October 2022: When you find yourself in a Spiritually Dry Season

 

Psalm 145:18 The LORD [is] near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.   When you find yourself in a Spiritually Dry season There are times in every believer’s journey when we will come to the desert or the wilderness.  We no longer “feel” the fire we once felt as we worship, pray, and study the Bible. We no longer “feel” God’s presence like we once did and our enthusiasm for spiritual matters is low. On Sundays I attend church services.The worship and the preaching are nice. I showed up and I was there but I don’t leave fired up and I don’t “feel” God’s presence like I once did. I don’t feel my spirit burning within me as I once did at times during services. It’s not the worship team’s fault It’s not the preacher’s fault  It’s my problem because it’s not just about Sundays. I do my daily Bible reading and I even do scripture studies. Sometimes it’s a chore to get started, and I wonder if I am wasting time.  Once I get going, I always learn something new, and I am glad I did it, but I don’t have that same enthusiasm I once did. I get discouraged when I see faithful believers whose prayers remain unanswered as they continue to serve God when those who chose to go their own way receive everything they had been hoping for.  I wonder if this is all worth it. I have realized that I am in a dry spiritual season where there is much barrenness. There are unanswered prayers, routines, and a general malaise because I don’t “feel” God as closely as I once did.  “I don’t want to be deceived” My prayer over the past few weeks has been, “Lord, don’t let me be deceived.” I don’t want to think that I am doing what God has asked me to do but I'm really not.   I also don’t want to start making moves because I am in a dry place, and looking for an easy way out.   I can’t serve my way out of this season.  I can’t “emotionalism” my way out of this season.  I can’t  go to the next event  hoping to get out of this season. I can’t start trying to answer my own prayers because I am tired of not having the answer I think I should have. What I can do is draw near to God during this period.   Draw Near If you find yourself in a spiritually dry place, then I would encourage you to draw near to the Lord and block out distractions.  One part of spiritual formation that I think the modern church is severely lacking is learning to spend time in stillness, solitude, and quiet.   We train people to do the exact opposite. When people are struggling or in desert seasons we think this means they need more activities and events to keep them busy. In dry seasons there are times we need to sit in silence and meditate on God’s word. We don’t always need activity and busyness to keep us distracted from the fact that our spirits are thirsty for intimacy with God. During this season, I have found myself saying NO to many activities because I don’t want to be distracted from this dry place.I want to acknowledge this season for all that it is. I believe that we learn more about our relationship with God and begin to build a mature faith in these dry wilderness seasons.     Scriptures for Encouragement and Prayer I have found these scriptures to be particularly helpful during these times and encourage you to study or use them as a prayer point. [Psalm 42:1 NLT] 1 For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah. As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.  [Psalm 46:10 NKJV] 10 Be still, and know that I [am] God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! [Psalm 119:71 NIV] 71 It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. [Psalm 116:1 NIV] 1 I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Psalm 145:18 NKJV] 18 The LORD [is] near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. [Ezekiel 37:1-4 NLT] 1 The LORD took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the LORD to a valley filled with bones. 2 He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. 3 Then he asked me, "Son of man, can these bones become living people again?" "O Sovereign LORD," I replied, "you alone know the answer to that." 4 Then he said to me, "Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, 'Dry bones, listen to the word of the LORD! [James 4:8 NIV] 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. [Hebrews 11:6 NKJV] 6 But without faith [it is] impossible to please [Him], for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and [that] He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. To God be the Glory, Geneva