Seeking God’s Will but Hearing Nothing?

You really need to know God’s will, so you ask Him what to do. You ask Him in faith and trust… and nothing happens.
No answer, no clarity, no sense of direction. Just silence—and the growing anxiety that maybe you’re missing God somehow.

In order to listen to someone, you have to be what? To be quiet, so you can pay attention to them.

It’s no different with God: He speaks in the Word and in prayer and through other people. But how often do you just get quiet enough to really listen?

Seeking clarity is a giant case study for listening. When you have a Kingdom calling to a business or ministry, you want and need to know what you’re supposed to do next.

Seeking God’s Will and Not Hearing an Answer

I mean, you’re supposed to ask for guidance, right? You definitely want to stay in the will of God. And so, you ask—but you don’t hear anything.

You think, “I’m not praying enough.” And you drill down on the asking prayer. Nothing.

You think, “I don’t have enough faith. Let’s ask with more faith.”

Still nothing.

You decide to talk to other Christians. “Okay, let’s see what my pastor says.”

And once again, nothing.

Then we pray, “Lord, you gotta tell me what you want me to do.”

Now, remember this is clarity about His long-term will.

Why God Sometimes Feels Silent

Sometimes we need to know, and we need to know now, and we really do, and God will answer.

But here’s the deal: we may think we need an answer now, but if He disagrees, He’s right. We don’t.

We don’t know what changes He is making in us. We don’t know what changes He’s making in our circumstances. We don’t know how He is calling us to be closer to Him, no matter what else is going on.

The Difference Between Clarity and Trust

Very, very often this is what’s going on in you under the surface:

Clarity is more important to you than trusting God.

Let me repeat that: Your desire for clarity becomes more important to you than your desire for God.

Because when you’re desperately praying for clarity and the answer isn’t coming, the thing to do isn’t to keep asking.

Learning to Trust God Without Answers

The thing to do is to surrender the demand for clarity, and prioritize the deeper gift of trusting in Him–no matter what anything else looks like.

Knowing that if you needed to know this thing NOW, He would have answered you already. And that He’s not being mean. He’s calling you more deeply to Himself.

Don’t Chase Guidance More Than God

Don’t love the gift more than the Giver.

Because the most important thing is your relationship with Him, and flowing directly from that, becoming more like Him.

So, when God is not telling you something that you deeply want to know, when He appears to have gone silent, chances are you’re asking the question too hard. “Lord, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me…”

Stop. Just stop. Take a breath. Tell Him that you trust Him and His reasons for not giving you the answer you want and need. To guide your decisions day by day.

He’ll give you clarity when you’re ready to receive it. Then, and I speak from experience here, He’ll take your breath away.

Join me on that adventure! My newsletter “Kingdom Adventure Guide” shows you how to hear God’s voice, to discover His will in prayer, and to boldly follow where the Holy Spirit leads.