how to know god's will when god feels silent

Hello God, Are You There?

Last week at our annual gathering of the Pigout, Play and Praise a friend said something that stuck with me. She was talking about that familiar, uncomfortable question:

How do you know if you’re hearing God… or if you just have indigestion?

I laughed, but I have continued to think about it. Because if we’re honest, a lot of us have stood in that exact spot.

A decision sits in front of us. A door looks half-open. A plan we were sure about suddenly feels like a brick wall. We pray. We think. We ask other people. We pray some more.

And eventually we look up and whisper:

Hello, God. Are You there? All the time wondering...

Is this You? Is this me? Is this fear? Is this faith?

Is this the next step… or just leftover barbecue talking?

If you have ever wondered how to know God’s will, struggled with hearing God’s voice, or asked how to hear God when everything suddenly feels quiet, you are not alone.

Maybe you, like me, are trying to understand God’s will for your life. Maybe you need God’s guidance about a decision. Or maybe you are simply wondering what to do when God feels silent.

Fortunately, the Bible has quite a bit to say about that.

Right After the Blessing Came the Wilderness

We just spent some time digging into Jesus’ wilderness experience in Mark 1:12–13 in Pastor Thads recent study guide, so I won’t rehash that conversation here. If you missed it, you can read the study guide here: https://www.yourjesusjourney.com/post/why-would-god-lead-jesus-into-the-wilderness-mark-1-12-13

But there is one detail I want to carry with us into this conversation.

Jesus had just been baptized. The Father had declared:

“You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”— Mark 1:11, NIV

And then Mark tells us:

“At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness.”— Mark 1:12, NIV

Immediately after the blessing came the wilderness.

Jesus wasn’t there because He had missed God’s will. The Spirit led Him there.

That’s the piece I want us to hold onto. Because sometimes we assume that if we’re following God, the next step should be obvious and the road should get easier. But in all reality if that was always the case, we wouldn't need to have faith.

Jesus’ experience reminds us that sometimes obedience leads us into a place where we have more questions than answers.

And that’s where our bigger question begins:

How do we know God’s will when the wilderness goes quiet?

The Wilderness Is Not Always a Bad Thing

We tend to treat the wilderness like a failure report. If life gets dry, prayer feels one-sided, the next step is foggy, or God seems silent, we can quickly assume we blew it.

But Scripture tells a different story. God led Israel through the wilderness. Elijah encountered God after the wind, earthquake, and fire had passed. Jesus Himself spent forty days in the wilderness before beginning His public ministry.

The wilderness can be a place of testing. But it can be more than that. It can also be a place

of preparation. And a place of dependence.

It can also be a place where God strips away the noise so we discover what we are actually trusting.

No quick confirmation, as nice and convenient as that seems like it would be.

Just you, God, the battle in front of you, and the question of whether you will continue trusting God when the feeling fades. This is where we can grow. Even though it may be quiet we need to keep our eyes turned towards God.

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Being in this place isn't necessarily a bad thing, although it may be uncomfortable at the time.

It may be the place where faith stops being theory and starts becoming muscle.

How to Know God’s Will for Your Life

When we ask, “What is God’s will for my life?” we often mean something very specific.

• Should I take this job?

  
  

• Should I move?

  
  

• Should I stay?

  
  

• Should I go?

  
  

• Should I pursue this opportunity?

  
  

• Is this ministry something God is calling me to?

  
  

We want God to hand us a detailed map. Sometimes we would even settle for a sticky note!

“Go left. Love, God.”

But when we think about it, God has already revealed much of His will to us.

We know we are called to love God and love others. We know we are called to pursue holiness, forgive, serve, pray, give thanks, and follow Jesus.

Paul tells us:

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”— 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, NIV

Notice that.

When Paul talks about God’s will, he doesn’t begin with a mysterious decision about which road we should take.

He talks about how we live while we are walking the road.

1. Rejoice.

   
   

2. Pray.

   
   

3. Give thanks.

   
   

Those things are God’s will whether we are standing at a crossroads or walking through a wilderness.

