Everyone on the spiritual path has found that it happens occasionally in the early years—and not often then—that he suddenly finds himself almost or quite unable to pray. Often it seems that he cannot get any sense of contact with God. This naturally depresses him and sometimes leads to greater fear and almost to despair.
Now, these severe reactions are not necessary, once you know that everyone goes through them.
This trouble is caused by overdoing. You have been praying too long or too hard, or you have been giving too much time to spiritua l work exclusively, instead of having other interests in your life too. It is really a condition of staleness and psychological congestion. The medieval mystics called these times “seasons of dryness” and suffered severely because they believed them to be sinful.
The remedy is not to struggle, but to know that this dryness will surely pass, and your spiritual joy return. If you cannot pray, do not try, but think, “God is so good that I need not pray; he will take care of me anyway.” (Of course, this itself is a wonderful prayer.) On a long motor tour, it sometimes happens that you come upon a piece of rough, bad road. For hundreds of miles the going has been perfect, but now you are shaken and bumped badly, but you do not worry, because you know for certain that it will only last for a few miles. Indeed, there is probably a notice saying “Pavement ahead.”
…weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning (Psalms 30:5)
To every day there is a season. In our striving to be faithful and righteous, let us each day make time to express and enjoy the fruits of God’s love. Just as we must spend time each day preparing our soil and seeking God’s will, we must also spend time each day enjoying God’s bounty and demonstrating gladness. It is when we have achieved a balance in these things that are prayers are rich, our soil is well prepared and our Garden is blooming.
In gladness,
Z Gardener
Good Morning Garden 