My Problem With Prayerਨਮੂਨਾ

My Problem with Prayer: I Don't Hear God

Not hearing God can feel crushing. You sit in silence, hoping… and when nothing comes, you wonder: Is He even there? Did I do something wrong? But the truth is, your frustration says something powerful: you expect God to speak. That means you believe He can, He wants to and He does.

The Bible is filled with people who cried out and heard nothing… at first. David said, “I pray to you, Lord… if you are silent, I might as well give up and die.” (Psalm 28:1 NLT) Even Jesus, hanging on the cross, cried, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Matthew 27:46 NLT) If you’ve ever felt abandoned, you’re not alone.

But even in the silence, God is still speaking. There’s power when God speaks but also power when He doesn’t.

In Genesis 1, God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. But He didn’t eliminate the darkness. He named it. “God named the light day, and He named the dark night.” (Genesis 1:3–5 NIV) Darkness, like silence, is something God allows, not something He’s afraid of.

You can’t control the seasons, and there are seasons of silence. “God left [Hezekiah] to himself, in order to test him and to know all that was in his heart.” (2 Chronicles 32:31 NIV) God already knew Hezekiah’s heart, but the silence revealed it to him. Sometimes silence exposes what’s hidden inside. You get angry? Maybe He’s showing you your temper. You start to doubt? Maybe He’s revealing your lack of trust.

I’ll never forget early in our marriage, Liz was really quiet. I’ve learned her silence usually means one of two things: something’s wrong, or she wants me to lean in. The day I confessed my porn addiction, her silence confronted me. Other times, she’ll say, “Ask me how I’m doing.” That kind of silence is an invitation to connect.

Sometimes God’s silence isn’t punishment. It’s an invitation.

He has already spoken. “Every part of Scripture is God-breathed… showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way.” (2 Timothy 3:16 MSG) That’s why I never come to prayer without my Bible. If you can’t find His presence, look for His sentence. Sometimes the Holy Spirit disconnects the voice of God so you can reconnect with the Word of God.

Why? So you learn to recognize His voice. “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27 NIV) Just because you hear something doesn’t mean it’s God. The devil will call you “sinner.” Your feelings will say “stuck.” Your family might say “stupid.” But God says “beloved,” “chosen,” “forgiven.”

Is it that God isn’t speaking… or that you don’t like what He’s saying? Some of us have been hearing the same message for years, but because we didn’t like it, we ignored it. Now we wonder why He’s gone quiet.

“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” (Hebrews 3:15 CSB) Stop asking for clarity and start asking for conviction. Don’t just pray, “God, reveal Your will.” Pray, “God, refine my willingness.”

Pray: “Break my heart for what breaks Yours. Make me sensitive to my sin.”