{"id":24133,"date":"2026-03-11T15:39:52","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T15:39:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/uncategorized\/7-ways-to-experience-the-comfort-of-silence\/"},"modified":"2026-04-10T06:17:41","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T06:17:41","slug":"7-ways-to-experience-the-comfort-of-silence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/prayer\/how-to-pray\/7-ways-to-experience-the-comfort-of-silence\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Ways to Experience the Comfort of Silence"},"content":{"rendered":"

Silence is not just for introverts. Sure, I\u2019m an introvert. And yes, my first prayer retreat<\/a> to a monastery where silence was observed (except in corporate worship) was a prayer-life-altering experience for me. And okay, I took my extrovert wife along with me a couple years later to the monastery with fear and trepidation, unsure whether she would survive four days and three nights of silence.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s when she and I both discovered that silence is a boon for everyone: introverts, extroverts and ambiverts.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

Community Newsletter<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

Get More Inspiration Delivered to Your Inbox<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

\tNotice: JavaScript is required for this content.<\/p>\n

\/* FORM STYLES *\/<\/p>\n

#nf-form-5-cont {
\n background-color:#ffffff;
\n border-radius:35px;
\n-webkit-border-radius:35px; }<\/p>\n

\/* FIELDS STYLES *\/<\/p>\n

.nf-form-content .nf-field-container #nf-field-27-wrap {
\n margin:0;
\nborder-radius: 25px;
\n-webkit-border-radius: 25px; }
\n .nf-form-content .nf-field-container #nf-field-27-wrap .nf-field-element .ninja-forms-field {
\n background-color:#ffffff;
\n border-color:#ffffff;
\n margin-bottom:0;
\nborder-radius: 25px;
\n-webkit-border-radius: 25px; }
\n .nf-form-content .nf-field-container #nf-field-28-wrap {
\n width:120px;
\n }
\n .nf-form-content .nf-field-container #nf-field-28-wrap .nf-field-element .ninja-forms-field {
\n background-color:#00ab84;
\n width:120px;
\n }
\n .nf-form-content .nf-field-container #nf-field-28-wrap .nf-field-element .ninja-forms-field:hover {
\n background-color:#00ab84;
\n }<\/p>\n


