Sometimes we struggle with feeling that God is silent. We feel that our prayers are going unheard and we question whether God has turned his back on us. Psalm 109 begins with these words, “Be not silent, O God of my praise!” We long to hear the voice of God. When we are focused on challenges they seem to grow before our eyes, and God seems small and distant by comparison. So what should we do when God seems silent?
Draw closer.
Spend time in prayer to draw closer to the heart of God. In our busyness we can get overwhelmed with life and feel like God is absent from our struggles. Often this can be because we have not brought our concerns before God, but instead have spent time worrying about the challenges that lie ahead. Times of challenge may be a way that God is drawing us to rely more fully on him.
Confess where you have wandered.
Sometimes our perception of God as distant or silent has much more to do with where our feet have wandered. When we wander from a path of obedience it creates distance between us and our holy God. Pray to God and ask him to search your heart and remove any sin that interferes with your relationship with God. God honors a contrite heart and draws us back into fellowship with God.
Spend time in God’s word.
God’s scriptures are his messages sent to guide our lives yet far too often we set them aside and discount their relevance. How can writings from so long ago still speak to our struggles today? The God of Abraham is still our God today and scriptures show us more clearly the heart of God and his plan for his people. God speaks to us through his word. His Holy Spirit within us reminds us of God’s truth so that we hear God’s leading.
Spend time in his creation.
Our amazing Creator has revealed himself through everything that he has made. We can see God’s fingerprints throughout the wonders of this world. Taking time to walk through the woods or stroll down the beach reconnects us with God’s creation and reminds us of the grandeur of the God who spoke all those things into being. Our Creator’s voice is not silent, it is speaking through all that he has made.
Look for the blessings.
We can be very out of touch with all of the blessings that God is showering down all around us. It will serve us well to focus on the blessings. Did you wake up today? Were you able to breathe and think? Was the sun still in the sky? Was God’s word still true? Chances are that there were many reasons to give thanks that you might not have fully appreciated. A heart that is looking intently for all the blessings will hear the echo of the giver of all good gifts.
Adopt an attitude of thankfulness.
How much of life do we take for granted as something that we deserve or feel entitled to have. Dietrich Bonhoeffer commented “We pray for the big things and forget to give thanks for the ordinary, small (and yet really not small) gifts.” What if we woke up tomorrow with only the things that we thanked God for today? How much would we lose over night? Our families? Our homes? Our jobs? Our friendships? God’s word? Our life and health? The truth is that we have been richly blessed even if we do not have everything that we desire, so why are we not living more grateful lives. Gratitude primes our hearts to hear the voice of God.
Cling tightly to God’s promises.
God promises that he will never leave us or forsake us. He promises that nothing can separate us from his love. God promises to be our refuge and our strength and an ever present help in trouble. This are just a few of the promises that we discover in scripture. Find a verse that connects with the struggle that you are experiencing and let that verse strengthen you and give you encouragement.
God promises in Jeremiah 29 that “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Seek God and you will find him faithful to his promises.
By Deb Koster
