How to hear only silence from the Lord

By Jonathan Graf

At the start of 1 Samuel 3 comes a sobering statement: “In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions” (v. 1). This situation was most likely the result of a nation falling into sin and not following God anymore.

God broke the silence by speaking to a young boy, Samuel, who learned to recognize the Lord’s voice. Toward the end of 1 Samuel 3, another powerful statement reveals much about this boy as an adult: “[Samuel] let none of [God’s] words fall to the ground” (v. 19).

I believe many churches today are in a situation similar to what the Israelites experienced in Samuel’s day. Hearing God speak is rare for us, not so much because of sin, but more because of self-sufficiency, fear and prayerlessness.

Frequently churches and boards turn to the latest leadership fads rather than seeking God for direction. They tend to rely on capable people and their experience in decision making. When that’s what we rely on, God lets us act in our own strength.

In contrast the prophet Ezra ignored the obvious, logical solution to his problem in favor of trusting God for the answer. The results brought glory to God as a pagan king saw the Lord’s protective power (Ezra 8:21–23).

Sometimes fear subdues God’s voice. We want to hear first and then decide whether or not to obey what we hear. We’re reluctant to surrender our own agendas and desires unless we are convinced that God’s will is the better option. But God wants our obedience; without it, His voice becomes silent.

Another kind of fear, which resulted from the fundamentalist movement of the early- to mid-20th century, had a profound effect on making many churches--particularly those in holiness circles--more conservative and less Spirit-driven. Because of fundamentalists’ regard for God’s written Word and fear of anything experiential, many people came to believe that God never spoke outside of Scripture. Fear of excesses resulted in God’s voice becoming more and more rare.

We need to get over this view. While the Bible is true and is our plumb line, and while nothing we hear is accurate if it violates Scripture, God certainly speaks outside of Scripture. He gives us direction from the Holy Spirit and even, at times, from a voice so clear it’s almost audible.

Prayerlessness has also hindered us from hearing from God. Prayer is our direct connection to the living God. If we’re not praying much, we’re not listening. If we’re not listening, we will not hear from God.

As individuals and churches, we desperately need to regularly hear God’s voice. If you desire to develop your listening skills, then start seeking the Lord instead of relying on human wisdom. Check your fear factor. Are you willing to surrender? Finally, become a person of prayer. Don’t let a day go by without spending time talking to God and listening for His voice.

Jonathan Graf is the president of the Church Prayer Leaders’ Network. He is the author of The Power of Personal Prayer (NavPress, 2002). You can contact him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .