Have you ever felt God’s presence? Maybe you’ve experienced a tingly sensation while praying, an overwhelming emotion during a worship service, or a profound peace that surpasses understanding.
But what happens when you don’t feel God? When you want to feel His presence or hear His voice, but He’s silent, does it mean He’s not there? Let’s explore these questions and what it means to experience God, even when He feels far away. Remember, nothing can separate us from God's love, even during times of silence or struggle.
What Does It Mean to Feel Far from God?
It’s an unsettling feeling, one that many Christians have experienced at some point in their lives. It’s the feeling of being far from God. But what does it mean to feel far from God? And how do you get back to the place where you feel close to God again?
Whatever the reason, the feeling of being far from God can be overwhelming. But here’s the thing: You’re not alone. King David, one of the most well-known figures in the Bible, felt this way too. In Psalm 42:3, he wrote, “My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, ‘Where is your God?’”
To feel close to God again, you need to worship, pray, and read the Bible. Worship music is a great way to draw near to God and rekindle your passion for Him. As you make a commitment to God, you can begin to feel His love and presence again. God blesses those who seek Him, and He wants a personal relationship with you.
Jesus Christ said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). When we come to Him, we can find rest and joy in knowing we’re not alone. The Holy Spirit is ready to help us on our faith journey, teaching us and showing us how to apply God’s Word to our lives.
If you’re feeling far from God, don’t be discouraged. This feeling is temporary and doesn’t define your relationship with God. Instead, focus on spending intentional time with God, seeking His presence, and trusting in His unending love. As you do, you’ll begin to find joy and comfort in knowing you’re loved and never truly alone.
Questioning God’s Presence?
Many of us have had moments where we felt undeniably close to God. But there are also times when we feel distant from God, questioning His presence in our lives. If you’re feeling distant from God, you’re not alone. Just read Psalm 88. In it, you can almost hear the pain of the psalmist, who says to God:
But I cry to you for help, Lᴏʀᴅ; in the morning, my prayer comes before you. Why, Lᴏʀᴅ, do you reject me and hide your face from me? Psalm 88:13-14 NIV
The author basically says, “God, I’m doing everything You want me to do. I’m crying out to You, and I believe You’re with me. Why can’t I feel Your presence?” And it’s not just this psalmist who felt far from God. The Bible is full of people who experienced both God’s nearness and a feeling of distance from God at different times.
- King David, who is described as being after God’s own heart, experienced moments when he couldn’t feel God.
- The Apostle Paul, who encountered the resurrected Christ, experienced long periods of obscurity and suffering.
- Even Jesus, on the cross, cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)
God’s Presence in the Bible
Throughout the Bible, God appears to different people in different ways. Some hear His audible voice, while others experience Him through a miraculous event. Other times, God appears by helping people find freedom from self-destructive habits.
The Bible also offers examples of times when God shows up behind the scenes, putting the right people in the right places at exactly the right time. The Book of Esther is a perfect case study in God’s divine coordination skills. God isn’t mentioned in the book, and yet only divine action could make events unfold as they did.
Jesus Wants to Help People Feel God
Of course, the best example of God’s presence on earth is when He came in the form of a human: Jesus. Jesus spoke, laughed, ate, and worked alongside countless people who got to feel God’s presence in a tangible way. Yet Jesus’ life also shows us that being in God’s presence doesn’t always mean people feel it or know it.
In Matthew 13:14-15, Jesus tells His disciples that only some who come to Him will understand His message and identity. We see this happen time and time again throughout the accounts of Jesus’ life. People desperately want to hear from God, but when God’s Son literally walks up to them and starts speaking, some of them misunderstand, criticize, and condemn Him.
God Is Present, Even When We Don’t Feel Him
So what does this mean? God can be present, yet feel far away. We know that God is present in every believer through His Holy Spirit. So why don’t we feel His presence?
One reason is that we may have a limited understanding of how God can make Himself known. For example, if you only believe God is present if you feel a tingling sensation, hear His voice, or have an immediately answered prayer, then you might miss out on the other countless ways God is trying to get your attention.
A famous example of God revealing Himself in diverse ways happens in 1 Kings 18, when Elijah challenges the prophets of a rival god. Elijah asks God to call down fire from heaven to prove He’s the one true God—and God does! Yet one chapter later, Elijah is in crisis, worried about the future, and struggling to find hope in God.
In 1 Kings 19, God invites Elijah to a mountain. There, Elijah witnesses massive, dramatic events, including fire from the sky. But this time, God isn’t present in the fire. Then Elijah hears a gentle whisper, and he knows that it’s God.
In one chapter, God appears in a dramatic, awe-inspiring moment, and in the next chapter, He appears in a gentle whisper. That’s because God shows up to different people in different ways on different occasions.
Imagine that you consistently feel God’s presence whenever you sing worship songs, but over several months, the feelings begin to fade. Is this a sign that you’re doing something wrong? Not necessarily. It could just mean that God’s inviting you to continue worshiping Him through song while also remaining aware of how He might speak to you differently.
Where Do I Find God?
If you want to get closer to a friend, you can go to their home—or call them on the phone. But what do you do when you feel distant from God and want to feel closer to Him? One way is to go where He’s going. But where do you go to find God?
Let’s return to Jesus, who is God in human form. He spends His life on earth meeting people’s physical and spiritual needs. He serves sacrificially, gives generously, and welcomes cultural outsiders. When we look at Jesus, we can see what God is like. So if you want to feel closer to God, one of the best ways is to do what Jesus did.
If someone you know is in need, work to meet their need. If you know someone who feels alone, invite them for a meal. And if you see someone who needs hope, try sharing some words of encouragement. When we join God in making earth look more like heaven, we’ll often experience God’s presence in big and small ways.
Of course, living like Jesus doesn’t guarantee that you’ll always feel God’s presence. But when we say yes to our calling, we position ourselves to see God at work in big, miraculous ways and small, ordinary moments of humility and sacrificial love.
Keep Seeking God
Our feelings matter, but feelings shouldn’t be the only metric we use to define our faith. After all, Jesus was “the pioneer and perfecter of faith,” yet He still had a moment when He felt distant from His Father. So you might have a healthy, thriving faith and still sometimes feel distant from God.
Difficult circumstances and mental health challenges can mess with our emotions, too. So let’s listen to our feelings but avoid giving them the final say on how we think about God.
Trust God is with you, even when you don’t feel Him. Draw near to Him, and He will draw near to you.
Just because God feels distant doesn’t mean He’s absent. Trust that God is with you, even when you don’t feel Him. Draw near to Him, and He will draw near to you. Whether in the extraordinary or the ordinary, God’s presence is real and constant.
A Prayer for When You Feel Far From God
Father, thank You for Your faithfulness. And whether I feel You or not, I want to pursue You with all of my heart. Help me seek You through prayer and Scripture and notice Your presence in the world around me. I pray there will be an infinite number of times I see You in a sunrise, sense Your presence in a relationship, or feel You with me as You help me bring a word of encouragement to someone who’s hurting. In Jesus’ name, amen.