\n var formDisplay=1;var nfForms=nfForms||[];var form=[];form.id=’5′;form.settings={“objectType”:”Form Setting”,”editActive”:true,”title”:”Sign up for Newsletter”,”show_title”:0,”allow_public_link”:0,”embed_form”:””,”clear_complete”:0,”hide_complete”:0,”default_label_pos”:”above”,”wrapper_class”:”master-signup-form-wrap”,”element_class”:”master-signup-form”,”key”:””,”add_submit”:0,”currency”:””,”unique_field_error”:”A form with this value has already been submitted.”,”logged_in”:false,”not_logged_in_msg”:””,”sub_limit_msg”:”The form has reached its submission limit.”,”calculations”:[],”container_styles_show_advanced_css”:1,”title_styles_show_advanced_css”:0,”row_styles_show_advanced_css”:0,”row-odd_styles_show_advanced_css”:0,”success-msg_styles_show_advanced_css”:0,”error_msg_styles_show_advanced_css”:0,”formContentData”:[{“order”:1,”cells”:[{“order”:0,”fields”:[“master_signup_email”],”width”:66},{“order”:1,”fields”:[“subscribe_now_1660636976556″],”width”:34}]}],”changeEmailErrorMsg”:”Please enter a valid email address!”,”changeDateErrorMsg”:”Please enter a valid date!”,”confirmFieldErrorMsg”:”These fields must match!”,”fieldNumberNumMinError”:”Number Min Error”,”fieldNumberNumMaxError”:”Number Max Error”,”fieldNumberIncrementBy”:”Please increment by “,”formErrorsCorrectErrors”:”Please correct errors before submitting this form.”,”validateRequiredField”:”This is a required field.”,”honeypotHoneypotError”:”Honeypot Error”,”fieldsMarkedRequired”:”Fields marked with an *<\/span> are required”,”container_styles_background-color”:”#ffffff”,”container_styles_border”:””,”container_styles_height”:””,”container_styles_margin”:””,”container_styles_padding”:””,”container_styles_float”:””,”container_styles_advanced”:”border-radius:35px;n-webkit-border-radius:35px;”,”title_styles_border”:””,”title_styles_height”:””,”title_styles_width”:””,”title_styles_font-size”:””,”title_styles_margin”:””,”title_styles_padding”:””,”title_styles_float”:””,”row_styles_border”:””,”row_styles_width”:””,”row_styles_font-size”:””,”row_styles_margin”:””,”row_styles_padding”:””,”row-odd_styles_border”:””,”row-odd_styles_height”:””,”row-odd_styles_width”:””,”row-odd_styles_font-size”:””,”row-odd_styles_margin”:””,”row-odd_styles_padding”:””,”success-msg_styles_border”:””,”success-msg_styles_height”:””,”success-msg_styles_width”:””,”success-msg_styles_font-size”:””,”success-msg_styles_margin”:””,”success-msg_styles_padding”:””,”error_msg_styles_border”:””,”error_msg_styles_width”:””,”error_msg_styles_font-size”:””,”error_msg_styles_margin”:””,”error_msg_styles_padding”:””,”drawerDisabled”:false,”export_settings”:[],”form_title_heading_level”:”3″,”ninjaForms”:”Ninja Forms”,”fieldTextareaRTEInsertLink”:”Insert Link”,”fieldTextareaRTEInsertMedia”:”Insert Media”,”fieldTextareaRTESelectAFile”:”Select a file”,”formHoneypot”:”If you are a human seeing this field, please leave it empty.”,”fileUploadOldCodeFileUploadInProgress”:”File Upload in Progress.”,”fileUploadOldCodeFileUpload”:”FILE UPLOAD”,”currencySymbol”:”$”,”thousands_sep”:”,”,”decimal_point”:”.”,”siteLocale”:”en_US”,”dateFormat”:”m\/d\/Y”,”startOfWeek”:”1″,”of”:”of”,”previousMonth”:”Previous Month”,”nextMonth”:”Next Month”,”months”:[“January”,”February”,”March”,”April”,”May”,”June”,”July”,”August”,”September”,”October”,”November”,”December”],”monthsShort”:[“Jan”,”Feb”,”Mar”,”Apr”,”May”,”Jun”,”Jul”,”Aug”,”Sep”,”Oct”,”Nov”,”Dec”],”weekdays”:[“Sunday”,”Monday”,”Tuesday”,”Wednesday”,”Thursday”,”Friday”,”Saturday”],”weekdaysShort”:[“Sun”,”Mon”,”Tue”,”Wed”,”Thu”,”Fri”,”Sat”],”weekdaysMin”:[“Su”,”Mo”,”Tu”,”We”,”Th”,”Fr”,”Sa”],”recaptchaConsentMissing”:”reCaptcha validation couldn't load.”,”recaptchaMissingCookie”:”reCaptcha v3 validation couldn't load the cookie needed to submit the form.”,”recaptchaConsentEvent”:”Accept reCaptcha cookies before sending the form.”,”currency_symbol”:””,”beforeForm”:””,”beforeFields”:””,”afterFields”:””,”afterForm”:””};form.fields=[{“objectType”:”Field”,”objectDomain”:”fields”,”editActive”:false,”order”:1,”idAttribute”:”id”,”label”:”Email”,”type”:”email”,”key”:”master_signup_email”,”label_pos”:”hidden”,”required”:1,”default”:””,”placeholder”:”@Your email”,”container_class”:”master-email-wrap”,”element_class”:””,”admin_label”:”master_signup_email”,”help_text”:””,”custom_name_attribute”:”email”,”personally_identifiable”:1,”wrap_styles_border”:””,”wrap_styles_width”:””,”wrap_styles_margin”:0,”wrap_styles_padding”:0,”wrap_styles_float”:””,”wrap_styles_show_advanced_css”:1,”label_styles_border”:””,”label_styles_width”:””,”label_styles_font-size”:””,”label_styles_margin”:0,”label_styles_padding”:0,”label_styles_float”:””,”label_styles_show_advanced_css”:0,”element_styles_border”:””,”element_styles_width”:””,”element_styles_font-size”:””,”element_styles_margin”:0,”element_styles_padding”:0,”element_styles_float”:””,”element_styles_show_advanced_css”:1,”cellcid”:”c4722″,”value”:””,”drawerDisabled”:false,”wrap_styles_advanced”:”margin:0;nborder-radius: 25px;n-webkit-border-radius: 25px;”,”element_styles_background-color”:”#ffffff”,”element_styles_border-color”:”#ffffff”,”element_styles_advanced”:”margin-bottom:0;nborder-radius: 25px;n-webkit-border-radius: 25px;”,”manual_key”:true,”id”:27,”beforeField”:””,”afterField”:””,”parentType”:”email”,”element_templates”:[“email”,”input”],”old_classname”:””,”wrap_template”:”wrap”},{“objectType”:”Field”,”objectDomain”:”fields”,”editActive”:false,”order”:2,”idAttribute”:”id”,”label”:”Subscribe Now”,”type”:”submit”,”cellcid”:”c4725″,”processing_label”:”Processing”,”container_class”:””,”element_class”:””,”key”:”subscribe_now_1660636976556″,”wrap_styles_border”:””,”wrap_styles_width”:120,”wrap_styles_margin”:0,”wrap_styles_padding”:0,”wrap_styles_float”:””,”wrap_styles_show_advanced_css”:1,”element_styles_border”:””,”element_styles_width”:120,”element_styles_font-size”:””,”element_styles_margin”:0,”element_styles_padding”:0,”element_styles_float”:””,”element_styles_show_advanced_css”:0,”submit_element_hover_styles_border”:””,”submit_element_hover_styles_width”:””,”submit_element_hover_styles_font-size”:””,”submit_element_hover_styles_margin”:””,”submit_element_hover_styles_padding”:””,”submit_element_hover_styles_float”:””,”submit_element_hover_styles_show_advanced_css”:0,”wrap_styles_advanced”:””,”element_styles_background-color”:”#00ab84″,”submit_element_hover_styles_background-color”:”#00ab84″,”drawerDisabled”:false,”id”:28,”beforeField”:””,”afterField”:””,”value”:””,”label_pos”:”above”,”parentType”:”textbox”,”element_templates”:[“submit”,”button”,”input”],”old_classname”:””,”wrap_template”:”wrap-no-label”}];nfForms.push(form);<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Don\u2019t believe me? Try it. You\u2019ll probably be surprised at the effects of silence, even if you never take a silent retreat. Here are a few tips for beginners:<\/p>\n

