Have you ever prayed for a breakthrough or deliverance from God?

You waited patiently for a long time, but there is no change in your situation.

You prayed and fasted, but receive only silence.

It seems as if God has forgotten you.

How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? (Psalms 13:1-2 NKJV)

David felt abandoned by God!

He had been waiting for a long time for his deliverance.

Perhaps it was during his many years as a fugitive when he was hiding from King Saul in the wilderness.

It was many years ago since he was anointed king over Israel by the prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 16).

God ordained David to be king over His people when he was just a mere shepherd boy.

But soon after his triumphant promotion, he found himself running away from his homeland.

After many years hiding in caves and facing hostile enemies he was emotionally and physically exhausted.

“Consider and hear me, O Lord my God. Enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed against him”; Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved,” cried David

I believe that most of us have found ourselves in that state of anguish similar to David.

We feel the pain from what appears to be silence from heaven.

We know the tears that soaked our pillows and we know the sleepless nights when the enemy filled our mind with negative thoughts.

However, let us pause for a moment and consider this.

Do you know that God also experience similar emotional turmoil when His children abandon Him for the pleasures of this world?

Then the Lord said to Moses: “How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them?” (Numbers 14:11 NKJV)

Can you imagine how frustrated God felt when His people constantly rejected Him in spite of all the wonderful miracles that He did for them in the past!

The Lord feels hurt when we refuse to accept His wonderful plan of salvation and have a relationship with Him.

He feels frustrated and disappointed when we quickly forget His past goodness and miracles in our lives when we face trials.

The Lord even feels neglected when we turn away from Him and choose to return to a past life of sin.

In spite of God’s emotional distress, He doesn’t give up on us because “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.” (Lamentations 3:22-23 NKJV)

Every morning when we awake, God forgets our past misbehavior and hope that we will return to Him.

However, even if we still refuse to accept the mercy of God, He will never leave or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6).

Even if we remain faithless, “God remains faithful—for He cannot deny Himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13)

Therefore, how should we behave when it seems as if God has forgotten us?

Finding Faith When God Seems To Forget You

Follow the examples of the Lord knowing that He also experience our weaknesses (Hebrews 5:1).

Keep hope alive and reflect on His past goodness (Psalms 73).

Trust in the mercy and faithfulness of God.

Hence, you will be able to declare like David during his distress.

But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me. (Psalms 13:5 NKJV)

Yes, Praise the Lord in spite of because,

God will make the impossible possible!

God can turn the crooked path straight!

I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The beast of the field will honor Me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My people, My chosen. (Isaiah 43:18-20 NKJV)

There is nothing too hard for the Lord so trust in Him to accomplish His Word.

Therefore, whenever you cry unto God, “How Long?”

Remember it is never too late because,

God is always up to something!

We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.  (Proverbs 16:9 NLT)

Over to you

Share with us your experience when you felt like God has forgotten you.