Do you ever notice how it seems like God arranges topics of your interest or focus to seemingly all surface, wherever you turn and read? So I won't say coincidentally, because I don't believe that when it comes to God that anything is, but all is on purpose and in His plan, to weave things together for our good. Last week I encountered two and have chosen to share the one from Charles Stanley here entitled "When God is Silent" [you can click on the title to read it]
If you have ever felt "abandoned by God", Dr. Stanley says that you'll relate well to Psalm 22. By reading this Psalm, you will learn how to respond: in the midst of your "storm", your adversity, your sense of being abandoned, to Our Heavenly Father's seemingly silent response to you. Dr. Stanley walks you through the 31 verses of Psalm 22 showing us that King David & Jesus asked "why" in their difficulties and so can we in ours.
My point in sharing this, even if you don't read his Bible Study, is that perhaps you, like I, have prayed for the same thing for a long time or many times and sense the Lord is silent. I'm not to sure that we always clearly hear a "yes", "no" or "maybe, just wait".
God has perfect timing and it's not the same as our time frame.
We live in a society that everything needs to be in an instant from food (fast food & microwave) to mail (electronic). Sad to say, I'm one of those persons that has asked God for patience and then quickly add, can You hurry that one up now?
Please don't stop praying if you are thinking God is being silent. Even praise Him in the midst of your struggle, and then watch for His Provision. Keep pressing in!
God has reasons for His silence and it is important how we respond. I must admit that my response has tended to be one or more of these rather than what it should be: anger, doubt, disappointment, discouragement, confusion, guilt (or false guilt), fear (some Christians feel deserted by God or worry they have lost their salvation). I need to work on my response & persevere but that's what I'm learning how to sit quietly in His Presence.
God could be trying to get our attention. Often I have found myself asking for His discernment because I need to learn to distinguish His voice from other voices. Maybe you need to learn to trust that God is working even when you can't see it. Perhaps His answer is postponed because we aren't ready to listen. It is certain that God wants to encourage us to persevere until we experience a breakthrough. God sometimes may want to make us aware of unconfessed sin so that we confess it and move forward.
Remember that God's silence does not mean He is inactive!
How should we respond to God's silence?
This is what Dr. Stanley suggests:
- Ask the Lord why. Jesus questioned the Father (Matt. 27:46; Mark 15:34).
- 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.
- plus the reminder I shared above in BOLD red.
From the examples of God's silence, I can understand with Mary & Martha & their sick brother Lazurus (John 11) somewhat for a greater purpose but probably not, if I did not know the ending
:) and then there's the silence in Heaven of Revelations 8:1!!! A half hour...awe...glory...complete reverence to Our King ~ I'm sure.
But what I can't even fathom is the silence of 400 years between the Old and the New Testaments. It certainly helps me to get a better perspective of the time I have waited without answers for people that I have prayed for their salvation or return to the Lord. The time that has past for many prayers seems like so long but that is nothing in comparison to this gap of 400 years or ETERNITY for those that I am praying!
Truthfully, I don't know how anyone lives without the saving grace & mercies of Jesus Christ & an on-going relationship & being in His Word. What a SILENCE they must experience! It's up to us to be sure to break that silence so it is NOT for an eternity...step out in faith.
Truthfully, I don't know how anyone lives without the saving grace & mercies of Jesus Christ & an on-going relationship & being in His Word. What a SILENCE they must experience! It's up to us to be sure to break that silence so it is NOT for an eternity...step out in faith.
Keep on praying & believing for God's answer!
7 comments:
Thank You LORD that You DO hear us from Heaven & are ever so near each day in every battle, in every triumph. I praise You! I exalt You!
I thank You for never leaving me, or abandoning me! I am so grateful that Your hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is Your ear so dull that it cannot hear!
I thank You that You do not mind us asking "why" or hearing our cries repeatedly many times for the same things.
May I listen closely for Your sweet whisper!
May I sense Your Presence as I lift up Your Name in praise! Let Your love surround us and all those that we pray for and lift to Your Throne! Wrap these precious prayers & people with Your enduring & faithful love! I love You so much!
Draw us close! Hold us near! We turn to You first to lead, direct and guide us! We seek the power of Your Love & hope that we can share with others the wonder of this aMazing love & grace! I love You & give You all my heart and life!
Thank You that I belong to You & You belong to me & continually pour out Your blessings even when it's hard to see Your hand or hear Your voice! I trust that You are there!
I believe in You with all my heart, my soul, my mind, my being!Continue to change me to be pleasing in Your sight! You are Great & greatly to be praised!
Dear heavenly Father, even when You are silent, I have true peace, because I know You are there. You love me, and You hear my prayers, and You answer them Your way, and in Your time. I love You, and give You much praise. Amen
Abba,
I know You are always with me, always watching me, always aware of what is going on in my life.
You know that there is a lot going on right now, and I did not take the time to sit and be still before You.
I confess this to You and ask for Your forgiveness.
I am still now, Lord, still before You, and I ask that You make Your voice heard above the clamor of this world.
Help me to always seek You first, not trying to control situations myself, not turning to others but always to You.
