I went through a stretch where praying felt like talking to the ceiling. Nothing dramatic happened, God just felt quiet, and honestly that was harder than a clear no. What helped me was Psalm 13, where David asks ‘How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?’ and still ends up saying he trusts. I’m curious how others got through a silent season. What actually kept you holding on?
pwgjonathan—
You are describing what the Puritans called “desertion”. There are times when God can remove any sense of His presence due to sin and disobedience. But there are also times when He does this solely to strengthen our faith and reliance upon the Word of God. This verse has encouraged me often in times that you describe:
“Who is among you that fears the Lord, that obeys the voice of his servant, that walks in darkness, and has no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God” (Isaiah 50:10).
This verse is not describing a disobedient Christian, or someone in sin. This is someone who “fears the Lord” and “obeys the voice of his servant”----yet it says they “walk in darkness and have no light”. So what does God say to do? Trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon your God. He is doing this to strengthen faith and reliance upon His Word. The Lord loves us dearly, and though He “seems” far away, He is actually quite close and watching over us every moment.
Thanks Fish153, I’d never heard it called desertion before. What stands out to me is that the person in the dark still fears the Lord, so the quiet isn’t always a sign you did something wrong. Isaiah 50:10 makes the silence feel less like being forgotten and more like being asked to keep leaning in.
God never seems quiet to me. I always feel his presence. He only speaks when he has something to say.
I can totally relate. During those seasons, I have found it helpful to pray the prayers of other Christians who have gone through such seasons. These can be found in the Book of Common Prayer, The Valley of Vision, or, of course, the Scriptures themselves, and especially the Psalms as you mentioned.
The heartfelt prayers of other Christians who experienced similar things is often an anchor and a reminder of God’s faithfulness in the grand scheme of things.
That’s a beautiful way to live, Bob, and I’m glad that’s your experience. For a lot of people the quiet seasons are real though, and I think that’s why Psalm 46:10 means so much to me: ‘Be still, and know that I am God.’ Sometimes he’s close even when it doesn’t feel like it, and that’s where it gets tested.
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