And when we need wisdom about the things that aren’t clear, James gives us a remarkably simple instruction:

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”— James 1:5, NIV

We are to ask God. Not panic. Not obsess. Not create seventeen imaginary scenarios and then worry about all of them (sadly often times my first instinct).

Simply remember to ask God.

How to Hear God’s Voice Without Confusing It With Your Own

This is where my friend’s indigestion comment becomes surprisingly useful.

• Our insides can get loud.

  
  

• Fear can get loud.

  
  

• Pride can get loud.

  
  

• Loneliness can get loud.

  
  

• Excitement can get loud.

  
  

• A really good idea can get loud.

  
  

And sometimes a really good idea is still just a really good idea. Not every strong feeling is God speaking. Not every open door is automatically God’s direction. Not every closed door means God said no forever. And not every feeling of peace is proof that something is God’s will.

So how do we practice spiritual discernment?

We read Scripture and we pray. We examine our motives and we seek wise, trustworthy counsel.

We allow our emotions to settle instead of making every decision in the middle of an emotional tidal wave.

Paul says in Romans 12:2 that we are transformed by the renewing of our minds and that this helps us discern God’s will.

That means discerning God’s will isn’t simply about chasing a mysterious feeling.

It involves learning God’s character.

It involves knowing His Word.

It involves becoming more like Jesus.

And it involves asking whether what we think we are hearing actually lines up with Scripture.

Jesus said:

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”— John 10:27, NIV

Notice the last word: Follow.

Hearing God’s voice isn’t merely about receiving information. It is about responding in obedience.

What to Do When God Feels Silent

So what do we do when God feels silent?

We keep seeking God.

We keep praying.

We keep opening His Word.

We keep obeying what He has already made clear.

We keep trusting God when He feels silent.

Prayer is not the backup plan when the GPS fails.

Prayer is how we stay connected to God while we are traveling the road.

Jesus prayed in lonely places. Paul told believers to pray continually. James told us to ask God for wisdom.

Pray when you know.

Pray when you don’t.

Pray when the wilderness is silent.

Pray when the battle is loud.

And sometimes pray the most honest prayer you have:

“God, I honestly have no idea what I am doing.”

That prayer counts, too.

The Battles Will Come

We will face battles.

Spiritual ones.

Physical ones.

Emotional ones.

Sometimes all three in the same week.

Your wilderness may look different from Jesus’ wilderness.

It might be a health scare, a delayed decision, a strained relationship, a financial problem, a closed door, a career change, or a calling that used to feel clear but now feels like static.

Or maybe it is waking up at 2 a.m. with your brain suddenly deciding it is an excellent time to review every possible thing that could go wrong.

None of that automatically means God has walked away! That is when we remember that God will never leave us or forsake us.

Remember What God Has Already Done

When the wilderness goes silent, memories can help you worship.

Look back.

Not to live in the past, but to tell the truth about the God who has already carried you.

He provided before. He opened a door before. He closed a door before. He gave wisdom before.

He strengthened you when you thought you had nothing left. Israel was told again and again to remember. Remember the Red Sea. Remember the manna. Remember who brought you out.

Why?

Because forgetfulness can make a temporary wilderness feel like it has always been this way. And humans have always been very good at forgeting what God has done. We have to strive to remember.

Remembering God’s faithfulness helps us trust Him in the present.

If He was faithful in the last wilderness, He has not changed in this one.

Give God Every Need

We need to give every need to God. Not just the polished ones that are heavy on our hearts and not just the spiritual-sounding ones.

Every need.

The decision you cannot make.

The bill.

The diagnosis.

The adult child.

The next step with work, family, or ministry.

The fear that you will miss God’s will.

The fear that you already did.

Hand it over. Then hand it over again tomorrow.

Because some of us are remarkably talented at giving something to God at bedtime and taking it back by breakfast!

Peter tells us to cast our anxieties on God because He cares for us.

That doesn’t mean pretending the problem isn’t real. It means refusing to believe that we have to carry it alone. Casting our cares on God is an act of trust that we need to turn into muscle memory.