Allow Your peace to flood me as I go through this day and let me spread your love and peace to others.
In Jesus' name,
Amen
Sweet LORD...Thank You for always being available to us and with us!
Thank You for bringing Beth to Your Throne to sit before You & hear from You directly! Thank You for speaking to her!
Thank You Lord for drowning out the clamor of the world around Beth and bringing her to BE STILL before You! Help her to RUN TO YOU first!
Help her hear Your Voice and no other! Help her & give her the words & wisdom she needs to deal with the many circumstances around her at work or at home.
Open Your floodgates of PEACE flowing from Heaven! May Beth not only find Your peace but may she share it with others.
Give her boldness to pray with those who need You & Your guidance!
Give her Your strength to weather any storm. It's not by might, nor by power, but by Your Spirit alive and well in Beth!
Give her Your control of Your Spirit over every aspect of her life. May she lay down anything
that she strives for in her own power and depend on You! Help her to relinquish that control to You!
Lead her in paths of righteousness for Your Names' sake! May she continue to be a shining light of Jesus to all around her.
Thank You for her adult children that are coming into the knowledge of their need for a personal Savior. Bring salvation to each one. Continue to do a good work in each one's life drawing them to You!
We praise You for each step they make closer to this being complete. Thank You for caring for each one & their lives we place in Your hands for Provision, Protection and fulfilling Your Promise that as for Beth and her household...they will serve the Lord. That You who began a good work in Beth, are faithful to complete it in each of them.
May seeds continue to be planted, sown, watered, nourished & bear fruit soon. Thank You for the ones we have witnessed that we know are of Your Divine Providence!
Thank You & praise to Your glorious way! We believe You hold the answer for them & our prayers.
Your Word says that when two or more are gathered You are in their midst. Further more, it states that a chord of two or more cannot be broken. So we are united in not growing weary and lean on You for an answer...calm the storms and bring Your Peace...a peace that passes all understanding!
We give You all the glory, power & praise!!! Thank You! We love YOU!!!
Thank You that You loved us first!
LORD, There's something that I'm really concerned about here at the "Lighthouse of Prayer"! I wrote this post "Silence of God" but it is NOT your silence that concerns me at the moment but the "silence" on this blog.
I know that there are many needs out in the blog world and the "real world" and many people who need a special request lifted to you but they are not coming here and writing any prayer. I have seen people say that they are praying but I do not see it. Is that the way it is, Lord? Are they coming to You? Or do they just not have the "time" to come before You?
I thank You, LORD for the faithful that come here and pray but this blog was not intended for a few!
We have really sought Your heart about this and will continue to seek Your will & plan for this place and whether we should continue. Of course, we will continue to PRAY but maybe people just don't have time to pray.
This saddens me greatly, Lord, if that is what it is like for You each day.
Perhaps my prayer will be deleted, or perhaps no one will come here to read it, but no matter what Lord,
I just want to say, I'm so glad that I can come and talk with You,share with You and listen for Your sweet Word. I rejoice in my time with You. I don't particularly like writing my prayers but I know that each time I do, it helps me to focus! Though my thoughts seem to stray and go back & forth, I know that You have heard my prayers, my praise, my thanks, my requests, my words of love, and mostly my true confessions. I trust in You! I trust in prayers being answered!
I pray that the lack here is not representative of the people not being on their knees, because now more than ever is the time that people show truly be on their face before You, crying out to You and asking for Your mercy! Hear us O Lord! Search to and fro and find the people calling out to You!
Hear the prayers for Your children!
Hear the prayers for the lost!
Hear the cries throughout the nations!
Hear the cries from the hungry, the hurting, the sick, the broken, the
hospitalized, the needy...
Pour out Your blessings and love & send answers.
You have my full attention!
You have my complete trust!
I will sit & I will wait!
I will not be here for a while now so I just wanted You to know that
I'm waiting for a breakthrough.
I want to follow Your will & if this is not Your will because there are so many places with people praying, let us know! We had hopes LORD...of ministering in prayer here! So please let us serve a purpose in Your Kingdom.
Thank You for listening!I know You have seen me here frequently! I just LOVE YOU and want to pray or see what You have to say. Thanks!
This is the prayer from the original post:
Heavenly Father, Forgive me for the times that I have not responded as I should. Teach me how to sit in Your Presence and listen for Your Voice. May I hear the Shepherd's Voice and know how to distinguish His Voice from other's seeking to deceive me.
Many times I have felt so distant and as if You were not listening or even cared about me or my circumstances when there are so many much more critical ones, but You care about each and every one!
Help me to choose to praise You and remember that You use every situation for my ultimate good.
May we faithfully seek You first and watch for Your Divine Provision even when You may seem distant, may we persevere.
May we not grow weary, may we never grow faint, may we learn to rise up on eagle's wings.
Thank You for Your Spirit within me. I consciously surrender my will and heart to the Spirit's transforming control in my life. Please bring fruit that pleases You in all I do! All glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit now & forever...
Father, I pray that everyone would fall down upon their knees and cry out to You. Only You can save us, may everyone realize that. Amen
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