When God is Silent
God Speaks
Christians are ones who have been awakened by God. Our hearts are made new, and we are restored, through faith in Christ, to a union with our relational God. All of this takes place when God speaks to us. “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ'' (Romans 10:17). This hearing is not merely hearing with our ears; plenty of people hear the Gospel in that way with no result. The hearing that leads to life is a hearing of the heart, God the Holy Spirit speaking to us through His word.
What makes Christianity unique among all world religions is this: our God speaks. Paul describes all the pagan gods of this world as “mute idols” (1 Corinthians 12:2) . In 1 Kings 18, Elijah mocks the priests of Baal who cry out for an answer from their god, but receive none.
Plenty of religions claim to have the words of God, but it is reserved for the prophets or priests, who are the sole receivers of this revelation. For Christians, the God of our salvation is a personal God, who speaks not only to the highest of leaders, but to the lowest of servants. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27).
But what do you do when God is silent? Many Christians find themselves in the conundrum of confusion around major life decisions, calling and direction, or how to make wise financial choices. Many times, people have come to me with a question that sounds something like “I don’t know what to do. I have prayed and prayed and God hasn't answered. What do I do when I don’t hear from Him?”
When God Speaks
The answer to this question is multi-faceted, and often requires wisdom to apply it to various situations. The first caution I want to give is to warn against subjectivism. In some charismatic circles (speaking as a charismatic myself), the idea of the leading of the Holy Spirit has been abused and misused by people looking to follow after their own desires.
It is important to stop and remember a foundational truth when speaking on these matters. A truth that will keep us from the error of subjectivism. That is that God speaks most completely and authoritatively through the Bible. I won’t say exclusively (though some of my reformed friends may gasp), but He does speak supremely through His written word. Any personal revelation must be measured by a proper reading of scripture. In other words, If God calls you to do something that is inconsistent with His word, it wasn’t God, but maybe the burrito you ate last night.
However, we see all throughout scripture people being specifically led by the Lord in ways that are not applicable to other people. Just watching the missionary journey of Paul is a testimony to the importance of the leading of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer:
Paul and Barnabas are set apart by the Spirit (Acts 13:3)
They are then led by the Spirit to Cyprus (Acts 13 4)
They were told not to go to Asia by the Holy Spirit (Acts 16:6)
Then we see Paul being told, by the Spirit, to go to Jerusalem (Acts 20:22)
There is no verse that Paul read that told him to go to Cyprus, or to stay away from Asia, or that told him that he was to be set apart for mission work in the first place. All of these commands come by the voice of God speaking directly to Paul through the Holy Spirit. This kind of leading, contrary to the teaching of many, is still alive and active today. At the same time, we must remember that God is unchanging and that He will never contradict His word.
With that in mind, here are some principles I recommend to people seeking a specific word from God. Whether it is who to marry, where to move for school, what job to take, or what ministry to commit yourself to, being led by the Holy Spirit is important, and yet often mysterious. Hopefully this will help when it seems as though God is silent.
General First, Specific Second
The first point I usually make when someone expresses frustration regarding God’s silence is to ask them about their devotion to what God has already revealed clearly in His word. We have a tendency, in our sinfulness, to seek specific instructions from God while ignoring His general instructions altogether. In other words; don’t ask God to tell you something fresh if you haven't been obedient to what He has already said.
Are you reading the Bible for yourself? Are you obeying Jesus’ commands to love your neighbor? Are you being generous in accordance with God’s grace? Are you actively pursuing the mission of Jesus to make disciples of those around you? Are you harboring any sin that God is calling you to repent of?
I imagine the relationship between a child and his parents. The child has a chore list, and he knows where the list is and generally what it says. And yet he approaches his parents and says “Show me how to please you. What should I do?” while his room remains a mess and the trash is overflowing. Any parent would be frustrated. “I already told you!” they would reply, “Why would I tell you something else if you haven't done what I have already asked?”
When seeking specific answers from God, no matter how big or small the request is, it is important that we first align ourselves with what God has commanded of us already. Many Christians looking for a word from God would do good to open their Bibles and hear what He has to say.
The Word Applied
It is actually in this devotion to the word of God that the specific leading of God is most often found. While many people have stories of dreams, an inner voice, or a miraculous calling, most of the “personal speaking” that God does in the leading of His people is in the inner application of His word.
See, when we read the word of God and devote ourselves to it, there are two things happening at once. Our mind is comprehending the facts of the text; the context, the words, the message, the overarching principles, etc. At the same time, the Spirit is applying these words to us in personal and specific ways (Hebrews 4:12). The Christian who devotes themselves to God’s word consistently often finds that their issues and concerns are answered by the text, applied directly to their hearts by the Holy Spirit.