It says:

“This is bigger than me, but it is not bigger than You.”

Maybe the Silence Is Not the Absence of God

Here is the thought I can’t shake:

Maybe the quiet wilderness isn’t evidence that God has stopped working but maybe it is a season where our faith grows deeper.

Not because God enjoys watching us squirm.

But because faith that only functions when the signs are obvious hasn’t yet learned how to walk by trust.

The quiet teaches us to anchor ourselves in what we know about God’s character rather than what we happen to feel in the moment.

Jesus came out of the wilderness and began proclaiming the good news of God’s kingdom.

The wilderness didn’t empty Him. It prepared Him.

And maybe that is part of what God is doing in you and me.

Maybe the season that feels like nothing is happening is actually preparing you for something you cannot see yet.

Maybe the waiting is teaching you patience (ugh).

Maybe the uncertainty is teaching you dependence on God.

Maybe the silence is teaching you to trust God’s character instead of constantly demanding God’s explanation. I don't know about you but that's a tough one for me.

You May Not Be Lost

If you are in a wilderness season right now, don’t automatically assume you are lost.

**You may be being led.

**You may be being strengthened.

**You may be learning patience.

**You may be learning obedience.

**You may be discovering that God’s presence is not dependent on your ability to feel it.

Finding God’s direction isn’t always about receiving the entire map. Sometimes it is about trusting Him enough to take the next faithful step.

Keep praying.

Keep opening your Bible.

Keep seeking God.

Keep asking for wisdom.

Keep testing what you think you are hearing against His Word.

Keep following God in the things He has already made clear.

We may not see the whole road, but we can still walk faithfully on the part of it that is in front of us.

So if you are asking:

Hello, God. Are You there?

Remember this: Yes. He is.

Even here. Especially here. The Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness. The Father had already called Him beloved.

Led. Tested. Attended. Never unloved.

And maybe that is what we need to remember in our journey in the wilderness today.

Questions to Chew On

1. Where in your life right now feels like a wilderness season? Have you automatically assumed that means you missed God’s will?

   
   

2. When you are trying to discern God’s will, are you looking first to Scripture, prayer, wise counsel, circumstances, or your feelings?

   
   

3. What is the difference between hearing God’s voice and hearing your own fears, desires, or assumptions?

   
   

4. What need have you been carrying that you have not actually given to God?

   
   

5. What has God already made clear that you can obey while you wait for clarity about the things you do not understand?

   
   

6. What past experience of God’s faithfulness can you remember when the present feels uncertain?

   
   

7. If this silent season is growing your faith, what would faithful waiting look like this week?

   
   

8. Who in your Journey Group, family, or circle of friends might need to hear that a wilderness season is not necessarily a sign that God has abandoned them?

   
   

A Simple Prayer

Father, I don’t want to confuse my own noise with Your voice. Teach me to know Your Word, recognize Your character, and follow You faithfully. Give me wisdom when I don’t know what t

o do. If this is a wilderness You have allowed me to walk through, teach me here. Remind me of what You have already done. Help me give You every need I am gripping too tightly. Grow my faith in the quiet, and give me courage to take the next faithful step even when I cannot see the whole road. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Meet the author and Her Partner in Faith:

Tammy and Bruce have been married for 39 years, navigating life as best friends and partners in faith. Their days are a beautiful mix of service and creativity: Tammy serves her community as an active EMT when she isn't on the road, while Bruce, a retired Law Enforcement officer, is the visionary artist behind God’s Country Art.

Between the adrenaline of emergency medicine and the peace of the open road, Tammy is a lifelong writer currently editing her debut Christian Fantasy novel, Beyond the Mirror’s Edge.

Together, they are devoted parents and grandparents who find God’s handiwork in everything—from a life-saving moment in the field to a quiet piece of hand-carved wood. Whether through fellowship with others online at Your Jesus Journey, or a campfire chat at a new campsite, they are committed to sharing the love of Christ one mile at a time.

You can see some of Bruce's handiwork at Godscountryart.com