1) \u00a0Don\u2019t Be Afraid<\/strong>
\nSilence can be intimidating at first, simply because you\u2019re not used to it. How often do you experience real silence? Hardly ever, as we\u2019re constantly surrounded by muzak, traffic sounds, radio and television, etc. But no matter how strange it may seem at first, try embracing the quiet.<\/p>\n

2) \u00a0Start Small<\/strong>
\nFind a quiet place and set the timer on your phone for five minutes. Try spending those minutes without external stimuli. Your mind may whirl frantically in the silence, but that\u2019s okay. With time, your brain will begin to make adjustments.<\/p>\n

3) \u00a0Breathe<\/strong>
\nOne way to channel mental distractions is to focus your mind on your breathing. Inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth. Feel your lungs expand. Let your breathing affect your posture. Make each breath a one-word prayer, perhaps asking God to \u201cfill\u201d your life with good things as you inhale and \u201ccleanse\u201d you of stress, fear, or illness as you exhale.<\/p>\n

4) \u00a0Try a Daily or Weekly Technology Fast<\/strong>
\nInstead of reading on your smart phone during lunch, try eating in silence, savoring every bite. Or program your phone to block calls and your computer to \u201csleep\u201d for a certain period every day; use that time to slow down, breathe deeply and think freely. You might even fast from technology<\/a> on your day off or all weekend\u2014people survive such rigors, you know.<\/p>\n

5) \u00a0Take a Walk<\/strong>
\nFind a park or woodland path, silence your phone and take a stroll. When\u2019s the last time you actually strolled?<\/p>\n

6) \u00a0Observe<\/strong>
\nFreedom from aural stimuli can focus other senses. So, while you spend time in silence, set your other senses free. Notice the shapes and colors that surround you. Touch different textures. Breathe deeply of various scents.<\/p>\n

7) \u00a0Write<\/strong>
\nSilence need not mean inactivity. You may find (as I always do) that a little silence ignites your creativity and organizes your mind. Keep a pen and notebook handy to write down ideas, memories and prayers that occur to you in the silence.<\/p>\n

