Before the Morning - What to Do in Your Night Season
Have you ever felt like your faith was strong… but your experience didn’t match?
In Before the Morning: What to Do in Your Night Season, Diana walks through a powerful 3-part mini-series designed to help you navigate the quiet, uncertain, and sometimes dark seasons of your walk with God.
And in Week 1, we open with the question -
When it Gets Quiet: Is God Still There?
This series gently explores the question many believers carry but rarely say out loud:
If I’m living in the Kingdom… Why do I still experience darkness?
Through biblical truth, honest reflection, and practical encouragement, you’ll learn:
Why God’s silence doesn’t mean He’s absent
What He may be doing in hidden seasons
How to stand firm—even when your feelings are unsteady
This series is a bridge into a deeper journey ahead: a study by Dr. Alicia Britt Chole and her book, The Night Is Normal.
Series: Before the Morning Part 1
Hello everyone, and welcome back to Heartfelt Conversations with Diana.
I’m so glad you’re here with me today as we wrap up our Kingdom Living series, and begin a new 3-part mini series - Before the Morning: What To Do In The Night Season - When it gets quiet, is God still there?
I would like to take just a quick moment and give a huge shout-out and say thank you to everyone who tuned in to our last series. Your support was incredible!
If you haven’t had an opportunity to listen yet, I would encourage you to check out our 5-part series on Kingdom Living. I think you will enjoy it, or at least I hope so! Lol
You should be able to find it on any podcast platform, or you can find that series along with many, many others on our website: heartfeltconversations.com
In the Kingdom Living series, we talked about what it looks like to build our lives on truth… to be steady… anchored… unshaken.
And yet, if we’re being honest…
There are still moments… where everything we know to be true doesn’t match what we feel.
And we’re left wondering…“God… are You still there?”
And now we are going to be talking about how to handle the night seasons, the dark seasons, and the seemingly quiet stillness of God during those times.
Maybe you have never felt close to God, and you have just started wondering about Him and why He is quiet in your life. Why doesn’t he seem to ride in like a knight in shining armor to save you? Stay with us, and see if God doesn’t reveal Himself to you.
Because here’s the question I think many of us carry… but don’t always say out loud:
If I’m living in the Kingdom… Why do I still experience darkness?
Why does it still feel hard sometimes? I thought I would feel free from all of my burdens and stress. Why isn’t God helping me? Why is He silent in my darkest hour?
Let’s talk about that for a minute in our first point -
POINT 1: THE SHOCK OF SILENCE
There’s something unsettling about spiritual silence. When we don’t “feel” God’s presence. We don’t “feel” He cares.
It’s not that we have suddenly lost our faith, but it is slightly strained if we can be honest, because sometimes, we get used to going by our feelings.
A lot of us are led by our emotions and our feelings, and when we do, we end up on a roller coaster pattern in life. We’re up, we’re down, we’re doing the cork screw ride over and over.
I have been on that ride, and I am thrilled to have finally gotten off of it! lol
God made it very clear that when we become His children, we learn to walk by faith. That without faith it is impossible to please Him.
Hebrews 11:6 (AMP)But without faith it is impossible to [walk with God and] please Him, for whoever comes [near] to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek Him.
Faith in God is what sets us free, and yet it is the very thing we can’t seem to get a firm grip on.
Sometimes, when the dark storm clouds move in, rather than by faith knowing we are safe in the shadow of the Almighty, we freeze in panic, the storms overtake us, and we wonder why we got all wet.
We don’t mean to be “out of faith”; somehow, we just are. How? I think a lot of it comes from being uncertain. Uncertain if God will show up for you as He says. All the “what if’s” start swirling around in our fickle brains.
If we are uncertain, then we are in unbelief. If we are in unbelief, we have moved out of faith.
We have moved. Not that God has moved or changed or is hiding from us. We have moved.
No wonder we question God’s presence. Because we have removed ourselves from trusting His protective hand, now we have put the entire outcome on our shoulders. We go from peace to stress to anxiety about everything.
When we shift from faith to feelings, it can make us question everything.
