A: If you've ever wondered, "Where is God? Why can't I feel His presence? Why am I stuck in this situation despite my prayers? Does He even hear me?" — you're not alone.
As I write this, I know many of my friends and clients are asking these same questions. I'm asking them too. Perhaps you are as well.
Short answer – God is with you, even when He feels distant. Your feelings of being stuck are valid; many others experience this same struggle. In her Revelations of Divine Love, Julian of Norwich wrote, "If a man or woman were under the wide waters, if he could see God, as God is continually with man, he would be safe in soul and body and come to no harm."
Jesus told us plainly in John 16:33 (ESV), "In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." He didn't say it might happen to some people occasionally. He promised we would all face it. Yet in the same breath, He said, "In me you may have peace."
Many of us unconsciously believe that following God should make life comfortable. I wrestle with this myself - logically, I know it's not true, but deep in my heart, I still hope for it and feel distressed when life doesn't unfold as planned.
As Dallas Willard notes in The Divine Conspiracy (p.400), we long for "peace as wholeness, as fullness of function, as the restful but unending creativity" that can only be found in God. When our reality doesn't match our expectations, we feel disappointed and often ashamed, as if our suffering indicates personal failure.
This longing for ease, comfort, and joy points to our true nature – beings created for Eden. The discomfort we feel reminds us that THIS is not our home.
Ways to reconnect with God's presence when you feel stuck:
- Notice where you feel stuck. Is it health issues that won't resolve? A job that drains rather than fulfills? Relationships that remain broken despite your efforts? Does life overall stink at the moment? Naming your specific struggle helps direct your prayers.
Be honest about your feelings with both God and yourself. The Psalms model this raw honesty, as in Psalm 13:1 (ESV) where David cries, "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?"
Remember that spiritual warfare is real. Peter warns us in 1 Peter 5:8 that our adversary prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Our struggles often have a spiritual dimension.
Look for God in unexpected places. John Eldredge reminds us in Walking With God (p. 77) that our assumptions about how God works can blind us to His presence. Sometimes we miss Him because we're looking for dramatic answers when He's speaking in what 1 Kings 19:12 (NKJV) calls a "still small voice."
Trust that suffering is temporary. Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 5:10 that after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
In the meantime, take heart: God is right beside you. As Paul writes in Ephesians 3:16-19 (NIV), "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power... to know this love that surpasses knowledge."
Your current struggle isn't the end of your story.
It's simply a chapter in a greater journey that leads toward home—toward the One who has loved you from the beginning and will never let you go.