Breaking the Miracle BarrierSample

 What to Do When God Is Silent

When God is silent, the first thing I do is read His Word. Even if you cannot hear God speaking directly through it, when you read the Word you are renewing your mind and strengthening your spirit.

I never like it when God is silent; I never pray expecting not to get a response. Once I was trying to make a decision about a project that I no longer enjoyed. I felt no grace in it. I was almost at the point of resentment. I knew I could not shut it down, but I did not want to continue the exercise of beating my head against a wall.

Finally, after a season of silence and after pledging to the Lord that I would do His will if I just knew what it was, He said one thing: Stop kicking against the pricks. This is what He told Paul when Paul thought he was doing the will of God but was actually resisting God’s will unknowingly. In my case, God had been silent, waiting for me to see what should have been obvious, and finally spoke as I studied the Word. See, I saw the project as a thorn in my side. I was focusing on pricks, but I did not know I was kicking against them. I had to repent.

If you feel that God is silent, repent of any known wrongdoing or disobedience. Go back and look at promises God has given you—then meditate on them, confess them and war with them. Ask Him for wisdom, because He has promised in His Word to pour it out liberally. You might not hear His voice, but you can receive wisdom in other ways. Continue to acknowledge Him in all your ways with trust that He will direct you. Ask for counsel from those who have a different perspective.

The next time God seems silent, do not be afraid to ask Him why. He might not tell you, but then again He might. He is a good God, and His intentions toward you are kind. Keep talking to Him, even if He is not talking to you. Trust in Him, even in the silence, and you will hear the sound of His voice showing you the path to breakthrough at the perfect time.