When god seems silent
đź“ś Scripture:
“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” — James 4:3 (NIV)
“If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” — Psalm 66:18 (NIV)
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” — 1 John 5:14 (NIV)
🪞 Reflection:
Have you ever prayed and wondered why nothing seemed to happen? Maybe you felt like God didn’t hear you—or worse, like He was ignoring you. Scripture tells us that God does hear our prayers, but there are times when He may not respond in the way we hoped. Why?
Sometimes, the condition of our heart affects how we experience God in prayer.
James 4:3 tells us that selfish motives can block the blessings we’re asking for. If we’re only seeking our own pleasure or gain, without regard for God’s will, our prayers may fall flat.
Psalm 66:18 adds something even deeper: “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.”
That doesn’t mean we need to be perfect to pray—but it does mean that if we’re knowingly clinging to sin, it creates a wedge between us and God.
Think about it: How many times have you made a choice you knew was wrong—spoken words in anger, acted out of pride, returned to a destructive habit—and then avoided God? Maybe you stopped praying, stopped opening your Bible, or stopped going to church. That’s the nature of sin. It doesn’t just break God’s heart—it breaks our connection with Him. Not because He moves away, but because we do.
The good news? God never stops inviting us back.
When we come to Him with a humble heart, confessing and turning from our sin, He is faithful to forgive. He listens. He restores. He responds—not always in the way we expect, but always in the way that’s best.
1 John 5:14 reminds us that when we pray according to His will, He hears us. And when we trust Him—even when the answer is “wait” or “not this way”—we grow in faith and intimacy with Him.
🙏🏼 Prayer:
Father, search my heart. Show me if there’s anything in my life that’s keeping me from fully connecting with You. I don’t want distance between us. Forgive me for the times I’ve chosen sin over intimacy with You. Help me to align my prayers with Your heart, and trust that You hear me—even in the waiting. In Jesus’ name, Amen.