Mount Carmel, in the Holy Land, has been a special place of prayer for centuries (not only by Christians) because it is beautiful and because it affords the opportunity for solitude. It was there that Elijah showed how deeply he lived heart in heart with God, calling down fire in His name upon the drenched sacrifice:

“Answer me, Yahweh, so that this people may know that You are God and are winning back their hearts.” (I Kings 18:37)

There, he brought a long drought to an end by his prayer, when the people had turned back to God.

The gentle Voice of God speaks in the 21st century to a soul aspiring to Carmel, even as this Voice of sheer silence was heard by Elijah. This meeting with the Lord, however brief and almost imperceptible, increases the seeker’s desire for a love relationship with Christ, and her zeal to help draw countless others closer to Him.

Carmel is a place of decision, a space carved out for God by the power of the Holy Spirit. Accepting a call to dwell there means laying down one’s fears, defenses, and attachments to surrender to God’s loving power within.