Ever Wonder Why? Sýnishorn

Ever Wonder Why You Can’t Always Feel God’s Presence? 

Whether you’ve been following Jesus for most of your life or just in the last few days, you’ve likely experienced varying levels of connection with Him. Some days you might feel incredibly close to God. Other days, you might feel so far from God you wonder whether you really have faith at all. 

And that’s normal. Sometimes, we’re tempted to chalk faith up to the mountaintop moments. Maybe it’s that night of church camp or an experience in a worship service where you’re overwhelmed by the presence of God, but then you wake up the next morning and wonder whether you imagined the whole thing. 

To top it off, there may be other Christians around you who seem light-years ahead in their faith journey. You may hear people say things like, “God told me …” and “I just felt God …” while you feel like you haven’t heard from God in months. 

All of this tension may lead you to wonder—why can’t I always feel God’s presence? 

It’s an understandable question, and if you find yourself in a season where God seems distant, you are not alone. So what can you do in the waiting? Why don’t we always feel Him? 

While there’s no easy answer for every situation, here are some things to remember when you feel far from God. 

1. Feelings are not evidence of the absence of God. We have a tendency to sensationalize our faith. We might be looking for a big reveal from God when He’s providing a gentle reminder instead. Also, our faith isn’t dependent on feelings. While it’s healthy to acknowledge the emotions we experience, we have to remind our feelings of the truth of who God is. We see countless examples of this from David in the Psalms. In Psalm 13, he laments about not hearing from God. But as he continues writing, he reminds himself what he knows is true—God is loving, God has been faithful in the past, and God is worthy of praise whether we feel Him or not. 

2. God may want to do something in you before He reveals something to you. Throughout Scripture, we see God reveal Himself, then seem to hide Himself. After Jesus transformed Paul’s life and called him to share the good news, Paul spent three years wandering in the desert. Even Jesus—after getting baptized and hearing the audible voice of His Father—spent 40 days and nights in the wilderness before continuing His ministry. God’s silence may be preceding an assignment, so consider how you’re building your faith, trust, and character in the quiet. 

3. Deprivation draws out desperation. Feeling far from God often fuels us to fight for our relationship with God. Think about it. We often pray more when our lives feel out of control. Why is that? Our faith often grows the most from the valley—not our mountaintops. If you’re in a season where God seems unreachable, keep crying out to Him. That desperation might drive a deeper faith, help you remove distractions, and diagnose whether there’s any area in which your heart has grown hard toward God.  

4. Even when you feel distant from God, He is never absent from you. Scripture tells us that God is a good Shepherd, and His sheep will know His voice. Acts 17:27 reminds us that God is never far from any one of us. And because of Jesus, not only is God with us but also His Spirit lives within us. It takes faith to keep praying when it feels like you’re not hearing anything, but keep pressing on. God sees you, He cares for you, and He will draw near to you when you don’t give up.

Pray: God, grow my trust in who You are whether I feel You or not. Reveal to me anything that might be keeping me from hearing Your voice, and give me a pure heart. Thank You for Your presence, and open my eyes to see Your goodness in ordinary moments. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Challenge: Ask God for eyes to see where His goodness is at work. It might be a morning sunrise or a kind word from a friend. Commit to writing down one way you see it every day, then reflect on how your faith is growing in the process.