After her first day at the silent monastery, my wife was alone in her private room and heard talking in the hall (where people were supposed to maintain the silence). She tried to be patient, but the \u201cnoise\u201d soon disturbed her so much, she opened the door and shot a look at the offenders! She told me afterward of how surprised she was to learn that silence had so quickly become so important to her in that place. I nodded. I understood completely.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Silence is not just for introverts. Sure, I\u2019m an introvert. And yes, my first prayer retreat to a monastery where silence was observed (except in corporate worship) was a prayer-life-altering experience for me. And okay, I took my extrovert wife along with me a couple years later to the monastery with fear and trepidation, unsure […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":78,"featured_media":30706,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[251],"tags":[49,27,30,14,45],"ppma_author":[465],"class_list":["post-24133","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-how-to-pray","tag-peace","tag-positive-thinking","tag-prayer","tag-spiritual-growth","tag-work-life-balance"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n7 Ways to Experience the Comfort of Silence - Guideposts Articles<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"7 Ways to Experience the Comfort of Silence\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Silence is not just for introverts. Sure, I\u2019m an introvert. And yes, my first prayer retreat to a monastery where silence was observed (except in corporate worship) was a prayer-life-altering experience for me. And okay, I took my extrovert wife along with me a couple years later to the monastery with fear and trepidation, unsure […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"http:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/prayer\/how-to-pray\/7-ways-to-experience-the-comfort-of-silence\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Guideposts Articles\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-03-11T15:39:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-10T06:17:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/articles.guideposts.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/silence-1-1024x576.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"576\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Bob Hostetler\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/prayer\\\/how-to-pray\\\/7-ways-to-experience-the-comfort-of-silence\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/prayer\\\/how-to-pray\\\/7-ways-to-experience-the-comfort-of-silence\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Bob Hostetler\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/12423f678aaf2b2b348db3efcafd1f58\"},\"headline\":\"7 Ways to Experience the Comfort of Silence\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-11T15:39:52+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-10T06:17:41+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/prayer\\\/how-to-pray\\\/7-ways-to-experience-the-comfort-of-silence\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1362,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/prayer\\\/how-to-pray\\\/7-ways-to-experience-the-comfort-of-silence\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/silence-1.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Peace\",\"Positive Thinking\",\"Prayer\",\"Spiritual Growth\",\"Work Life Balance\"],\"articleSection\":[\"How to Pray\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/prayer\\\/how-to-pray\\\/7-ways-to-experience-the-comfort-of-silence\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/prayer\\\/how-to-pray\\\/7-ways-to-experience-the-comfort-of-silence\\\/\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/prayer\\\/how-to-pray\\\/7-ways-to-experience-the-comfort-of-silence\\\/\",\"name\":\"7 Ways to Experience the Comfort of Silence - Guideposts Articles\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/prayer\\\/how-to-pray\\\/7-ways-to-experience-the-comfort-of-silence\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/prayer\\\/how-to-pray\\\/7-ways-to-experience-the-comfort-of-silence\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/silence-1.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-11T15:39:52+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-10T06:17:41+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/prayer\\\/how-to-pray\\\/7-ways-to-experience-the-comfort-of-silence\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/prayer\\\/how-to-pray\\\/7-ways-to-experience-the-comfort-of-silence\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/prayer\\\/how-to-pray\\\/7-ways-to-experience-the-comfort-of-silence\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/silence-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/silence-1.png\",\"width\":1540,\"height\":866},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/prayer\\\/how-to-pray\\\/7-ways-to-experience-the-comfort-of-silence\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Prayer\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/prayer\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"How to Pray\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/prayer\\\/how-to-pray\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"7 Ways to Experience the Comfort of Silence\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/\",\"name\":\"Guideposts Articles\",\"description\":\"Strengthening Faith. Providing Hope.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Guideposts Articles\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/gp-logo-white.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/gp-logo-white.svg\",\"caption\":\"Guideposts Articles\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/12423f678aaf2b2b348db3efcafd1f58\",\"name\":\"Bob Hostetler\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/91860356effebcf1e0350bce953d25fb46f2fa2ac9d4d1ac2eb252f2bdea81d3?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fgpbookstore.org%2Farticles%2Fwp-content%2Fthemes%2Fguideposts%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Fdefault-avatar.png&r=g94a7e747d4015ebfd83f3122a8ecce4d\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/91860356effebcf1e0350bce953d25fb46f2fa2ac9d4d1ac2eb252f2bdea81d3?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fgpbookstore.org%2Farticles%2Fwp-content%2Fthemes%2Fguideposts%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Fdefault-avatar.png&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/91860356effebcf1e0350bce953d25fb46f2fa2ac9d4d1ac2eb252f2bdea81d3?