S.L.O.W. — A Sacred Rhythm
SHAREE GAISER, COMPEL Pro Member
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“To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven …” Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NKJV)
Every person on earth wakes up with the same allotment of time each day: 86,400 seconds. No more. No less. Yet we often treat time like a scarce resource, rushing as if we could somehow make more of it.
For years, I wore busyness like a badge of honor, packing my days with tasks and commitments. I equated motion with meaning and called it a “win” when I collapsed into bed exhausted — calendar full, soul empty. I was tired and spiritually worn thin. Too busy to pray, too distracted to notice God’s presence, too weary to worship. What was I really gaining from this speed if it pulled me from the One who gives life its meaning?
One morning, in the middle of yet another frantic routine, Ecclesiastes 3:1 came to mind: “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven …”
I’d heard this plenty of times before, usually at funerals. However, that day, it didn’t sound ceremonial. It was a quiet challenge. Did I know the true purpose of time? Or was I just trying to survive it?
This verse isn’t merely describing life’s highs and lows but calling us to live in step with God's timing. Life isn't meant to be a constant pursuit. God establishes time — not only throughout history but in our everyday lives — for His specific purposes.
I thought about how long-distance runners sometimes use the “80/20 method” to train: 80% of runs are slow and restorative while 20% are intense. It feels counterintuitive, but over time, performance improves. The runner grows stronger by slowing down.
What if my spiritual life needs that same rhythm?
That’s when the word “slow” came to me — not just advice but a transformative spiritual practice. Over time, the word took shape as an acronym, S.L.O.W.:
- Stop. Find a quiet space. Allow stillness to settle your mind and body.
- Listen. Not to your notifications but to the gentle voice of God.
- Observe. Notice where God is already present in the ordinary and overlooked.
- Worship. Not just through music but through attention, gratitude, and surrender.
Even Jesus, whose mission was nothing short of saving the world, took time to step away and be alone with the Father (Luke 5:16). That wasn’t wasted time. It was sacred time. Ecclesiastes 3:1 similarly reminds us that time isn't something to fill — it’s something to honor.
Maybe today isn’t meant to be maxed out. Maybe it’s meant to be slow. What if the most purposeful thing about today isn’t how much you accomplish but how deeply you rest in God?
Lord Jesus, we come to You with open hearts, aware of how easily our days can fill up with activity. Help us make space for stillness in a world that often keeps us rushing. Teach us to listen for Your quiet, loving voice above every distraction, and open our eyes to notice where You are already at work in our ordinary moments. Lead us into true worship — marked by gratitude, surrender, and trust — so our time is shaped by rest in Your holy presence. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
OUR FAVORITE THINGS
If you’re honest, prayer doesn’t always feel peaceful. Some days it feels rushed. Distracted. Like you sit down wanting to talk to God, but your mind just won’t slow down. You’re thinking about your kids, your calendar, that hard conversation you haven’t had yet. And you wonder, Am I even doing this right? That’s exactly where so many women are when they reach out to Proverbs 31 Ministries — asking for prayer, asking for help, asking for something solid to hold on to. When you give today, you help meet her right there with Scripture and prayer instead of letting her sit alone in the spiral. And as our thank-you, you’ll receive Come Close to Jesus by Lysa TerKeurst, a prayer book filled with honest, Scripture-based prayers for moments when your own words feel thin. Your gift helps another woman breathe again — and you’re also giving yourself something steady to come back to.
ENGAGE
Sharee Gaiser, the author of today’s devotion, is a member of COMPEL Pro Writers Training and a winner of our Encouragement for Today Devotion Writing Challenge. We’re celebrating her faithful growth as a writer and her desire to help women draw closer to Jesus in their everyday lives.
FOR DEEPER STUDY
Mark 6:31, “Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest’” (NIV).
Psalm 46:10, “He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth’” (NIV).
How might your relationship with God and others deepen if you treated rest and stillness not as inactivity but as sacred time? We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments.
© 2026 by Sharee Gaiser. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org
Originally published Monday, 02 March 2026.
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