Psalm 37:7a (NLT): "Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act."

During stressful times, as we pour out our hearts to the Lord in prayer, the temptation to work out a solution in our own strength - based on our turbulent emotions - can be overwhelming. Acting impulsively can lead to disastrous consequences, only making matters worse. The Psalmist instructs us to do something that goes against our natural instinct to act impulsively and become still in God's presence. To keep quiet, and bring our raging thoughts and emotions into a restful state, is the only way we can actually hear wisdom. The Bible describes rest as having our minds fortified with peace, while being in soul harmony with God. This is where our emotions are calmed and our reasoning brought into line with God's own thoughts. This is where we hear directly from heaven with the confidence to obey His instructions and the assurance that the outcome will be far more favourable than we imagined.