5 WAYS TO PRAY WHEN YOU’RE FEELING SPIRITUALLY STUCK

Are you feeling spiritually stuck? Maybe you are burned out, feeling dry and empty. Distracted, seeking a God who seems distant. Maybe apathy has robbed you of your joy and peace. Or are you discouraged, wondering if your prayers are even being heard? These are common experiences along our faith journeys, but there are ways we can pray to reconnect with God.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE SPIRITUALLY STUCK?

Are you stuck in a rut, weary traveler? I confess that I am.

Like useless wheels spinning and going nowhere fast, I feel hopelessly stuck in the muck, mundane, and messy parts of life. Maybe you do, too. I think we can spend a lot of our lives feeling stuck.

• Vocationally…Stuck in a job that is unfulfilling or frustrating.
• Relationally…Stuck in relationships that are stagnant or unhealthy.
• Physically…Stuck in a body that is growing older and harder to maintain.
• Emotionally…Stuck in reliving past mistakes or fearing future failures.
• Mentally…Stuck in a negative feedback loop that does not offer any new solutions or perspectives.
• Spiritually… Stuck in a persistent disconnection with God, lack of spiritual growth, or emptiness.

Feeling stuck can be disorienting, irritating, or downright depressing. But let’s consider a different perspective: what if God places us in these “sticky” situations to show up in our lives? When we’re stuck, we can’t move, right? So, maybe it is His way of getting us to turn to Him for help, comfort, and guidance.

When we think about it biblically (as I always try to do), being stuck might just be a necessary part of our faith journey.

HOW TO KNOW IF YOU ARE SPIRITUALLY STUCK

Even though self-examination takes time, effort, and brutal honesty, it is the place we need to begin to determine the underlying cause of our parched and stuck souls.

First…a word of reassurance.

All Christians will experience spiritually dry and empty seasons. Even faithful followers can experience periods of feeling distant, distracted, and disinterested.

So, how do you know if you are in such a season? A season of being spiritually stuck?

From personal experience, I know that during my “stuck seasons,” it has been difficult to pray, read my Bible, or even have spiritual conversations. (And I have had to learn to give myself grace during those times!)

But, since prayer, silence & solitude, and Bible reading would usually be my tools to get “unstuck,” I have had to rely on other ways to start moving out of the muck.

For me, it has been a process of renewal, reflection, and recognition. As mentioned earlier, it begins with acknowledging the feeling of being stuck and identifying its sources, whether they be emotional, mental, or spiritual. Taking simple, actionable steps in these areas will help you assess where you are and where God wants to take you (from stuck to unstuck!).

RENEWAL

It is easy to overlook our basic needs when we feel stuck. I often revisit the story of Elijah, who fled into the wilderness so despairing that he wished for death (1 Kings 19:1-9). Instead of chastising Elijah for his lack of faith, God met him there by providing for his basic needs: food, water, and sleep.

Often, this is also where we need to start when we are spiritually stuck. It may seem counterintuitive to focus on our physical needs when we are facing spiritual issues, but God knows how we are made and how closely intertwined our bodies are with our minds and souls.

Here are some questions to ask yourself if you are feeling spiritually stuck today.

• How much sleep am I getting?
• Am I eating well? Drinking enough water?
• Am I getting fresh air and moving my body?
• Do I prioritize resting and renewing myself physically?

REFLECTION

Although it can be challenging to pray when you feel spiritually stuck, I have found that journaling always helps by releasing my fears, negative thoughts, and intense emotions. Naming what you are experiencing allows you to delve deeper and uncover the root causes.

David did this repeatedly in his Psalms of Lament. In these prayers and pleas, David pours out his heart to God, holding nothing back. Lamentation is like the sharp intake of breath when we feel a sudden pain, but this cry is directed toward God.

Take a few moments to write out your words of lament–be real and raw. God can take it! When you are ready, you may want to read some of the Psalms of lament to get you started. I suggest Psalm 13, Psalm 25, and Psalm 77.

RECOGNITION

Once you have taken some time to uncover the physical and mental/emotional aspects of feeling spiritually stuck, it is now time to get real and acknowledge how your own behavior may have led you into a spiritual wilderness.

Consider thinking about the following:

• Do conversations related to faith make you uncomfortable and uneasy?
• Do you find yourself distracted or bored during church services?
• Do you fill space with TV, Netflix, podcasts, phone calls, etc., to avoid spending time in prayer, solitude, and reflection?
• Do you make excuses not to read your Bible or listen to spiritual advice?
• Are you overly critical or cynical about people who claim they are close to God?

Do not be too hard on yourself if you answered yes to any of the above questions. Trust me, I have been there! These are not intended to shame or guilt you. Instead, they are to help you recognize where you are and determine how to move forward.

When we fall into spiritual ruts, the gaps between where we want to be and where we are (expectations vs. reality) seem to widen no matter how fast we try to spin our holy wheels. Paul discusses this ongoing struggle in Romans 7.

I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate…I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway…”

Romans 7: 15, 18-19 (NLT)

WHAT TO DO TO GET UNSTUCK SPIRITUALLY

So, what do we do?

Well, it actually involves a lot less doing and a lot more being.

Acknowledging our feelings is the first step to getting unstuck. Although uncomfortable and unsettling, we need to be okay with sitting in this messy, mucky, miserable middle.

Am I really suggesting that we stay stuck?

Not exactly. Or at least not in the way you might think.

But I believe it is okay to stay there as we seek God. Crying out to God when we are stuck allows us to focus on Him as our rescuer, deliverer, and restorer. And maybe that is exactly where He wants us to be.

5 PRAYERS FOR THE SPIRITUALLY STUCK

Do you find yourself spiritually stuck like I am as you begin this week?

• Stop spinning your wheels in the muck of perfection and performance.
• Stop digging deeper into ruts of doubt, discouragement, and dissatisfaction.
• Stop sinking further into the sinking hole of unrealistic expectations.

Honestly, acknowledge your feelings, cry out to God for help, and allow Him to rescue you.

When I turned to the Psalms for guidance and direction, I found five ways to simply and honestly pray from this stuck position.

I hope these 5 PRAYERS WHEN YOU ARE FEELING SPIRITUALLY S-T-U-C-K encourage you to keep putting one foot in front of the other as you walk the journey of faith and life.

WE CAN ALL FEEL SPIRITUALLY STUCK

The truth is we are all stuck spiritually at times. Want to join a community where you can meet others for hope and encouragement on your faith journey? I would love to have you as a fellow traveler here AT THE CROSSROADS.

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