WHEN
GOD IS SILENT
There
could be worrying occasions in a believer’s prayer life when it appears that
God is silent. Let us consider three different texts from the scriptures.
Unto thee will I
cry, O Lord my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I
become like them that go down into the pit. {Ps 28:1}
Keep not thou
silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. {Psalm 83:1}
It is a
certainty that no one can escape.
It will
happen to you at least once in your life.
It might
be scary, frightening and will make you wonder whether you will ever be the
same.
You may
feel like you’re going crazy.
It makes
you wish for your old life, however difficult it may have been.
You will
think no one else has ever gone through this and survived.
You can
even wake up in the middle of the night and unable to sleep. You may not talk
about it to anyone. Who would understand?
You think
there is something wrong with you. Why can’t you just turn things around?
What is
“it?” Quite simply, your world has turned upside down. There may have been any
number of things that pushed you into this crazy time
Ø Your boss announces you’re fired
Ø your partner tells you they’re leaving
Ø an accident alters your
life in a significant way
Ø Your child receives a frightening medical diagnosis.
Ø You have been crying to God for a Job
Ø You want a partner to get married to
Ø You have been married for years but no child
Most of
us have experienced something like this at least once in our lives. So what’s
the first thing we do when something bad or difficult happens? Research done at
Brandeis University indicates that 90% of us pray.
You’ve
prayed; for money, a job, healing from an illness, a loved one’s recovery and
nothing happens. Where is God during those times? What do you do when God seems
silent?
Examples of God’s
Silence in the Bible
ü Mary and Martha and their sick brother Lazarus (John 11)
ü 400 years of silence between the testaments
ü Silence in heaven (Rev. 8:1)
Why is God sometimes
silent?
Ø To get our attention
Ø To make us aware of unconfessed sin
Ø To postpone an answer because we aren’t ready to listen
Ø To teach us trust in Him (Hebrews 13:5 shows that even if we
can’t see God working, He is with us.)
Ø To help us distinguish between His voice and other voices (e.g.,
in the Holy Land, Dr. Stanley saw sheep who knew their shepherd’s voice.)
Ø To encourage perseverance until we experience a breakthrough
Ø To teach us the practice of sitting quietly in His presence
Most People’s Response
to God’s silence
·
Disappointment
·
Discouragement
·
Confusion
·
Doubt
·
Guilt (Some people fear
they have sinned.)
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·
Anger
·
Fear (Some Christians feel
deserted by God or worry that they have lost their salvation.)
D. How
should we respond to God’s silence?
Ask the
Lord why. Jesus questioned the Father (Matt. 27:46; Mark 15:34).
Remember
that God’s silence doesn’t mean He’s inactive.
Trust
Him. In His silence, He works for good in your life (Ps. 46:10, 138:8).
Anticipate
a more intimate relationship with Him.
Respect
God’s right to be silent. Deliberately set aside time to be quiet before Him.
Read the
Bible, and tell the Lord you are available to listen.
Keep
praying. Eventually, you will have a breakthrough.
III.
Closing: Through times of silence, God impresses on us the truth about sin,
develops our trust in Him, and guides us to maturity. When the Father seems
distant, faithfully seek Him and watch for His provision.
5 practical things to
do
1.
Examine your life.
Begin by
asking yourself the question, Is there any unconfessed sin in my life? Make
sure nothing is blocking you from being able to hear God's voice.
Psalm
66:18 says, "If I had not confessed the sin
in my heart, my Lord would not have listened"
(New Living Translation). This requires looking deeper than the obvious.
Ask
yourself: Do I have wrong motives? Is there anything (or anyone) that I love
more than God?
As God
brings things to mind, quickly ask for His forgiveness.
And
remember, there's no shame in repentance. This act of faith pleases God and restores
our fellowship with Him.
2.
Accept God's Sovereignty
Recognize
that God can be silent. There is no obligation for God to answer you, inform
you or let you know anything.
No one
and nothing can hinder God or compel Him or stop Him. He is able to do as He
pleases always, everywhere, forever.