POINT 2: YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE
Here’s what I want to gently remind each of us today: You are not the first person to walk through a quiet season with God.
Even in Scripture, we see this pattern.
David — a man after God’s own heart—
Wrote Psalm 10:1, where David cries out in raw, unfiltered emotions as he poured his heart out. He felt abandoned by God at a time when wickedness seemed inevitable, and the divine intervention he expected from the Lord seemed delayed. He felt God was not there for him when he needed Him the most.
Hear the anguish in David’s heart as he cries out to God:
Psalm 10:1: (NLT)O LORD, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide when I am in trouble?
That’s not someone who didn’t know God. David was someone who knew Him deeply and still experienced all the emotions and feelings, and went through seasons where it felt like God was distant from him.
David, after expressing the deep turmoil he was feeling, reminded himself and us that, later in Psalms 10, even though we feel God is absent, we are able to have confident hope that He will turn things around. He does hear us. He will respond to us.
Towards the end, David goes on to say in -
Psalm 10:17: LORD, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them.
And who remembers poor Job? Who walked through intense loss and suffering, and there were long stretches where God said nothing.
Have you ever felt that way?
Where God seems to say nothing about the condition of your life. Your brokenness, heartbreak, loss. All your fears and failures seem to be bigger than your God.
But know this.
You’re not failing. God is not looking for ways to harm you. He hasn’t left you hanging. He isn’t angry with you.
It may just be part of your journey, and you will need to learn to trust Him. Or, He may need to get your attention and show you that even though the journey may be steeper, rockier, harder, longer than you anticipated, He has not abandoned you, maybe like me, He is giving you hinds’ feet.
We get ourselves all worked up on the inside and get all flustered about what we think we see when we may be completely in the dark over the whole situation, because God has already gone before us and knows how to direct our steps to give us His outcome. His best for us. For our lives.
Before we get ourselves hyped up, let’s learn to take 10 seconds and ask God our Father to help us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, our Shepherd, who leads us along green pastures. When He is in the lead, we will find rest.
Maybe He is quiet, because He wants us to become still.
POINT 3: SILENCE IS NOT ABSENCE
We need to anchor ourselves in truth:
God’s silence… is not His absence.
Just because He is not speaking in the way you expect…Does not mean He is not present.
Just because you don’t feel Him…Does not mean He has left you. He promises to never leave us. Once we have given our hearts to Jesus and received Him as our Savior, our heavenly Father adopts us into His family. He will never, ever leave you. I know from experience.
God never goes against His Own word.
There is a verse that God used to challenge me with. I was having a very difficult time trusting God with everything. Like, not to control or manipulate or maneuver my way on ANYTHING but to simply trust God with all the yes’s and no’s of my life.The open doors and the closed ones. The basic human daily needs, wants, desires, and dreams, the whole of my life was placed into His hands. He asked me to let go and trust Him that He truly cared about me. I could trust Him. I needed to learn that I could trust in His answers more than having my way, and He gave me this.
Numbers 23:19 ( NLT)God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?
I needed to be uprooted from the world & rooted in Him.
Think about roots for a moment, as we talked about in Episode 5 of the Kingdom Living series. When a tree is growing, the deepest work is not happening above the surface.
It’s happening underground. Unseen. Quiet. Hidden. But that unseen work is what allows the tree to stand strong later.
And in the same way…There are seasons in our walk with God…Where He is strengthening something in us…That we cannot yet see. Not through noise. Life is noisy, loud, clanging for our attention. But scripture reminds us that God’s ways are not the same as what we are used to.
1 Kings 19:11 - 13 (NLT) “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the LORD told him. And as Elijah stood there, the LORD passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
And after the earthquake, there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire, there was the sound of a gentle whisper.
When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
God was demonstrating that He is not always found in loud, dramatic forces; sometimes we find Him through stillness. Not through constant reassurance…But through quiet trust.
Sometimes we may be receiving a loving, gentle lesson on listening for God's voice in quietness rather than expecting him only in dramatic events.
