There was a famous children’s book called, Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret.
Have you ever found yourself asking God the same question: Where are you, God? Are You even listening to me?
You can no longer sense His presence, and now you find yourself asking yourself, “What do I do when God feels far away?”
If you’re in a dry season and you can’t hear or sense God, don’t be discouraged! Your Heavenly Father is never as far away as you might feel. Learn how you can stand firm and lean on the God of the Universe who promises to be with you forever.
This article is #6 of the 7-part series, Caring for Your Soul, designed to help parents and caregivers understand how to care for themselves while walking alongside a child who has experienced trauma. To read the first article, click here.
Why can’t I hear God?
It is common for Christians to experience seasons where they wonder, “Why can’t I feel God?”
A spiritual dry season is when your prayers feel unanswered, your worship feels empty, and your heart feels numb. Faith, energy, and joy can dwindle during these times.
Everyone’s situation is different, but here are four reasons why God may feel silent for a season:
- You’re Emotionally or Spiritually Exhausted. When your heart is overwhelmed, it becomes harder to sense God’s presence. God often speaks in whispers, not shouts. If you’re expecting dramatic answers, you may miss His still, small voice.
- You’re in a Season of Growth. Sometimes God uses silence to teach you to trust what He said — not what you feel. You might be accustomed to hearing God one way (perhaps through worship or a certain type of prayer), and He may be using this season to teach you to hear Him differently.
- You’re Carrying Unprocessed Pain. Trauma, grief, hurt, and disappointment can create spiritual silence. This is when the enemy wants you to believe God has left you. Silence is his playground, even if your Heavenly Father never truly left you.
- You’re Walking Through a Wilderness Season. Many biblical heroes experienced silence before breakthrough. The wilderness can feel like punishment, but it’s preparation. Scripture reminds us that life has seasons and God is the Master of perfect timing, making all things work at their appointed time according to His will.
The Bible offers us comfort and encouragement during such seasons, reminding us that we are not alone and that God is always working behind the scenes for our good (Romans 8:28).
How to Hear God’s Voice
If you are currently in a dry season and can’t hear God, remember He is closer than your feelings suggest.
If you are feeling spiritually void, here are 5 tips to help you hear God’s voice again:
- Engage with God’s Word. If you want to know how to hear God’s voice, start by reading His Word with a YouVersion Bible plan we designed to guide you – Boundless Hope. His Word is something we always have access to, and not only that, is something we are called to “meditate” on (Psalm 1:2). Because even in the seasons where we struggle to hear Him Scripture remains God’s clearest, most reliable voice when your emotions feel numb.
- Rest in stillness. Silence creates space for God to speak, so turn off the noise and sit with Him. Allow your Heavenly Father to speak into your thoughts and comfort you with His presence. Make time to “Be still and know that He is God” (Psalm 46:10).
- Listen for the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our “guide” who reveals and leads us to all truth, often in the quiet moments (John 16:13). Sometimes the Holy Spirit whispers to your heart through a thought, a conviction, or a gentle prompting or reminder. Pay attention to these subtle nudges.
- Seek wise counsel. God often speaks through pastors, mentors, counselors, and spiritually mature friends. Be open to the possibility that God will deliver messages through His trusted servants (Proverbs 19:20). However, they will never contradict Scripture.
- Practice obedience. Sometimes God doesn’t give new instructions until we follow the last ones He gave. Obedience opens your ears and your heart to the will of God. Obedience to the Lord flows out of our love, and when we obey, we are reflecting this love (1 John 5:3).
Every believer experiences dry seasons where they feel distant from the Lord. But no matter how it feels, God is always present, and we should seek ways to connect with Him and His word, regardless of how we feel.
KEY TAKEAWAY
A dry season is not the end of your story — it’s the place where God is inviting you to seek Him, and embrace the process of sanctification so that you can hear Him in deeper, quieter, and in more intimate ways than ever before.
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
- What thoughts or feelings may be signaling that I am in a spiritually dry season?
- What are two ways that I can seek connection with God and His word in my daily routines?
ACTIVITY
Remind your child that God’s presence is always there by playing an encouraging game like Light in the Darkness. Find this game and more in the Everyday Moments™ activities collection.
KEY VERSE
“For I will pour out water to quench your thirst and to irrigate your parched fields. And I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your children.” ~ Isaiah 44:3 (NLT)
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, remind me that silence is not absence and that You never leave me or forsake me. Teach me how to hear Your voice again no matter where I am. In Jesus’ name, amen.