.
Reflection:
Use the S.O.A.P. Method to study God’s Word.
- SCRIPTURE: What stands out to you in today’s passage?
- OBSERVATION: What is this text saying? What is the context? How does it fit with the verses before and after it? Are there any commands, instructions, or promises?
- APPLICATION: How can you apply this verse to your life? What does this mean today? What is God saying to you?
- PRAYER: Respond to the passage in prayer. Ask God to help you apply this truth to your life and spend some time listening to what He may be telling you.
PRAY FOR TPW 2025
Over 500 students, nearly 200 volunteers, and dozens of Venture Church staff will attend Turning Point Weekend this Friday through Sunday. TPW is Venture Students’ annual fall retreat designed for students in grades 7th through 12th to reach a powerful turning point in their faith and walk with Christ. Students from every Venture Church campus will come together to build relationships, play games, and, most importantly, passionately worship Jesus Christ.
As a church, before the weekend, we want to PRAY FIRST. Join us in praying every day this week for one minute at 1:00 PM for God to move in the lives of students and leaders!
How to pray for TPW 2025 this week:
- Pray for protection - physical and spiritual.
- Pray for the students and their experience this weekend, that it would be a turning point in their faith that ripples through their families, schools, and communities.
- Pray for our team and all the leaders who will be volunteering their time.
- Pray for Salvations!