This is the road I find myself on now. Learning to trust Him without the reassurances. But with a still, quiet trust. In my human uncertainty, I make a choice to believe He has my best already worked out for the day, and especially when I don’t “feel” it, or “sense Him”.
I struggle with abandonment and bonding with people, trusting. So, guess what lesson I am learning? The one most difficult for me. Blindfold Trust. The “trust fall” with God.
Anyone else? lol
POINT 4: WHAT SILENCE PRODUCES
I am reluctantly and ever so slowly learning that silence does something important in us.
It reveals:
What we actually believe
Where we’ve been relying on feelings
God, our loving and good Father, is transforming and forming us. Formation is where God is shaping, forming, and developing the structure of our faith. We learn from studying lessons, listening to messages, podcasts, videos, and reading. We become familiar with our new life as a Christian, and like a newborn baby, we begin to grow. But there comes a time when we need to begin to grow up and become responsible for our development. We are no longer adolescents in Christ, but now we are maturing, and we go from Formation to Transformation. To Sanctification.
Transformation is a much bigger, inward, radical change in our character. Like a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, we go through a metamorphosis. We begin to see things through the eyes of God and not from our self-preservation perspective.
We are no longer our top priority. Following Jesus. Being obedient even when it isn’t easy. Trusting that the Holy Spirit is here to help us in our weaknesses. This transforms us into disciples of Jesus. Sometimes, the night seasons, the times that seem the darkest, are actually the cocoons that God uses to turn us into the beautiful butterfly we were always created to be!
So if you’re in a Quiet season right now. A Dark Season. A Night Season …
I want you to hold onto this:
Just because God is quiet… doesn’t mean He isn’t present.
And maybe today you don’t need a big breakthrough. Maybe you don’t need all the answers. Maybe what your heart really needs…Is reassurance.
He does not get angry with us when we cry “uncle”. When the night seems too long, the dark too dark, the quiet too quiet. Just the other day, I cried “uncle”! I had a disturbance going on internally, and I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I didn’t like it. And rather than taking it immediately to the Lord, I held onto it, and it began to fester a little. After a week, I finally said Lord, I do not know what this is, but give me insight, revelation, show me so I don’t miss the lesson. And He did. I knew shortly after that in my heart what had been bothering me. I shared my heart with Him and asked for His help, and the next morning, I woke up, and it felt like the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders.
I needed assurance that he was still there. For some reason, I had convinced myself he had become displeased with me, because I felt left in the dark. Alone. Abandoned. Things got quiet, and it felt like the night had moved in on me. I learned that He was stretching my faith to trust He had me even when I didn’t necessarily “feel” it. That He would never abandon me. I could count on it because He said it. I didn’t feel seen, but He never took His eye off of me.
I want you to know that you are still seen. God knows you intimately. Draw close to Him. Seek Him, even in the night. At the same time, it feels creepy and quiet. Trust Him to be there.
The truth is God doesn’t just meet us in the loud, powerful moments…
He meets us in the stillness, too. In the night, when we become afraid of the dark things
And if we will be still and learn to trust Him, we find that our faith begins to deepen in a way it never could before.
Father, for the one listening today…Who feels like things have gone quiet… dark. They feel like they live in the night, that daylight will never come. Would you meet them right there?
Not with pressure, not with fear, but with peace.
Remind them that you have not left. That you are still working even in ways they cannot see.
Teach us how to trust You. Not just when we feel You. But when we don’t.
In Jesus’ name… Amen.
Next week…
We’re going to talk about something really important:
What is God actually doing in the dark? During those Night Seasons
Because what if the season you’re in…
It’s not something to escape…
But something God is using to build you up? Strengthen you and equip you?
So, for any Charlotte’s Web fans out there! Haha - dating myself maybe, Chin UP! We have a really BIG dad! Abba, Father. Let’s learn to trust Him. And let’s learn how to follow Jesus, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life!
Until next week, you can check out the notes for today’s podcast and a link to Pastor April’s message from last Sunday, and man, it's GOOD. You need to listen. It will bless you! It’s Called: The New You.
