There is a song “The still small voice” from one of the children’s recordings we listened to when our kids were young. I’ve recorded the song from tape to mp3 and listen to it frequently – not as great music (although it is fine) but because it reminds me that in order to hear we have to listen – and that God speaks when we listen at his feet, before his throne. Occasionally he overpowers (Saul’s Damascus Road experience for example) but more often not.
This was particularly relevant in my case to dealing with doubt and concern about issues of faith and science and faith. There is no incontrovertible evidence – objective absolute proof, and God gives few of us the absolute certainty of a bolt from the sky. Rather we come in relationship and listen. This revelation and the change in approach and practice that resulted was liberating – and allowed for growth following a long period of stagnation.

RJS,
Silence has come to me from a slightly different context, not so much of doubt but of relationship, and I find silence in my commute. Turn off the radio and the music, though not always, and listen and pray and contemplate …
When Kris and I walk we talk and listen and don’t have the ear plugs approach to private time.
And when studying I used to have music — JMT and Michael Card mostly — but for a number of years I’ve studied in utter silence in the basement of our home.

As the oldest of 6, wife and mother of 4, silence and I are not companions…as much as I think I crave solitude and silence, it doesn’t happen very often even now as my children are adolescents.
When I write/do sermon prep I find that I can’t concentrate with music, so I suppose that is my time of silence.
I do wonder how to cultivate and become comfortable with this very spiritual discipline when it has not been part of my formation…

Part of the value of silence is that it strips away distractions. Thus, engaging in silence when you’re driving or otherwise doing something else doesn’t fully embrace what silence is about (though it’s certainly a good step). Entering a place of silence allows us to be fully present to whatever God is doing and whatever is going on in our hearts that God may want us to attend to. So long as we’re focused on something else, then we may miss something.
And that may be the point of why we’re not living in places of silence in the first place. We WANT to miss things. It’s often disconcerting to really experience the chaotic stuff going on in our own interiors. Or even worse for some, it’s frightening to experience the emptiness that may be there. The easiest solution is to distract ourselves with activity, music, TV, etc. None of those are bad, and activity can even be very good, but if it becomes a tool to avoid our hearts, then we are simultaneously avoiding the Holy Spirit that abides within our hearts.
Of course, there may be times in life when silence may not be appropriate or feasible. Being a parent of youngsters in this age doesn’t lend itself to that very well. And that’s okay. In time, when that part of life passes, then perhaps you can set aside the time and discipline yourself to enter silence and eschew distraction again.
And for the record, if I sound like an arrogant know-it-all, I probably am, but I’ll admit that I’m often terrible at this as I’m busy distracting myself with Netflix…

Silence is a beautiful place to find God and connect in a very deep way. It’s what fuels us to “go out” and “do” whatever it is God calls us to do. As a Christian leader, I have found that when my life is lacking times of silence and solitude it has less to do with me trying to avoid what God might be wanting to reveal to me, and more to do with believing that “the work” that He has called me to is so important that it cannot wait. My actions can speak to priorities of work over relationship… even though that’s not what I consciously believe. For me, the danger is putting off time with God so that I can go about His work, thus making me a god – of sorts.
Silence is an important place to be reminded that God is God and I am not.

I attend a pastoral Quaker meeting and one of the things I’ve done for the last few months is hold a Quaker silent meeting on Wednesday evenings. We do allow for audible prayers, reflections, etc., but the bulk of our time is spent in silence. It’s been well received by most of those that attend. I find myself on most Wednesdays looking forward to this time and just lean back in my chair and rest in God. I love it!