notesbynora

Even when God seems quiet, He is still working behind the scenes of our lives.

Scripture:
“I cry out to You, God, but You do not answer; I stand up, but You merely look at me.”
— Job 30:20

There are seasons in every believer’s life when prayer feels like it’s bouncing off the ceiling. We whisper, cry, plead—and all we seem to hear in return is silence. Those moments can be some of the hardest to walk through. We begin to wonder if God still hears us, if maybe we’ve done something wrong, or if He’s simply turned His face away.

But the truth is, silence is not absence. God’s quiet does not mean His inactivity. In the stillness, He is shaping, preparing, and aligning things we cannot yet see.

Job knew that feeling well. He poured out his heart to God and felt abandoned, unheard, forgotten. Yet even in that silence, God was present. He was writing a redemption story that would not only restore Job but strengthen countless others through his testimony. Sometimes God’s silence is His way of stretching our faith—teaching us to trust His heart even when we can’t hear His voice.

I remember walking through a long season when I prayed for something that mattered deeply to me. I prayed with all the faith I had, expecting God to move quickly. But weeks turned to months, and months turned to years. There were nights I sat alone, wondering why heaven felt so far away. But looking back now, I see that God was working all along—quietly, steadily, lovingly—arranging what needed to happen in His perfect time. His delay wasn’t denial. It was divine timing.

Sometimes God’s silence draws us closer, because it’s in the waiting that our dependence deepens. We stop praying for outcomes and start praying for presence. We stop asking “why” and begin saying “whatever Your will, Lord.” Silence invites surrender.

Elijah experienced this on the mountain in 1 Kings 19. He didn’t find God in the wind, or the earthquake, or the fire—but in a still, small voice. Sometimes God quiets everything else so we can finally hear Him whisper.

When prayer feels silent, keep praying anyway. Keep showing up. Keep believing. The silence won’t last forever. God may be testing your trust, growing your endurance, or simply preparing you for a greater answer than the one you imagined.

He is listening—always. And when the time is right, the silence will break, and His voice will come through with peace so profound you’ll know it was Him all along.

Prayer:
Father, thank You for hearing me even when I can’t hear You. When my prayers feel unanswered, remind me that You are still near. Help me to trust You in the quiet seasons and to rest in the truth that Your silence is not Your absence. Give me faith to keep praying, waiting, and believing until I see Your hand move. In Jesus’ name, Amen.