A prayer for quieting the noise written by Christine Brown and read by Kelly Givens.

So Eli told Samuel, go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, speak Lord for your servant

is listening. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. First, Samuel 3, verse 9.

Sometimes life gets extra noisy. With all the news, emails, messages and discussions,

it's no wonder our minds feel overloaded. As a reforming overthinker, I've mastered

certain techniques for quieting my thoughts. But when the world seems to spin out of control,

my best efforts won't suffice. The priest Eli understood this. When the boy Samuel thought

he heard Eli calling him, Eli knew Samuel had actually heard the voice of God. Samuel

came running to his mentor, expecting an answer. Eli told Samuel what to do and instructed

him to go lay down in his place. Away from all distractions, we can still learn from Eli's

advice today. When we struggle to quiet the chaos in our minds, God will call us back

to our quiet place with him. We can benefit from having a special place where we can tune

out the world's noise and tune in to God's voice. Maybe yours is in a prayer closet,

a comfy chair, or on your knees next to a sleeping child's bed. Wherever you call your quiet

place, God is calling you there today. The reality is, some seasons leave little room for going to

that place, for finding solitude and listening for God's comforting words. We may be surrounded by

little ones needing our constant attention or caring for aging family members. We may be working

over time at our essential jobs or burned by struggles out of our hands. Yet it is in those times

we need to go to God the most. So whether five minutes or half an hour, let's pray and seek God

for an opportunity to go to that quiet place. He is ready to meet us there. Let's pray.

Dear Heavenly Father, lately the noise of this world seems to grow louder and louder.

I want to focus on you, but get distracted by the chaos around me. I long for a moment of peace,

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