Did Jesus Practice Silent Prayer?

Did Jesus practice silent prayer?

I’ve been reflecting on that lately.

The Gospels don’t use the phrase “silent prayer,” but they do show something very clear:

Jesus regularly went away to be alone with God.

“Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (Luke 5:16)

He went off by Himself, sometimes early in the morning (Mark 1:35).

He stepped away from the noise, the people, and the activity.

And He did this especially before important moments:

There’s a pattern here.

Jesus intentionally chose silence and solitude.

We’re not told exactly what those moments looked like.

But they point to something deeper than just spoken prayer.

They point to being with God.

My friend Amos Smith reflects on this in Healing the Divide: Recovering Christianity’s Mystic Roots. He suggests that when Jesus fasted in the desert, it wasn’t only from food, but also from thoughts.

That idea has stayed with me.

Because to remain in the desert for that length of time, there had to be a deep stillness.

A resting in God.

And then Jesus gives us this:

“When you pray, go into your inner room, close the door…” (Matthew 6:6)

Centering prayer feels like a direct response to that invitation.

We go into the inner room.

We become still.

We let go.

We open ourselves to the presence and action of God within.

We allow God to pray in us.

Not by effort…

but by consent.

Over time, something begins to shift.

Quietly.
Gently.
Deeply.

Have you ever tried sitting quietly with God, even for a few minutes?

If you feel comfortable, just hit reply and let me know. I read every message.

If you’d like a simple way to begin:

If you’d like to go deeper, I share more of this journey in my book Sitting with God:
👉 Learn more about my book Sitting with God

And if you feel called to explore this more personally, I offer one-on-one coaching:
👉 Explore one-on-one coaching

If something in you is stirring…
and you’re not sure what the next step is,

I’ve gathered a few tools that have helped me along the way:

(Some of the links I share may be affiliate links. If you choose to use them, it helps support my work at no extra cost to you.)

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