“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8)
This one is for the one who still shows up.
You’re praying.
You’re reading and studying the Bible.
You’re even leading.
But inside, you feel… nothing.
You close your eyes in worship,
raise your hands with everyone else…
but it feels like you’re reaching into thin air.
You look around the room
others seem lost in holy wonder,
but you feel stuck in holy silence.
And you wonder:
Is something wrong with me?
Am I numb or worse, am I dead inside?
Where did the fire go?
Why does God feel quiet?
Is He still here… or did I somehow drift too far?
You search your heart for sin.
You rehearse your routines.
You try to stir up what once came naturally.
But no matter how loud the room gets,
you feel like you’re listening through a wall.
You miss God, even though you’re still showing up.
Still kneeling. Still longing.
And maybe the most painful part of all is this: you don’t even know what changed.
This is the hidden battle of spiritual dryness.
The ache of a heart that still loves God, but can’t seem to feel Him.
It’s not rebellion.
It’s not backsliding.
It’s just… silence.
And the silence feels like rejection.
But here’s the truth; this silence is not His absence. It’s the mystery of intimacy that is growing deeper than emotion.
A Gentle Whisper in the Fog
I heard Him today, not in a booming voice, but in a whisper I almost missed:
“I have always been here.
You don’t walk with Me by feelings.
You walk by faith.
And faith is still valid even when it feels blind.”And then He asked me:
“What do you think most of the book of Psalms is about?” The Psalms are full of saints wrestling with the same tension.
David cried out: “Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1)
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?” (Psalm 22:1)Yet not long after, he whispers: “Yet You are holy…”
Another time he says, “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?” (Psalm 13:1)
But by the end, he still sings, “But I trust in Your unfailing love, my heart rejoices in Your salvation.” (Psalm 13:5)The psalms aren’t just songs; they’re soul diaries.
Raw. Honest. Wrestling.
Proof that even those closest to God can feel far at times.
But also proof that God isn’t offended by your honesty. He welcomes it.
Faith isn’t proven by fire alone. Sometimes it’s proven by fog. When you can’t trace His hand but choose to trust His heart anyway.
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)
“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” (John 20:29)
You are not abandoned.
You are not forgotten.
And this fog doesn’t mean you’ve failed.
You are loved.
You are held.
And you will feel again.
So stay.
Keep coming.
Keep whispering His name in the dark.
Because sometimes, the deepest encounters come in the seasons where He teaches us to trust that He is still God, even when He feels quiet.
Truth Anchors to Hold On To
- God is present, even in silence. His name is Emmanuel, God with us. Always. (Matthew 1:22-23)
- Spiritual dryness is not always disobedience. Sometimes, it’s invitation.
- You’re not less loved because you feel less connected. His love is not measured by your emotions.
- Faith is strongest when feelings are weakest. If you’re still seeking Him, you’re still growing.
- You don’t have to feel God to be near Him. You can simply draw close and remain by faith, even when your senses don’t agree.
