What To Do When Your Quiet Times With God Feel Dry
- Christine Smith
- Oct 6, 2023
- 5 min read
Updated: May 20, 2024
I don't know about you but throughout my 19 years of reading the Bible, I have definitely gone through some dry periods.
There have been weeks and even months where getting into the Word of God was just plain hard to do.
Sometimes it was due to illness or life difficulty, but most times I just felt no excitement or desire to read.
Because this is a common complaint that I've heard from countless women, I thought I'd share with you how I have revived my passion for getting back into reading my Bible when I had no desire.
1. Ask God For Help With Your Quiet Times
This may seem like a no brainer but we have to remember that as Christians, we are prone to wander.
We can get so distracted and so busy with all the day-to-day tasks, that we forget it is the Lord who gives us what we need in order for us to follow Him.
All we have to do is call out to him and ask for his help.
Phillippians 4:19 tells us that our God shall supply all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
All our needs includes help with spending time with him. The Lord wants to be with us and he is always there waiting
Some of the things I've asked for have been:
a desire or an increased desire to spend time with God
the revealing of any sin that is keeping me from desiring God
clarity in what the Lord wants me to change in my life
understanding of what the Lord is doing in my life
Whether the issue is sin, confusion, depression or just plain old laziness, ask God for help first.
2. Re-read Your Previous Journal Entries
After I've prayed for help in reviving my quiet times, I usually will go back and re-read my previous quiet time journals.
This has proven to be an amazing help for me during dry periods, especially when I am still waiting on my feelings to kick into gear.
Reading through old prayers and words that you left on paper can have a significant impact on you during dry times.
When you are re-reading your own words of where you have been in life, you are reminded of how far the Lord has brought you.
You are reminded of his past grace and faithfulness to bring you through hardships, this in turn begins to build your gratitude and patience as you wait for fresh desire to spring up.
3. Switch To A Different Bible Translation
Another thing that has helped me has been to start reading the Bible in a different translation.
As a little girl I only ever saw the King James Version and I found it extremely difficult to understand.
Mainly because I wasn't yet a believer, but also because the words were just not a part of my limited vocabulary.
Fast forward to when I first became saved, and I immediately fell in love with the NIV. It was so much easier for me to understand. The NIV was my primary translation until I joined my church in 2013 which uses the ESV.
Now, I know that there are many views on which translation is best and all that mucky muck, but I will be honest with you, the best Bible is the one that you will read and I firmly believe that the Lord is quite capable of protecting His Word just fine so unless you have a conviction from the Holy Spirit, go ahead and explore a new translation if you've become bored with your current one.
Yes I said bored. Sometimes we don't like to admit our humanness, but the truth is that we can wander because of boredom.
Reading the Bible is a task not to be taken lightly, our flesh and the enemy of our Lord is always working to keep us from it so finding ways to bring excitement back should not be ignored.
4. Pull Out A Devotional Book
I would never recommend that you place another book before the Bible, but I do recommend that while you wait for your dry times to end, that you start reading on topics that bring you back to the cross.
It is very important that the books you read always lead you back to your Bible, and that they be used as an encouragement and not a replacement.
Some of my favorite titles over the years include:
These titles and many others have been a breath of fresh air for me when I have been struggling to love the Lord and my time with Him as I should.
5. Read A Christian Biography
Lastly, I recommend that you go back and read the stories of other brothers and sisters in Christ whose lives you may not know as well as those in the Bible.
There have been many men and women who have faced much adversity and loss but that have gone on to showcase a deep faith and strong desire to see the will of the Lord done.
When we read about the trials they went through, it encourages us and strengthens us. It also makes us more grateful for the little that we deal with in a time of ease and technology.
I am often selfish and only able to see my difficulties as hardships, but when I read about martyrs and the hardships they faced or those that sacrificed their lives of ease to start organizations that became hated for spreading the gospel, my own heart is exposed and I am brought to a new place of awe for my savior.
Conclusion
Well friend, life as a Christian is not all roses and peach cobbler.
It's hard and not always as exciting as the stories in the Bible, but our time spent in the Word has the ability to change lives, including our own, so don't let dry quiet times with God keep you from being refreshed.
There will be hard days filled with worry, lack of desire and a host of other things to keep you from the most important thing, but just remember that Jesus is here to help, so call on him and keep seeking his face.
For His Glory & In His Name,
- Christine
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