Rev. Cecil W Thorn, ThD
What should we do when we face times of need, when something has gone wrong and we’re seeking God’s help but seem to hear no response? Why does God sometimes seem silent in the midst of our cries for help?
The children of Israel cry out for help
During these periods of silence or delay when the Israelites cried out for help, God was not inactive or unconcerned. Here’s a look at what God was doing during these times:
- Exodus 2:23-25 – God was remembering His covenant
While the Israelites were suffering under Egyptian oppression, God was aware of their plight, and He was preparing to act. Although He seemed silent, He was remembering His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, preparing Moses to deliver His people.
- What God was doing:
God was allowing the oppression to continue for a time, but He was also preparing Moses (in the wilderness) to be the deliverer. His timing was aligned with the larger purposes of fulfilling the covenant promises.
“And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.” (Exodus 2:24, ESV)
- 1 Samuel 3:1 – God was raising up a new prophet (Samuel)
During the time when God’s word was rare, God was not absent. He was in the process of raising up Samuel as a prophet who would bring renewal and a new era of leadership to Israel.
- What God was doing:
God was preparing Samuel for ministry. Though He seemed silent, He was setting the stage for Samuel’s prophetic role, which would restore His voice in Israel.
“And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy.” (1 Samuel 3:8, ESV)
- Judges 6:6-10 – God was waiting for repentance and sending a warning
During Israel’s oppression by the Midianites, God was silent for a period, but He was using the oppression as a means to turn Israel’s heart back to Him. When they cried out, He sent a prophet to remind them of their disobedience before raising up Gideon as a judge.
- What God was doing:
God was waiting for Israel to repent. He sent a prophet to explain why they were suffering, teaching them that His silence had a purpose—to bring them back to covenant faithfulness.
“But you have not obeyed my voice.” (Judges 6:10, ESV)
- Psalm 22 – God was testing and refining faith
In David’s cry of abandonment, we see a deeper purpose in God’s silence. Even when David felt forsaken, God was still present, and through this trial, God was refining David’s faith. This Psalm ultimately points forward to the suffering of Christ, showing that God’s silence does not mean His absence.
- What God was doing:
God was testing David’s trust and refining his faith. Though David felt abandoned, God was shaping his character and preparing him for greater reliance on Him.
“He has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him.” (Psalm 22:24, ESV)
In these instances, God’s silence had a purpose. He was preparing His people, refining their faith, calling them to repentance, or setting up a larger plan. Though His timing didn’t align with their expectations, He was actively working behind the scenes.
What about todays cry for help?
In today’s world, many people still cry out to God for help, wondering why He sometimes seems silent. However, just as in the Bible, God’s apparent silence today doesn’t mean He’s inactive or unconcerned. Here are some principles from Scripture and Christian teachings that help us understand what God may be doing when He seems silent:
1. God is Working in His Timing
- Scripture Reference: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9, ESV)
- What God May Be Doing Today:
God often works in ways and on a timeline that we don’t fully understand. His silence may be a matter of waiting for the perfect timing to act for His greater purposes. Just as the Israelites waited for deliverance in Egypt, we may need to trust that God is preparing something far greater than we can see or expect.
2. God is Growing Our Faith
- Scripture Reference: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” (James 1:2-3, ESV)
- What God May Be Doing Today:
In times of silence, God may be refining our faith. Silence often forces us to rely more fully on Him, deepening our trust. Even when we don’t get immediate answers, our persistence in prayer and dependence on God builds spiritual resilience.
3. God is Drawing Us into Deeper Relationship
- Scripture Reference: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13, ESV)
- What God May Be Doing Today:
Sometimes, God’s silence is an invitation to seek Him more earnestly. He may be drawing us closer to Himself, encouraging us to pray more deeply, study His Word, and trust Him with our whole heart. It’s in the pursuit of God that we often find His presence in unexpected ways.
4. God is Leading Us to Repentance
- Scripture Reference: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14, ESV)
- What God May Be Doing Today:
There are times when God’s silence is an opportunity for reflection and repentance. Like the Israelites under oppression in the book of Judges, God’s people today may be experiencing hardship as a way of being called back to Him. His silence could be a time for us to examine our hearts and turn away from sin.
5. God is Using Difficult Circumstances for His Glory
- Scripture Reference: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28, ESV)
- What God May Be Doing Today:
Even in silence and suffering, God is working for our good and His glory. While we may not immediately see the purpose of our trials, God uses them to shape us, to be a witness to others, or to prepare us for future blessings. His silence does not negate His sovereignty or His plan.
6. God is Inviting Us to Wait in Trust and Hope
- Scripture Reference: “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” (Lamentations 3:25-26, ESV)
- What God May Be Doing Today:
Silence may be God’s way of teaching us to wait in hope and patience. The waiting period can be a time of growth and maturity in our spiritual life, allowing us to learn the value of trust and dependence on God’s promises. He asks us to wait with an expectant heart, knowing that He will respond in His perfect way.
7. God is Present Even in Silence
- Scripture Reference: “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10, ESV)
- What God May Be Doing Today:
Even when God seems silent, His presence remains with us. Sometimes, it’s in the quiet and stillness that we experience God’s peace, reminding us that He is always near, even if we don’t feel it. Silence can be a reminder to stop striving and rest in the knowledge of His sovereign care.
