You Put Down Your Phone. Why Is Your Mind Still So Busy?

By Pastor Branden Hubbell

I have a regular time of silence and solitude with God each morning. You might imagine that means I sit down, take a breath, and everything inside me becomes wonderfully quiet. In reality, the responsibilities usually come with me. Deadlines, decisions, and things I need to remember all seem perfectly willing to attend my prayer time.

Then, in the small pauses throughout the rest of my day, I often reach for my phone. I want to check out for a little while, so I give my attention to something else. There is nothing wrong with enjoying entertainment. But I'm interested in what happens when I allow some of that space to remain open.

Many of us already spend moments alone. We drive to work, take a walk, or wake before anyone else in the house. The question is what we do with that room-and whether we might bring ourselves, along with everything we're carrying, before God.

Jesus Made Room, Even When People Needed Him

In Mark 6, the disciples return to Jesus after being sent out to teach and minister. People are coming and going so constantly that they don't even have time to eat. Jesus invites them to come away with him to a quiet place and rest. The work matters, and so do the people doing it.

But the crowd reaches their destination ahead of them. Jesus sees people who need a shepherd, has compassion, and begins teaching. Later comes the feeding of the crowd, with the disciples helping distribute the food. If I were one of them, I might be thinking, I thought this was the rest part.

Mark doesn't give us a neat story in which everyone gets fully refreshed before the next responsibility arrives. Yet afterward, Jesus sends the disciples ahead, dismisses the crowd, and withdraws to pray alone. Luke 5:16 describes withdrawal and prayer as a recurring practice in his life. Compassion and time apart both have a place.

I've worked with leaders who feel they must always be reachable. Their desire to care for people is good, but I've also encountered expectations that a pastor should be available every hour, even during a Sabbath or vacation. Jesus' life challenges that expectation. He cared deeply, and he wasn't continuously accessible to the crowd.

The same tension reaches beyond ministry. We have families, work, and genuine obligations, and stepping away may require appropriate arrangements. Making room for God doesn't mean pretending those responsibilities don't exist. It means learning that we can take them seriously without staying constantly available.

Bring the Responsibility With You

Solitude is intentionally stepping away from ordinary activity and interaction for a time to be with God. Sometimes I find that in a room at home. An empty house gives me space to pace, walk, and pray aloud. Being outside-hearing the wind or watching water move-can also help me become attentive.

A particular setting isn't required. When I can't get away, I put away my phone, turn off the television and music, and allow myself to be there with God. And often, I bring my responsibilities into that time. I pray through them rather than trying to leave my actual life at the door.

Recently, I was preparing a significant breakout session for the Foursquare Leaders Conference. There was plenty to prepare, and I was anxious. As I stepped away to pray, I brought the session before God: what I hoped would happen, my desire for it to go well, and my longing for God to work through it.

As I prayed, I began noticing the anxiety beneath the preparation. I also became more aware of the weight I was carrying in a new leadership role with EQUIP. I'm still processing that, but one thing has become clearer: this ministry belongs to God. It isn't mine to sustain by myself, and it isn't my identity.

Things keep happening when I step away. God keeps working while I'm not involved. That realization doesn't remove my responsibility, but it changes how I carry it.

You don't need a leadership title to recognize that struggle. We can carry work, family concerns, or our health as though every outcome rests entirely on us. Quiet may make those fears more noticeable before it makes us feel peaceful. We can bring them honestly to God.

You Don't Have to Keep Supplying the Conversation

Solitude can include talking aloud, walking, or praying through a decision. Silence gives us an opportunity to stop supplying the conversation for a while. And that can be surprisingly difficult. I can stop speaking out loud while still planning, analyzing, and rehearsing entire conversations inside my head.

When we notice we've followed a thought somewhere else, we can gently return our attention to God. Think about being with someone you love. Neither person has to keep talking for the time together to matter. We can acknowledge God's presence without requiring a new answer before we leave.

That doesn't mean every thought that surfaces in quiet is God speaking. Discernment still matters, and we consider what comes to mind in light of Scripture. We aren't using a technique to guarantee guidance or a particular feeling. Through Jesus, we're already welcomed into relationship with God; Hebrews 10:19-22 invites us to draw near because of what he has done.

Start With the Room You Already Have

Before adding another appointment, look at the space already in your day. Perhaps part of a walk or a quiet stretch of the evening could become intentional time with God. For part of a familiar drive, you might turn off the audio and pray while keeping your attention on the road. Start with something realistic.

If there is very little room, creating some may require a conversation, shared responsibilities, or help from someone else. Bring what you're carrying, allow some time to listen, and resist grading the experience afterward. You don't have to leave with every concern resolved.

And notice how you return to the people around you. These practices are meant to help form hearts that love, not make us resent anyone who interrupts our carefully protected quiet. Our responsibilities matter. We're invited to carry them in relationship with God, remembering that we depend on him.

You may already have more room than you realize. Choose one small opportunity to give God your attention. Your mind may still be busy when you begin. You can bring that too.