Hearing from God

Sometimes we imagine that the people of the Old Testament were lucky to hear from God on demand. But it’s just not true! Most of the Psalms tell us a different story. Though David was known as a man after God’s own heart, just like the rest of us, he didn’t always hear from God with many chapters written from a place of confusion, desperation and apparent silence:

“Oh Lord, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide when I am in trouble” (chapter 10);

“Oh Lord, how long will you forget me” (chapter 13);

“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” and “My God, I call by day, but you do not answer" (Psalm 22);

“I pray to you O Lord, my rock, do not turn a deaf ear to me for if you are silent, I might as well give up and die” (chapter 28).

When minutes of waiting become days, and days become weeks or even years, God’s silence can feel painfully empty. As a busy mom, I often crave quietness, but I’d argue there is no worse feeling than the silence that comes from God Himself.

What are we to do when we’re praying for direction, healing, provision or rescue and nothing seems to come from heaven? Do we conclude that God has not heard us? Do we assume He’s distant or, worse, that He doesn’t care?

Psalm 42 offers us three ways to respond when God feels silent.

1. Keep seeking God

Our natural reaction when someone appears to be giving us the cold shoulder is to withdraw. We protect ourselves by becoming distant too. Yet, Psalm 42: 1 suggests the opposite: “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God”. The psalmist doesn’t stop calling on God because He feels far away. His longing becomes even more intense. He recognizes that God is not merely the giver of the answer he wants; God Himself is what his soul needs most.

Silence is not an invitation to abandon God. It is an invitation to keep turning toward Him, even when we do not feel an immediate response. Faith is not proven only in the moments when God’s presence feels undeniable. Sometimes faith is demonstrated by continuing to seek Him when His presence feels hidden.

2. Remember what God has done in the past.

Psalm 42:4 reveals a powerful, one-word key to seeking God when we feel like He is quiet: “Remember” (ESV). The psalmist remembered praising God when it came easily and when God felt near. If God feels quiet, we should allow our minds to remember the times He has spoken and moved in our lives. It will encourage our souls to know that God’s silence does not mean He’s not working.

Remember the prayer He answered, the door He opened (or closed for your protection).

Remember the provision that arrived at exactly the right moment, the strength you received when you were certain you had none left.

Remember the season you thought would destroy you and the grace that carried you through it.

God may feel quiet today, but His silence does not erase history. Remembering what He has already done helps us resist the lie that He has stopped working now.

 3. Place your hope in God - not in your feelings

The writer of Psalm 42 does not deny his emotions. He acknowledges that his soul is deeply discouraged. But he does not allow his feelings to become the final authority. Instead, he speaks truth to his own soul: Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God (Psalm 42:11).

There are moments when we must stop allowing our emotions to tell us who God is and begin reminding our emotions of what we know to be true about Him:  

God is good, even when life is painful.

God is present, even when we cannot perceive Him.

God is working, even when we cannot see the evidence.

God is trustworthy, even when we do not understand His timing.

Our hope is not anchored in how close God feels. It is anchored in His unchanging character. 

Silence is not the same as absence

Looking back on difficult seasons, we can recognize God’s presence more clearly than we could while we were living through them. We see the people He placed in our path, the wisdom He provided, the danger He redirected us from or the strength that arrived one day at a time. We may not have heard from God in the way we hoped, but we can see that He was still leading, sustaining and caring for us. The fact that we made it through may itself become testimony that He never left.

God’s silence is not evidence of His absence. Sometimes He’s doing deep work beneath the surface, strengthening our faith, reshaping our desires or preparing circumstances that we cannot yet see.

‍ Learning to listen differently

‍Experiencing God’s silence is not unusual. The Bible is full of people just like us who experienced it, yet it remains one of the most common struggles expressed by believers today. Even though I’ve been a Christian for most of my life, I don’t recall ever being taught how to hear from God. ‍‍ ‍

I was excited to stumble upon Mark Holloway on Instagram (@markholloway902), author of Freedom Diaries. On his page, he teaches people how to have full conversations with God, in complete sentences and paragraphs. I tried his technique a few times and was amazed by the level of detail God provided through a written conversation. Some might call it journaling, but it’s more than that.

‍Holloway suggest beginning by asking God a question: ‍You might begin with something like: “God, I do not know whether I should accept this opportunity or not” or “God I’m struggling to understand what You’re doing in this season”.

‍Then, he suggests writing whatever comes to mind, unfiltered, beginning with your name. “Brigitte, what I think you should do about that job is…. “

Write, expecting God to give you words.

Once you’ve written God’s answer, you may think, “there’s no way that was God speaking to me”. It’s just my imagination! ‍Holloway suggests going right ahead and asking Him: “God, are those words from You or simply my own thoughts?”

‍Then begin writing again, expecting God to give you the words. Don’t worry about writing in a structured way or about how it will read afterward. Simply write whatever pours out of your heart. Eventually, you’ll being to sense God’s voice. Don’t stop! Continue the conversation by writing your questions followed by His answers.

‍I personally completed the exercise, writing illegibly dozens of pages, in tears. ‍

Keep the conversation open

When God feels silent, keep praying, keep seeking, keep remembering and keep placing your hope in Him. Tell Him when you’re confused, when you’re disappointed. Ask Him the questions you’re afraid to ask.The Psalms show us that God is not threatened by our honesty.

Then remain open to the possibility that His answer may come differently—or later—than expected. God may sometimes be silent, but He is never indifferent. He may feel distant, but He has not abandoned His children.

And until the answer comes, we can continue to trust the character of the One who has carried us before and will faithfully carry us again. 

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