Like us,
Job faced the choice of acknowledging -- or rejecting -- the sovereignty of
God. In response to his suffering and loss, Job's wife suggests he curse God
and die.
Instead
of following her advice, Job chooses to let God be God. "Shall we indeed
accept good from God and not accept adversity?" he asked (Job 2:10).
Accepting
God's sovereignty also means actively trusting God, realizing He is in control
and can be trusted.
"Though He slay me," says Job, "I will hope in Him" (13:15). Nothing in Job's life, or ours, happens apart
from God's knowledge and plan. As we learn at the beginning of the Book of Job,
God was fully aware of all the things that were about to happen to Job.
In fact,
He gave Satan permission to do these things in Job's life. At no point does God
release His control.
3.
Listen To What God Is Saying
Although
God may seem silent regarding a specific request or petition, remember that He
is always in a constant state of communication with us.
In fact,
it is possible that you already have an answer from God. The Bible is full of
specific answers about what is right and wrong as well as information about
God's character and His intention for us as His children and His followers.
So don't
forget to dig into God's Word; His written communication to us; to find out
what He has to say about the problems you're facing or the questions you're
asking.
As you
read the Bible, ask God to speak to you through the Holy Spirit, who lives
inside of you. Often verses can have new significance in light of current
problems you are facing.
4.
Recognize That Silence Can Be Intimate
Silence
can also be a sign of God's trust.
The
Gospel of John tells a story about Jesus' friends Lazarus, Mary and Martha. When
Jesus found out that Lazarus was ill, he didn't rush to Lazarus' house to heal
him. Instead, Jesus stayed where he was for two more days (John 11:6). And
before Jesus arrived in Bethany, Lazarus died.
To
Lazarus' sisters, Mary and Martha, Jesus' silence could have been interpreted
as neglect; that Jesus didn't care or didn't want to help them.
This
mirrors many of the emotions we feel when God doesn't immediately answer our
cries for help.
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But in
Jesus' silence we, along with Mary and Martha, are drawn into a new closeness
to God and understanding of His power. Four days after he died, Lazarus was
raised from the dead by Jesus, showing His power.
"You
will find that He has trusted you in the most intimate way possible; with
absolute silence, not a silence of despair, but one of pleasure, because He saw
that you could withstand an even bigger revelation."
When you
are completely comfortable with a person, it is possible to sit in a room
together and not utter a word.
In love,
silence can be a sign of intimacy.
For Job,
God's silence was also a result of the depth of their relationship. When Satan
approached God, He said, "Have you considered my servant Job?" (Job
1:8). In trust, God chose Job.
5.
Keep Talking To God
Just
because God seems silent doesn't mean you should doubt Him or stop praying.
God's
silence isn't a license for us to turn our backs on Him. Instead, it's an
invitation to press forward and seek Him even more diligently.
The
psalmists modeled crying out to God. David said, "Oh my God, I cry by day,
but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest" (Psalm 22:2). Job
also continually cries out to God, asking Him to answer.
For pages
of the Book of Job, God is silent. But in chapter 38, God answers; and
questions Job. "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the
earth?" asks God. "Tell Me, if you have understanding" (Job 38:4).
God is in
control and has been all along. He heard Job's cries for help. In trust, He
waited for the perfect time to speak. Job was reminded.
God answers prayer.
I pray that as this year
is going to an end; all your hanging blessings of this year 2014 shall manifest
in the name of Jesus.
The Enemy shall not steal
your Joy; at the time you least expect; the lord God shall show up and surprise
you with miracle in the name of Jesus.
Prayer Points
1. My Testimony; manifest in the name of Jesus name of Jesus.
2. Year 2014! You shall not swallow my breakthrough! In the name of
Jesus.
3. Miracles that will make me forget my past sorrows; locate my
life in the name of Jesus.
4. Power of the enemy hold forth my testimony, release them by fire!
In the name of Jesus.
5. I decree into year 2015! You shall favour my life! In the name
of Jesus.
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Let us never forget to pray. God lives. He is
near. He is real. He is not only aware of us but cares for us. He is our
Father. He is accessible to all who seek Him.
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