When you read of the sin of lying, it is the Holy Spirit who brings to your remembrance a lie you need to repent of. When you read of the importance of prayer, it is the Holy Spirit who urges you to set aside a specific time to pray and seek the Lord. When you read of the power of the gospel to transform lives as we preach it to our neighbors, it is the Holy Spirit who brings to your mind a friend or co-worker that He is preparing you to share the gospel with.
As a good friend of mine said when we were discussing this topic: “God speaks most often to those who are in His word most regularly”. It is hard not to hear the voice of God speaking specifically to your situation when you sit yourself under His words every day.
Persistent Prayer
Another hinderance to hearing the voice of God is often the depth of our prayer life. In a world of business and hurry, many Christians have never learned the patient discipline of private, focused prayer.
if you ask any Christian about their church attendance, they could probably feel proud about the time they spend with their church family. Even in Bible reading many mature Christian’s flourish. But ask any believer about their prayer life, and the conversation can quickly get awkward.
By and large, modern Christians are anemic in our prayers. We bless our food, say our grace before bed, and then move on to the next item on our to do list. But how can we expect to hear the voice of the living God, if we never take time to converse with Him?
Jesus himself reminds us of the importance of focused, private, persistent prayers with an interesting parable:
“Then He said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.” -Luke 11:5-10
What Jesus is not saying is that God is reluctant to answer our prayers, as a matter of fact in the next few verses He combats this idea by appealing to the fatherhood of God toward us (vs. 11-12). What Jesus is saying is that God delights in answering the persistent prayers of His people.
So have you prayed? Have you persisted in prayer? Have you cut out distractions and sought to connect with God, not merely running through a list of your requests? Do you take time to sit in contemplative prayer, speaking less and listening more?
It may be that God is ready to speak, when you are ready to meet.
Walk With The Wise
There are some answers that we seek that we cannot clearly find, even when we devote ourselves wholeheartedly to God’s word and to prayer. I’ve spoken to many people who have a robust devotional life and a profound knowledge of God's word, and they still find themselves struggling with what God’s will is for a certain situation. This is where God has given us another means of grace, another way that He leads us; wise counsel.
“Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” -Proverbs 11:13
“Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” -Proverbs 19:20-21
“Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” -Proverbs 13:20
“Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said.” -1 Corinthians 14:29
God loves to speak not only through His word, but through those who know His word. Some of the most challenging decisions in my life have found their resolution in conversations with wise counselors; men and women of God who know Him and know His word. This is why Paul encourages believers to pursue the gift of prophecy, and explains its usefulness in our “upbuilding, encouragement, and consolation” (1 Corinthians 14:1-3). God recognizes that in our fickle nature, we are often unable to perceive His will without the assistance of others.
This is why the believer was never made for isolation. It is why we are commanded not to forsake the assembly of the church (Hebrews 10:25). This is especially true when we find ourselves grasping for answers to our questions and queries. If your life is void of wise counsel, or worse, saturated with foolish influences, you will find yourself hindered from a means of God’s leading and directing grace. So, who are your influences? Do they know the God you are seeking to hear from? Do they bring truth to bear on your confusion? Do they help you see Jesus when you can’t see through the fog?
God is With You
How do we know that the silence won’t last forever? In moments of despair or confusion, when the voice of God seems like a distant memory, it can be difficult to continue to draw near to a God who seems so far off.
This is when we remember the character of our God, who has promised Himself to us for all of eternity. He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 13:8, Hebrews 13:5-6). He has promised that nothing can take us from His hand (John 10:28-29). He has given us the Holy Spirit, to be with us and to help us (John 14:26). He has promised that when we seek, we will find (Matthew 7:8). And He has promised that nothing will ever separate us from the love that He has lavished upon us in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38-39).
We serve a God who hears us, knows us, and loves us. Surely this God will lead us all the days of our lives. Sometimes the silence is a tool in His hands to draw us into deeper pursuit. Sometimes the silence is our own wandering, walking away from the God who loves to speak. Either way, when we draw near to Him, He is faithful to draw near to us (James 4:8). His timing may differ from ours, and we may not like His answers, but God speaks to His people nonetheless.
When you have prayed and it seems as though God is silent, run to His word and pray again. When the answer still eludes you, run to those who hear His voice and know His ways. In short, cling to the word of God, surround yourself with the people of God, and know that God will be with you, leading you “in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake” (Psalm 23:3). You will often find that God isn’t silent at all, but that He is speaking, if only we would listen.
