Spiritual dryness, also known as spiritual desolation, is a common experience among Christians where one feels distant or disconnected from God. It is often characterized by a lack of desire for prayer, loss of joy in worship, doubt, and difficulty feeling God’s presence. Overcoming spiritual dryness requires recognizing it for what it is, reflecting on possible causes, utilizing spiritual disciplines like prayer and Scripture reading, receiving care from others, and trusting in God’s presence and promises.
The term “spiritual dryness” comes from Catholic mysticism but is used more broadly today to describe the experience of God feeling distant. Spiritual writers through the centuries like St. John of the Cross called it a “dark night of the soul.” This desert-like season stands in contrast to “consolation,” times of closeness, joy, and spiritual vitality. While consolation is encouraging, dryness can be disorienting for Christians who expect uninterrupted intimacy with God.
Some common causes of spiritual dryness include grief, trauma, exhaustion, illness, sin, doubt, busyness, isolation, or changes in life circumstances. Evil powers can also instigate dryness by attacking our faith and discouraging prayer. But Scripture reassures us that God does not change: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). The distance is felt on our end, not His. When we persevere through dryness, we often grow in faith and receive amazing grace on the other side.
It’s important not to feel ashamed in times of dryness as if something is deeply wrong. Seasons of dryness are normal for Christians throughout history. Resisting the urge to give up on spiritual practices is critical, especially prayer, Scripture reading, fasting, worship, service, simplicity, solitude, fellowship and other Soul Care habits. While they may feel lifeless at first, persevering prepares us for the thaw.
Coming to Jesus honestly about our struggles is key: “God, I’m feeling distant from You. I need Your grace.” Reflecting on our lives and repenting of any sin can also help reopen closed access points to God. Seeking counsel from pastors, spiritual directors, or mature believers can provide wisdom and prevent isolation.
Clinging to God’s Word and promises sustains hope during dryness: “Come near to God, and he will come near to you” (James 4:8). “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). God remains near even when we can’t feel Him. As we learn to walk by faith and not by sight, we mature in trusting God Himself over spiritual experiences.
Seasons of dryness teach us perseverance and submission to God’s mysterious will at work in dark times. They lighten our hold on lesser things and reorient us to longing for God alone. We learn to love God for Himself rather than the spiritual highs He gives. With patient endurance and care for our souls, dry places can become wells of refreshment again in time.
Rather than catastrophizing dryness, we can rest in God’s unchanging character and promises. He remains constant even when our spiritual life fluctuates. And He rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6), not just in seasons of consolation but especially through patient waiting in the desert. As we walk through this valley, we can count on God being with us and for us, even when we don’t feel Him near.
Here are some key practices to help overcome spiritual dryness:
1. Be patient and persevere in spiritual disciplines
It’s tempting to give up healthy spiritual practices during dryness, but this is the time we most need them. Regular habits like Scripture reading, prayer, fasting, simplicity, solitude, worship, fellowship and service take on a critical role. God often uses these ordinary means to draw near, awaken our affections, and fill us afresh. Persevering through spiritual boredom and indifference is difficult but so important.
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).
2. Pray honestly and seek counsel
Coming to Jesus honestly about our struggles opens channels for receiving grace. Short, simple prayers like “Lord, help me” and “Come near” are lifelines in dryness. So is voicing lament. Counsel from pastors, spiritual friends or directors provides outside perspective and prevents isolation. Even if inner darkness remains, God still hears our prayers and sees our pain.
“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known” (Jeremiah 33:3).
3. Cling to Scripture and trust God’s promises
Combating doubt with truth sustains faith in dry seasons. Promises like “I am with you always” and “I will never leave you” anchor us when God seems distant. Reading testimonies of saints who persevered through darkness can help too. Even if we can’t sense God’s presence, He remains ever-present and faithful based on His Word.
“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17).
4. Examine your heart and repent of any sin
Sin can block our awareness of God’s presence. Experiencing “dryness” after struggling with anger, lust, bitterness or neglect of God’s Word may signal a call to repentance and renewed obedience. God promises to draw near when we draw near to him. Returning to First Love commitments recalibrates the soul.
“Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings…let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:22).
5. Press through the darkness and do the next right thing
When all else fails, taking one small step of obedience keeps us plodding faithfully in the right direction. Sick of stale prayer? Just pray for 5 minutes. Don’t feel like reading the Word? Read one Psalm. Feel numb during worship? Sing just one song. God honors small acts of faithfulness in dry times.
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much” (Luke 16:10).
6. Serve and bless others
Sometimes the best remedy for dryness is simply getting our eyes off ourselves. Even if God feels far away, we can draw near to others and meet Jesus in them (Matthew 25:31-46). Selflessly serving and blessing people in need energizes the soul and reconnects us to God’s kingdom purposes.
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?” (Isaiah 58:6).
7. Give thanks and worship
While offering thanks or praise may feel difficult in dry seasons, God often uses grateful worship to lift our gaze. Thanksgiving combats pessimism. Worship focuses us on God’s gifts rather than our fluctuating feelings. Even if early efforts feel empty, God meets persevering worship with grace and renewal.
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name” (Psalm 100:4).
8. Receive comfort through Christian community
The body of Christ can provide tremendous encouragement in seasons of dryness. Whether through a small group, mentorship, or counseling, sharing our struggles with trusted Christian friends who can pray, listen, and remind us of truth is invaluable. We were made for spiritual friendship.
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).
9. Rest more and simplify life rhythms
Pressured exhaustion from overwork and overcommitment depletes the soul. Added margin through Sabbath rest, slowing down, and eliminating clutter creates space for God to fill. God’s peace and presence often meet us in restful simplicity, not complexity.
“Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).
10. Seek counsel from pastors or mature believers
Sharing honestly with pastors, spiritual directors, or trusted mature believers can bring outside perspective, prevent isolation, and provide direction. Their wisdom and objectivity help us process obstacles to experiencing God’s presence and point us to next faith steps.
“Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14).
No matter how deep the darkness feels, God promises to be with us if we will walk by faith. He remains constant in love, infinitely trustworthy, forever good. His grace awaits all who hope in Him. Darkness prepares us to receive new light. Patient endurance yields a harvest of righteousness. By God’s grace, the desert becomes a fruitful field.
“Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.” (Habakkuk 3:18-19).