I’ve definitely felt God being silent before… It is very painful

at those times what helped me were things He told the Saints or mystics that were meant not just for them, but for each soul. He spoke to them in order to speak to us

I would spend a while reading such things and then talk to Him. Later I saw that I wasn’t really opening up. We do need grace for this and we can seek this grace. Making acts of love and trust during those dark times, just in the will, without feelings, goes a long way. Sometimes its hard to do that and I recommend then going to Our Lady. This is just based on my experience because i sometimes go through times of not feeling God there at all.
“Give Me your heart, the heart which creatures do not know and which they slight, it is more than a universe to Me, because I love you” (Jesus’ words to Sr Mary of the Trinity, but His love is so great towards each soul!)
“Tell Me all my child, hide nothing from Me, because My loving heart, the heart of your best friend, is listening to you” (Jesus to St Faustina, according to my memory so I hope its right)
Jesus to Gabrielle Bossis from the book He and I. He told her that He speaks to some souls to reach the others

He says the same to each:
December 19, 1946
“Don’t be afraid to discover how little it takes to touch Me. I am the sensitive One and you can never know how your gestures make music in My heart. Be afraid of hurting Me. Always try to give Me joy and above all don’t imagine Me to be far off. You realize that I am in you, don’t you? And if you do, why don’t you think of Me more often? I was going to say, always. Then My longing for you, would be completely satisfied. I am the same for all people. They are all My children. I long for every one of them. So, in offering yourself offer the others to Me with My joy in mind.”
April 26, 1945 - ‘Lord, Your poor little girl, Your poor image is here before you, yearning for You with all the strength of her being.’
“Have you noticed how people talk among themselves, discussing all their personal affairs? They spend so much time this way and it does them so little good. Don’t you think that if they gave themselves to Me, their Friend, I should rejoice to have My place in their thoughts and I should know how to reward their confidence in abundance? Don’t you think that it would create a moment-to-moment intimacy between them and Me, and this would be a joy for them, because close to Me their lives would lose their tension.
You understand? It would be life together with Me- I carrying the heavy end of things. So again I say: speak with Me, My little ones. Speak with Me. And our hearts will Merge. Isn’t this the aim of My Christians? Isn’t that why you want to die? Then begin living this heart-oneness. Seize upon every opportunity. Find every pretext. You aren’t bold enough. For some of you it is because you are indifferent.
But My close friends, why, why don’t they call to Me from their heart’s depths? If only their belief were less like unbelief! If their hope were fixed upon My help … And if, in all simplicity, their love loved Me more. I should be there looking after everything in their day, and when night fell, their eyes would close again on My face.”
March 21, 1946 -Holy hour
“All night long I waited for you in My Eucharist -waited to give Myself to you in the morning. Why should this astonish you? You believe in My presence and a tabernacle, don’t you? You believe in My immense love? Then put the two together. And when you wake up during the night, look at the One who is already longing for the dawn to bring you to Him. This will quicken your love and give you confidence in My power. Let Me profit by the days of your life, they are not many. Prolong Me in them as much as you can don’t let a day go by without doing something for Me, for there is not a single day that I am not at work, you for your own happiness. Do you believe Me?”
‘Yes Lord’
"Then humble yourself for not having responded better to all the loving kindness of your Creator. You know how I love to forgive?
You know how your confidence attracts My compassion? Your trust can win anything from My heart. Count on Me. Call Me. Don’t you love your name? I love to hear Mine on your lips. Don’t deprive Me."
February 14, 1947 -in a moment of sadness
“Remember that I traveled all of your roads”.
“If you want to gain strength to make a sacrifice, don’t look at the sacrifice. Look at My joy.”
“Don’t you realize that I have been waiting a long, long time for you? No two souls are alike. None other can give Me what I expect from you.”