Former Blackout Artist

You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. – Psalm 63:1

Ever found yourself feeling stuck? Like you’re in a deep spiritual rut and no matter what you do – nothing changes? And it’s not that you’re walking away from your faith. But man… God just seems like He’s far away. Your prayers seem hurried and shallow. You open your Bible to read but it’s like you’re looking over last week’s grocery list. And you’ve been at this for months, but it’s really wearing you down. Your heart just ain’t in it.

And generally (at least for me anyway) you don’t want to be around anyone, especially those who know you well enough to notice that something might be going on with you. So, you begin making excuses to skip out on gatherings, be it with friends from church or social circles. You thirst for something more, but you’re like David – in a dry and parched land where there is no water (Psalm 63:1).

Spiritual droughts are real. And no one is immune, not even the super-faithful folks like modern-day pastors and Old Testament prophets. I think of Elijah in 1 Kings 19. He’d just had this epic showdown with the prophets of Baal, fire-from-heaven type stuff. And then next thing you know – he’s on the run. He’s in the desert, totally depressed and spiritually drained, asking God to end his life.

If Elijah can encounter a spiritual drought like that, well… it’s okay that you’re feeling this way too. Not every moment is going to be a mountaintop moment. Nor is every moment going to find you isolating in a cave somewhere begging the Lord to take you out of your misery.

So what do we do when we find ourselves in a spiritual desert?

• We take care of the basics, meaning us. When Elijah was at his lowest, God didn’t start with a big sermon. He sent an angel with bread, water, and a nap (1 Kings 19:5-8). Sometimes our spiritual dehydration comes as a result of being physically and/or emotionally spent. How are we doing with sleep? Jesus modeled this for us. He loved naps and getting His rest. He was teaching us something important: Rest is spiritual and good.

• We look for God in the quiet. Elijah was expecting God to show up in a big flashy way. But God wasn’t in the fierce wind. He wasn’t in the earthquake, nor was He in the fire. God waited for everything to get quiet, and then He whispered to Elijah: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” When we’re going through a spiritual drought, it’s tempting for us to look for a burning bush to connect us with God again. But sometimes He’s in the small stuff. Sometimes it’s an encouraging word from a brother or sister in Christ who’s been where we are. Maybe it’s a lyric of a song we’re listening to on our worship playlist. Or perhaps it’s just sitting on our deck early in the morning, cup of coffee in hand, and watching the Lord rouse the sun from its slumber to lighten our day.

• We keep praying. Even if you can’t find the “right” words and it’s just a sentence or two. But be honest. “God, I’m struggling right now. I feel like I’m just going through the motions and in the middle of a dry, parched desert. Will you come meet me where I am and help me?” If you expect God’s help, expect it to come through prayer. Be that widow who kept going back to the judge over and over again seeking justice, in that parable Jesus tells: “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?” (Luke 18:7).

• We confess our sin to God. If there is unconfessed sin, tell Him about it. We remove that hindrance to our relationship with Him through asking for His forgiveness. Sometimes we just assume that because God is quick to forgive us of our shortcomings, there’s no need to talk with Him about them. When we confess, we remove the barriers to intimacy with God.

• Replace isolation with insulation. There’s an old AA saying that comes to mind: “It’s hard to get picked off by the lion if you’re in the middle of the herd.” God gives us a community of people to help us. Proverbs 17:17 says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” Find that brother and nourish that relationship. We will need him, and he will need us too at some point. Iron sharpens iron!

• Set your mind on things above. The quickest way for me to start drifting away from the Lord is to stop thinking about Him and start thinking about me. And I have to confess that it’s very natural to think of myself and myself only… to think about my life, my problems, my comfort, my pain, my suffering. But here’s the deal: I’ve been around people like that. And so have you. They’re not much fun to be around. It’s almost like they’re convinced that this life is the only life they have to look forward to. Paul makes it clear to us: “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2).

So, if you’re in a spiritual drought, take heart. It’s real, but it’s not the end. Get your rest. Listen for God’s whisper. Keep praying like that widow in Jesus’ parable. Clear your conscience with God. Lean on your people. And take the focus off yourself and this world and get back to focusing on God and His kingdom.

Not everyone is willing to do these things. It’s a lot of work. But it works if you work it.

And you’re worth it, so work it!