I don’t know about you, but awkward silences in conversations make me feel, well . . . awkward. Often I will eagerly start talking to fill the void. When I think about it, sometimes that’s how I try to fill the silence I feel from God, too. I ask other people for their advice, I try to guess what purpose God has for me, and I distract myself instead of using the time to stop and pray and really listen.
There have been times in my life where it’s felt like I’ve been waiting on God to open the next door and make His plans clear. But to be honest, I’m not very patient when it comes to waiting. Looking back, I wonder if those silent periods were moments where God was trying to tell me something.
In the silence
Despair, longing, hopelessness—these feelings have marked the prayers of countless people throughout history—and perhaps yours too. This is what we see in the prayers of Hannah, an Israelite woman who longed for a child and cried out to God to remove her barrenness. After years and years of what seemed like silence, God blessed her with a baby boy. This boy, Samuel, was an answer to her prayers.
Thankful for the gift God had given her, Hannah took Samuel to the tabernacle and dedicated him to be used by God. There, the priest Eli took on the responsibility of teaching and guiding him: “And the child Samuel grew in stature, and in favour both with the LORD and men”
(1 Samuel 2:26).
One night when Samuel was lying down, he heard a voice calling his name. Thinking it was Eli, he ran to him, but Eli replied saying he hadn’t called him. This happened two more times before Eli realised that it must be God calling Samuel. He instructed Samuel on what to do if it happened again, and Samuel returned to his place and waited. When the voice called once more, Samuel answered, “Speak, for your servant hears” (1 Samuel 3:10). God then shared with Samuel what He was going to do in the future.
As the story goes on, we see Samuel become a prophet of God, speaking to individuals like Saul and David on behalf of God and having a profound impact on their lives. What stands out is that God did not speak to Samuel amid the busyness of working and serving in the temple, but in the quietness of the night. Are we so preoccupied with our day-to-day lives—even with doing things for God—that we miss hearing what He wants to say to us?
Called to respond
Samuel heard God calling and then had to make the decision to respond. His reply, “Speak, for Your servant hears” (1 Samuel 3:10), shows that he wanted to know what God had to say. By calling himself a servant, he revealed a humble heart that honoured the One he was speaking to.
Even though Hannah was a God-fearing woman and Eli had committed his life to serving Him, it was Samuel to whom God revealed Himself. Being surrounded by faithful people, or serving in ministry ourselves, can never replace a personal, intentional connection with Him. Despite Samuel faithfully carrying out his duties in the temple, there came a point when he had to open his heart directly to God—and the same applies to us.
Eli’s sons worked in the temple yet their hearts were not fully committed. Their story challenges us to consider whether we sometimes do the same thing—serve out of obligation rather than willingly, with love.
It’s easy to perceive God’s silence to mean He must not be listening, must not be doing anything, must not be responding. Yet in Samuel’s case, it was in the silence that God drew near and got his attention. The same could be true in our lives. The quiet periods in our lives may be the very moments God is inviting us to increase our faith and trust in Him.
“Samuel, Samuel”—is God calling your name today? Is He trying to get your attention through the busyness of life, the endless responsibilities, the long list of self-expectations? Finding intentional moments of silence allows us to hear what He has to say to us. What would being quiet with God look like in your life? What would happen if you found the time to be silent to listen to what God has to say to you?
What if it’s me
As I think about Samuel’s life and reflect on my own, I realise that maybe God hasn’t been silent at all. Maybe I’ve just been too distracted, too busy, too restless to hear Him. Maybe I haven’t put my phone down for long enough, lowered the volume of the music, or closed the door long enough to sit and listen.
I’ve noticed this recently since I started fasting and praying once a week with a few fellow church members. I haven’t been doing too bad with the fasting part, but finding the time to be silent, to pray and to listen has been far more difficult. There is always something to watch, always dishes to clean or clothes to put away. I’ve found it hard to just be silent.
If we’re not intentional about being still and making time to be with God, it makes sense that we will miss what He is trying to say to us. We will miss spending time with Him.
Many of us have become accustomed to instant messages, fast postal deliveries and 24/7 entertainment. All of this can make silence alien to us, boring and sometimes even uncomfortable. Our Bible readings and prayers can start to follow the same cadence, becoming rushed as we hurry to “live life”. Yet when our health deteriorates, job applications fail or relationships become strained, we often want a quick solution. We want God to do something so we don’t have to endure the pain and the waiting. We treat Him like an occasional companion, only turning to Him when we need Him.
That’s not the relationship I want with Him. I want God in every part of my day. I want my thoughts and desires to be aligned with His will. I want His love to be evident in the life I live. And that begins with taking the time to be with Him, to sit still and to listen. Because I know that God is always sustaining me, working everything for my good—even in the silence. How might your life change if you also made the time to truly stop and listen to Him today?
Jöelle Weekes is originally from South Africa and now lives in Kingscliff, Australia, where she serves with the ARISE discipleship program.