And if you do not already have a church home, join us online for Sunday service at Valley Family Church! You can find that link, the notes, and Pastor April’s message.
On our website -heartfeltconversations.com
Say out loud!
The LORD protects and defends me; I trust in him. He gives me help and makes me glad; I praise him with joyful songs.
Psalms 28:7:(Good News Translation)
See ya next time on Heartfelt Conversations with Diana!
Pastor April’s message:
Easter's Epilogue: The New You | Pastor April Wedel
Valley Family Church YouTube Channel for Sunday Service:
Need a Church Home?
Join us at Valley Family Church, tell them Diana invited you! 🙂
Thirst Quenchers
Songs to Inspire You:
I Surrender - Hillsong Worship
Elevated Gospel | THROUGH IT ALL (Powerful Live Worship Experience)
Phil Wickham - Messiah / You're Beautiful (Pseudo Video)
Foundational Encouraging Verses:
Isaiah 42:16: God’s Word Translation
I will lead the blind on unfamiliar roads. I will lead them on unfamiliar paths. I will turn darkness into light in front of them. I will make rough places smooth. These are the things I will do for them, and I will never abandon them.
Isaiah 54:10: Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken, nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.”
Psalm 119:105: Your word is a light unto our path and a light unto our feet.
Isaiah 54:17: But in that coming day, no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the LORD; their vindication will come from me. I, the LORD, have spoken!
Isaiah 52:12: (EASY) But you will not have to hurry and run away. No, the Lord, Israel's God, will keep you safe. He will lead you at the front, and He will be your guard at the back.
Isaiah 46:10: “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times,what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’”
Matthew 7:11: So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
1 Peter 2:23 tells us - When He was insulted, He did not answer back with an insult; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but placed His hopes in God, the righteous Judge.
Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."
1 Peter 2:12 says, “Live such good lives among the pagans that… they may see your good deeds and glorify God.”
The New Living Translation reads it this way: Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.
Deuteronomy 30:19-20: "I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Now choose life."
Luke 6:37“Forgive, and you will be forgiven”.
Matthew 6:14: If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.
Romans 8:31 in the AMP Bible tells us: What then shall we say to all these things? If God is for us, who can be [successful] against us?
Psalm 65:11: You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.
Psalm 32:8: The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.
Proverbs 15:3: The Lord sees everything, whether good or bad.
1 Peter 5:7: Cast all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.
Additional Resources:
Steven Furtick: Triggered Taking Back Your Mind in the Age of Anxiety
Beth Jones: Getting a Grip on the Basics is a great resource to help you get the basics of how vital you are to God and how good He desires to be to you
https://www.thebasicsuniversity.com
Joyce Meyer: The Mind is a Battlefield - https://joycemeyer.org
Prayer of Salvation
Jesus has given salvation, healing, and countless benefits to all who call upon His name. These benefits can be yours if you receive Him into your heart by saying this prayer:
Heavenly Father, I come to You admitting that I am a sinner. Right now, I choose to turn away from sin, and I ask You to cleanse me of all unrighteousness. I believe that Jesus rose again from the dead so that I may be justified and made righteous through faith in Him. I call upon the name of Jesus Christ to be the Savior and Lord of my life. Jesus, I choose to follow You, and I ask that You fill me with the power of the Holy Spirit. I declare right now that I am a born-again child of God. I am free from sin and full of the righteousness of God. I am saved in Jesus’ name. Amen.
This prayer and the comment above were taken out of the book:
Secrets to Powerful Prayer - Discovering the Languages of the Heart
By Lynne Hammond and Patsy Cameneti
If you have just received Jesus as your Savior, please write Lynne Hammond Ministries at:
PO Box 29469
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55429-2946
Or, email one of the ministries listed on the Additional Resources Tab and let them know that you are a brand-new Christian and need some direction on the next steps for your new life in Christ.
Or email us here at Heartfelt Conversations with Diana, and we will forward your information to you.
Congratulations if you are a brand new Christian or if you have Returned Home! Welcome!!! Get in God’s Word and get it into you.