When You Don’t Feel God’s Presence

“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.”

-Psalm 139:7-10 ESV

Some moments, as a Christian, are powerful. We sense that God is with us. By the Spirit, we can discern his presence in the room. It feels like God is near us, with us, and for us. Who or what could be against us?

However, other times can best be described as traveling on a long journey through a desert without food, water, or rest. We wonder: “Where is God?” We feel like God is distant. We feel alone.

Other times can best be described as traveling on a long journey through a desert without food, water, or rest. We wonder: “Where is God?”

Is God always with us? Why can’t we always sense his nearness? What do we do when we feel like he is in a galaxy far away? All Christ-followers wrestle with these questions at times.

Theologically speaking, these are two separate ideas (though they are connected). Namely, we’re talking about God’s omnipresence and God’s manifest presence.

God’s omnipresence means that God is always everywhere.

God’s manifest presence means that sometimes he allows us to sense and experience how near he is.

Scripture does not say how often we will experience his manifest presence. Moreover, many in Scripture seem to go through periods of time where they wonder where God has gone. Is God doing anything when we can't feel his presence?

Is God doing anything when we can’t feel his presence?

In a letter written by C. S. Lewis in 1954, he writes:

“God’s presence is not the same as the feeling of God’s presence and He may be doing most for us when we think He is doing least.”[1]

When we don’t sense God’s presence, we often think that something is wrong. But, maybe, when we don’t sense God’s presence that is when he is doing the most for us.

Sometimes life is counterintuitive. For example, exercise is difficult and we get sore afterwards, but it is good for us. Likewise, when God feels far away, maybe the Lord is helping us and growing us in various ways.

If you’re going through a season where it seems like God’s manifest presence has been missing, then you can rest in the objective truth of his omnipresence. In other words, you can remind yourself of the truth that God is always with you.

Consider Psalm 139:

Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.”

-Psalm 139:7-10 ESV

You can also rest in the objective truth of God’s love.

Consider Romans 8:

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

-Romans 8:38-39 ESV

Instead of panicking when the subjective experience of God’s presence is missing, remind yourself of the objective fact of his presence. He is in the same room as you. You will experience his manifest presence again soon. But this may be a time when God is working in your life the most.

End Notes:

[1] William OFlaherty, "CSL Daily 8/02/20," August 2, 2020, accessed March 28, 2026, https://essentialcslewis.com/2020/08/02/csl-daily-08-02-20/.