Summary
In today’s cries for help, God’s silence is often a period of preparation, growth, or waiting for the right moment to act. He uses such times to strengthen faith, call us closer to Him, and lead us to repentance or trust. Silence is not the absence of God but rather part of His ongoing work in our lives, even when it’s difficult to understand. Through prayer, patience, and trust, we can be assured that He hears us and is actively working for our good, even in seasons of silence.
What about when we pray for someone sick?
When we pray for someone who is sick, and God seems silent or healing doesn’t come immediately, it can be especially challenging. However, there are several biblical principles that can help us understand what God may be doing in such situations:
1. God’s Will and Sovereign Plan
- Scripture Reference: “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, ESV)
- What God May Be Doing:
Sometimes, when we pray for healing, God’s will might not align with our specific request. God’s plan for each person’s life is sovereign, and while we may pray for immediate healing, God may have a different purpose—whether it’s for a spiritual healing, growth in faith, or even preparing someone for eternity. His will is always for our ultimate good, though it may not always be easy to understand at the moment.
2. God’s Timing is Perfect
- Scripture Reference: “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11, ESV)
- What God May Be Doing:
There are times when healing is delayed because God’s timing is different from ours. Sometimes, He answers prayers for healing immediately, but in other cases, healing may be slow or happen in ways we don’t expect. God may be working through doctors, treatments, or circumstances that require patience and perseverance. In the delay, God may also be teaching us to trust Him and rely on His timing.
3. God is Calling Us to Persist in Prayer
- Scripture Reference: “And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?” (Luke 18:7, ESV)
- What God May Be Doing:
Persistent prayer is encouraged throughout Scripture. When praying for someone who is sick, God may be inviting us into deeper, more consistent prayer. This persistence not only keeps us connected to God but can also transform our own hearts, teaching us dependence and trust in His power, even when answers aren’t immediate.
4. God May Have a Greater Purpose in Suffering
- Scripture Reference: “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9, ESV)
- What God May Be Doing:
In some cases, God may not bring physical healing because there is a greater purpose behind the suffering. The Apostle Paul experienced this when he prayed for relief from his “thorn in the flesh,” yet God’s response was that His grace was sufficient. God can use illness to reveal His power, deepen faith, or accomplish something we might not understand in the moment. Sometimes suffering leads to spiritual growth, drawing the sick person and those praying closer to God.
5. God May Bring Healing in Ways We Don’t Expect
- Scripture Reference: “The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health.” (Psalm 41:3, ESV)
- What God May Be Doing:
Healing doesn’t always happen in the way we anticipate. While we often pray for physical healing, God may instead bring emotional, relational, or spiritual healing that impacts the sick person and their loved ones in powerful ways. The healing God brings could come through increased faith, reconciliation with others, or a renewed sense of purpose in life.
6. God is Present, Even in the Midst of Suffering
- Scripture Reference: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4, ESV)
- What God May Be Doing:
Even if physical healing doesn’t occur, God is still present with the sick person and with those who pray for them. His presence can bring comfort and peace, even in the darkest of times. When we pray for healing, we are also inviting God’s presence into the situation, trusting that His nearness brings comfort, whether or not the physical outcome is what we desire.
7. God May Be Preparing for Eternal Healing
- Scripture Reference: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4, ESV)
- What God May Be Doing:
In some cases, when healing doesn’t come in this life, God may be preparing the person for eternal healing. While physical healing is something we pray for, the ultimate healing comes when God brings us into His eternal presence, free from pain and suffering. This hope of eternity provides comfort when earthly healing doesn’t come.
8. God is Calling Us to Trust in His Goodness
- Scripture Reference: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6, ESV)
- What God May Be Doing:
In times of sickness, when prayers for healing seem unanswered, God is asking us to trust in His goodness and wisdom. Even when we don’t understand why healing is delayed or why suffering continues, we can trust that God is working all things for good, according to His perfect will.
Summary
When we pray for someone who is sick and God seems silent, it’s important to remember that His silence doesn’t mean He is inactive. God may be working through His perfect will, timing, and purposes in ways we cannot immediately see. He invites us to persist in prayer, trust in His goodness, and rest in the comfort of His presence. Whether He brings physical healing or deeper spiritual growth, God is always faithful and attentive to the cries of His people.
Final Thoughts
When we find ourselves in seasons of silence, we often not only ask, “God, why aren’t you doing something?” but also, “God, why aren’t you saying something?”
This is exactly what the Word of God does for us today. When we feel like God is silent, we can be reassured that He has already spoken. His Word reminds us of His faithfulness, even in the quiet moments. We can take comfort in passages like:
- Romans 8:28 (ESV): “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
- Philippians 1:6 (ESV): “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
- Revelation 21:4-5 (ESV): “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”
- Isaiah 41:10 (ESV): “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
So, what do we do when God seems silent? We hold onto His promises. God is still at work, and He has already spoken. He will keep His promises, and just as He remains faithful, we are called to stay faithful to Him.
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