A well-known quote I read in my twenties went something like this, “If you’re feeling far from God, guess who moved?”
Those words struck home because I was in a season where I’d wandered from God. I wasn’t too different from the Ephesian church to whom the Lord said: “But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first” (Rev. 2:4).
Maybe you’re on a journey where you’ve moved away from God who was once your first Love. If you’re feeling spiritually empty, know that you’re not alone. The apostle Paul reminded his son in the faith, Timothy, to “guard the good deposit” entrusted to him (2 Tim. 1:14). This implies that the fire of faith can turn to embers, that passion can weaken to lukewarmness. While as believers, we’re secure in an eternal relationship with God, there are still times when we can experience spiritual lows.
Maybe you’re an exhausted new mom who falls asleep every time she tries to pray. Or, perhaps, you’re going through emotional upheaval where your heart feels too heavy to worship. It could be that anxiety keeps you spinning so fast that you find it impossible to be still and know that He is God (Ps. 46: 10). Or maybe, like me, the dopamine hits from all the pings and buzzes keep you connected to your devices but disconnected from God.
How do we reconnect with God? How do we rekindle the flame of faith? Here are some other Scriptural patterns we can incorporate to help us along in our faith journey.
Pray with radical honesty
Have you ever read the psalms and thought, Whoa. That’s a lot!? Often, the laments of the psalmists rattle our modern sensibilities. They seem almost irreverential in their unfettered displays of emotion. But God listened lovingly to psalmists’ cries and answered them. And He does the same for you too. We have the privilege of praying with radical honesty. You don’t need to douse your emotions in Clorox®. Be angry with God. Be exhausted before God. Take your question to God. The danger lies when we pivot to worldly sources for truth, comfort, and love instead of turning to God. When we stop looking to God and His Word for answers, over the course of time, we lose our connection with Him. The key is to take it—all of it—to God in prayer.
While we cry out, can we also hold on to the character of this God? While the psalmists lamented before God, they also remembered who He was and what He had done for them. May our honest prayers—which also cling to God’s character—fan the flames of faith once again.
Pick up the Word
We cannot expect to love God without knowing who He is. And we cannot know who He is without reading His Word. If you’re feeling distant from God, reignite your relationship with Him by reading Scripture. It doesn’t have to be huge chunks of the Word. It doesn’t have to be an intense Bible study. Start small. Quiet yourself and give God the opportunity to speak to you from even a verse or two. You may not experience the fierce fire of faith right away, but those embers will be stoked and your heart will warm up to the things of God. Over time, as the psalmist writes, we too will “rejoice at [His] word like one who finds great spoil” (Ps. 119:162, ESV).
Posture your heart in repentance
Here’s an uncomfortable truth: sin could be keeping us in the shadows, away from the light of God’s holy presence. The prophet Isaiah reminded us: “For this is what the high and exalted One says—he who lives forever, whose name is holy: ‘I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite’” (Isa. 57:15). Can we spend some time to posture our hearts in repentance? The enemy often uses shame to keep us in hiding. But there is freedom in repentance—and God promises to revive the heart of the contrite. We can’t expect to reconnect with God on our terms. It needs to be on His. He says, “Be holy, because I am holy” (1 Pet. 1:16). But He didn’t stop there—He gave us His Son to forgive our sins so we can be blameless in His sight. May we come back to Him in repentance and in awe, in quietness and in trust (Isa. 30:15).
Practice His Presence
Just as the psalmists created Selah moments, or interludes, in their songs, weave in pauses through your day. Use those moments to look away from your circumstances and look toward your Savior. We may not have the “right” words. But we can pause, acknowledge God’s presence, and breathe in His peace. Often, it’s busyness and distraction that keep us far from God. When we ponder anew God’s radical love for us, the hardness of our hearts starts to dissipate. David in Psalm 16:8 said, “I always let the Lord guide me.” There is intentionality in that statement. May we deliberately create those rhythms to turn our thoughts to God throughout our day. It may seem awkward at first, but slowly we will be able to say that in Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28).
If you’re feeling spiritually dry, could you see your situation as an invitation from God to return to Him? As Psalm 42:1 (NIV) says, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you,” go to Him and confess that you are parched. As you acknowledge your thirst and your dependence on Him, He will fill you with living water that won’t ever run dry.
ABOUT SUSAN NARJALA
Susan Narjala is a freelance writer from India. She and her husband are busy raising their two teenagers and are active in their local church. Susan holds an M.A. in journalism from Syracuse University (New York) and has contributed articles to platforms like Desiring God, The Gospel Coalition, and YouVersion. You can find her on Instagram or on her website.
