When God Is Silent — How to Trust God

When God Is Silent — How to Trust God
By Ken Robinson

We’ve all experienced it. You pray with all your heart, wait in faith, and believe for a breakthrough—but nothing seems to happen. No answer, no movement, no sign. Just silence.

It’s in those moments that many believers begin to wrestle with some of the hardest questions of faith:

• Is God listening?
• Have I done something wrong?
• Why do other people get answers when I don’t?
  
  

If you’ve ever found yourself in that place, you’re not alone. The Bible is full of faithful people who went through long seasons of silence. Joseph waited years in prison. David cried out, “How long, O Lord?” Job suffered in silence with no explanation. Even Jesus experienced silence from the Father in His most painful hour on the cross.

The truth is, God’s silence is not the same as His absence. It may feel like nothing is happening, but behind the silence, God is still working.

Silence Is Not Rejection

One of the biggest lies the enemy will whisper during a season of silence is that God has rejected you. But the silence of God is never a sign of abandonment. Often, it’s a sign of preparation.

Isaiah 30:15 says, “In quietness and trust is your strength.” Not in answers. Not in miracles. But in quietness and trust.

Silence stretches our faith. It asks us to trust not just in what God does, but in who He is. Can you trust His character when you can’t trace His hand?

God Is Still Listening

Even when God doesn’t seem to respond, Scripture tells us He hears every word.
1 John 5:14 reminds us:
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

God hears. Always.

And not just the eloquent prayers. He hears the quiet, broken whispers. The tired groans. The wordless tears. Just because you haven’t seen the answer yet doesn’t mean your prayer hasn’t reached heaven.

Waiting Is Often Part of the Answer

Sometimes God’s delay is not a “no”—it’s a “not yet.” And other times, what feels like silence is actually an invitation to press in deeper.

Jesus tells the story in Luke 18 of a persistent widow who keeps coming to a judge for justice. She refuses to give up. Eventually, the judge gives in—not because he cares, but because she keeps asking. Jesus says God is not like that judge—He is a loving Father who responds to His children. But the point is clear: keep praying. Don’t lose heart.

Persistence in prayer is not about changing God’s mind—it’s about aligning our hearts and showing that we trust Him, even when there’s no immediate result.

Faith Isn’t Just for the Fireworks

We often associate faith with visible results—miracles, open doors, breakthrough moments. But real faith is proven in the silent seasons.

Faith says, “Even when I don’t see it, I know You’re working.”
Faith says, “Even when I don’t hear You, I will still follow You.”
Faith says, “Even if the answer doesn’t come, I know You are good.”

Hebrews 11 speaks of heroes of the faith—some who saw incredible miracles, and others who didn’t receive what was promised in this life, but still believed. That’s the kind of faith that pleases God.

What To Do When Heaven Feels Quiet

If you’re in a season of silence, here are three things to remember:

1. Return to Scripture
   Let God’s written Word be louder than the silence you feel. His promises are still true even when your situation doesn’t reflect them yet. Anchor your heart in verses like Psalm 27:14: “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

2. Keep Praying Anyway
   God values relationship, not performance. Keep talking to Him, even if you don’t feel like it. Honest, raw, even messy prayers still matter. You don’t have to have the perfect words—you just need a willing heart.

3. Watch Your Perspective
   Sometimes God is growing something in you that’s far more valuable than the answer you’re asking for. Don’t waste the waiting. Let it shape your character. Let it refine your faith. You may not see it now, but this silence could be setting the stage for something greater than you imagined.

Your Prayers Are Not Wasted

Every prayer you’ve prayed—every tear, every question, every longing—has been seen by God. He stores every tear in a bottle. He knows every thought before you speak it. You are not invisible to Him.

While we all love the mountaintop moments when prayers are answered and testimonies come easily, it’s often in the valleys of silence where God does His deepest work.

So if you’re walking through a quiet season today, hold on.

Keep showing up.
Keep opening your Bible.
Keep lifting up your voice.

You may not feel it, but God is nearer than you think.

And remember—when God is silent, He is never absent. When the answer doesn’t come right away, trust that something deeper is being formed. Sometimes the breakthrough isn’t around you—it’s in you.

Want to Go Deeper?

This article is based on Episode 11 of The Week Ahead with God Podcast with Ken Robinson. If this message has encouraged you, be sure to subscribe and listen to the full episode at KenRobinson.com or on your favourite podcast platform.

Throughout the week, we explore how to strengthen your prayer life through faith, surrender, character, and trust. Don’t miss the next episode—you never know what word might unlock something new in your journey with God.