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fgpbookstore.org%2Farticles%2Fwp-content%2Fthemes%2Fguideposts%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Fdefault-avatar.png&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Bob Hostetler\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/author\\\/bob_hostetler\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"7 Ways to Experience the Comfort of Silence - Guideposts Articles","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"7 Ways to Experience the Comfort of Silence","og_description":"Silence is not just for introverts. Sure, I\u2019m an introvert. And yes, my first prayer retreat to a monastery where silence was observed (except in corporate worship) was a prayer-life-altering experience for me. And okay, I took my extrovert wife along with me a couple years later to the monastery with fear and trepidation, unsure […]","og_url":"http:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/prayer\/how-to-pray\/7-ways-to-experience-the-comfort-of-silence\/","og_site_name":"Guideposts Articles","article_published_time":"2026-03-11T15:39:52+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-10T06:17:41+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":576,"url":"http:\/\/articles.guideposts.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/silence-1-1024x576.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Bob Hostetler","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"http:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/prayer\/how-to-pray\/7-ways-to-experience-the-comfort-of-silence\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"http:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/prayer\/how-to-pray\/7-ways-to-experience-the-comfort-of-silence\/"},"author":{"name":"Bob Hostetler","@id":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/#\/schema\/person\/12423f678aaf2b2b348db3efcafd1f58"},"headline":"7 Ways to Experience the Comfort of Silence","datePublished":"2026-03-11T15:39:52+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-10T06:17:41+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"http:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/prayer\/how-to-pray\/7-ways-to-experience-the-comfort-of-silence\/"},"wordCount":1362,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"http:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/prayer\/how-to-pray\/7-ways-to-experience-the-comfort-of-silence\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/silence-1.png","keywords":["Peace","Positive Thinking","Prayer","Spiritual Growth","Work Life Balance"],"articleSection":["How to Pray"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["http:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/prayer\/how-to-pray\/7-ways-to-experience-the-comfort-of-silence\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/prayer\/how-to-pray\/7-ways-to-experience-the-comfort-of-silence\/","url":"http:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/prayer\/how-to-pray\/7-ways-to-experience-the-comfort-of-silence\/","name":"7 Ways to Experience the Comfort of Silence - Guideposts Articles","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"http:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/prayer\/how-to-pray\/7-ways-to-experience-the-comfort-of-silence\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"http:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/prayer\/how-to-pray\/7-ways-to-experience-the-comfort-of-silence\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/silence-1.png","datePublished":"2026-03-11T15:39:52+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-10T06:17:41+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"http:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/prayer\/how-to-pray\/7-ways-to-experience-the-comfort-of-silence\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["http:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/prayer\/how-to-pray\/7-ways-to-experience-the-comfort-of-silence\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"http:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/prayer\/how-to-pray\/7-ways-to-experience-the-comfort-of-silence\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/silence-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/silence-1.png","width":1540,"height":866},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"http:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/prayer\/how-to-pray\/7-ways-to-experience-the-comfort-of-silence\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Prayer","item":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/prayer\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"How to Pray","item":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/prayer\/how-to-pray\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"7 Ways to Experience the Comfort of Silence"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/#website","url":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/","name":"Guideposts Articles","description":"Strengthening Faith. Providing Hope.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/#organization","name":"Guideposts Articles","url":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gp-logo-white.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gp-logo-white.svg","caption":"Guideposts Articles"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/#\/schema\/person\/12423f678aaf2b2b348db3efcafd1f58","name":"Bob Hostetler","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/91860356effebcf1e0350bce953d25fb46f2fa2ac9d4d1ac2eb252f2bdea81d3?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fgpbookstore.org%2Farticles%2Fwp-content%2Fthemes%2Fguideposts%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Fdefault-avatar.png&r=g94a7e747d4015ebfd83f3122a8ecce4d","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/91860356effebcf1e0350bce953d25fb46f2fa2ac9d4d1ac2eb252f2bdea81d3?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fgpbookstore.org%2Farticles%2Fwp-content%2Fthemes%2Fguideposts%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Fdefault-avatar.png&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/91860356effebcf1e0350bce953d25fb46f2fa2ac9d4d1ac2eb252f2bdea81d3?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fgpbookstore.org%2Farticles%2Fwp-content%2Fthemes%2Fguideposts%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Fdefault-avatar.png&r=g","caption":"Bob Hostetler"},"url":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/author\/bob_hostetler\/"}]}},"authors":[{"term_id":465,"user_id":78,"is_guest":0,"slug":"bob_hostetler","display_name":"Bob Hostetler","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fgpbookstore.org%2Farticles%2Fwp-content%2Fthemes%2Fguideposts%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Fdefault-avatar.png&r=g","0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24133","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/78"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24133"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24133\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30706"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24133"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24133"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24133"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=24133"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}