I spent a some time this morning discussing worship with a good friend. She finds it easy to worship God when she listens to Christian music. I observed that this is good, perhaps not best, because she is expressing someone else's worship to God. I think that listening to Christian music is a wonderful tool to move us closer to God. I encouraged her to open her Bible to a favorite verse in Psalms and sing it to her favorite Christian song. This will allow her to begin expressing her heart song to God.
Worshipping God is expressing your heart to God. That is intentionally vague. Because the more you know about God, the deeper your ability to love and appreciate Him. The more you are aware of what He is doing in your life, the more broad your ability to express appreciation for Him. The closer you get to the presence of God, the more clear it becomes what pleases God and what doesn't.
She asked me an incredibly practical question that I have never spent much time thinking about. "Why don't I hear God's voice every time I pray? Why don't I sense Him near every time I pray?"
I told her that according to 1 Kings 19:12, God speaks in a still small voice. That may be as subtle as a thought, an emotion, a nudge, a friends counsel, a Bible passage, a sermon point, a moment of clarity, or however God chooses to speak to His child.
Now for a word of encouragement. When you don't hear God or feel His presence, He is still there. God is growing your faith by letting go. It is much like teaching a child to ride a bicycle. At first, you hang on to the seat and run along behind. You do most of the steering and provide the forward motion. However, with time, as the child develops, it is natural for you to start letting go. You still run along behind in case the child gets in trouble, but you are close at hand in case of danger.
"be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6
Those times when God lets go of your bike and trots along behind, are the times when your faith grows by leaps and bounds.
Seeing and hearing does not require faith.
Growing faith requires not seeing and not hearing.
So when you experience a season when God doesn't seem to be near, relax, He is taking your faith out for some exercise.
"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing." James 1:2-4
God promised He wouldn't let anything touch you without His preparing you to handle it.
"The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure." 1 Corinthians 10:13
My parting thought for you is to realize that King David felt exactly the same way you feel. Check this out:
"O LORD, why do you reject me? Why do you turn your face from me?" Psalm 88:14
"How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?" Psalm 13:1
Now don't miss this:
"For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness, I will have compassion on you," says the LORD your Redeemer. Isaiah 54:7-8
