Are you feeling spiritually stuck? Maybe you are burned out, feeling dry and empty. Distracted, seeking a God who seems distant. Apathetic, hoping to reclaim joy and faith. These are common experiences along our faith journeys.
ARE YOU STUCK IN A SPIRITUAL RUT?
Are you stuck in a rut, weary traveler? I confess that I am.
The BOLD FAITH that energized and invigorated me just two short months ago seems stuck in the ruts of indecision, irrelevancy, and inactivity.
Like useless wheels spinning and going nowhere fast, I feel hopelessly stuck in the muck, the mundane, and the messy parts of life.
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 go through spiritually dry and empty seasons. Even faithful followers can go through periods of feeling distant, distracted, and disinterested.
So, how do you know if you are in such a season?
QUESTIONS TO ASK TO KNOW IF YOU ARE SPIRITUALLY STUCK
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, radio, 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. Their intent is not to shame or guilt you. Instead, they are to help assess 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)
Does this make as much (frustrating, maddening) sense to anyone else as it does to me?
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 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 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. Sign up by filling out the form below and you will receive weekly blog posts, monthly newsletters, free resources, and more!
If this post spoke to you in any way, would you mind leaving a comment, sharing it on social media, or even just letting a friend know? It would be so encouraging to know that I am not the only one who gets spiritually stuck!
MORE FREE FAITH PRINTABLES
I hope the above prayer helps you get spiritually unstuck! And if you are looking for more resources to help you on your faith journey, check out my FREE FAITH PRINTABLES page. You will find more downloads to help you with prayer, soul care, and spiritual breakthroughs.
Sarah D Rollandini says
This is so encouraging to know that all believers go through periods where we feel stuck. It is part of a lifetime of walking out our faith and we won’t stay there forever. Thank you, Carla!
CarlaGasser says
Absolutely! Yes, we are all “stuck people” on some level, but thank God we don’t have to stay there!
Lisa says
Your post is so relevant. Some day our faith will be made sight and we will forever be from the stickiness of life :). Until then, thanks for all the reminders.
Lisa says
oops- free from the stickiness
CarlaGasser says
I understood! 😉
CarlaGasser says
Thank you, Lisa! Yes, what a glorious day that will be!
Kiara says
Thank you for this reminder. I feel shame when I’m stuck, but Gods grace is ever present.
CarlaGasser says
Amen, Kiara! His grace is always sufficient…even in the places where we are weak and feel stuck! Praying for you!