Overcoming Spiritual Dryness (Part 1)
John 15:1-8
“1 I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine dresser.
2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples” (NKJV).
Times of spiritual dryness are times when God appears so far away. The Psalmist, in describing God, once declared that God has encompassed himself with darkness so that we cannot see him. It is not a sin to experience spiritual dryness. It is when the warning signs are neglected that one gets into trouble spiritually. It is dangerous to live in a state of spiritual dryness for long so we might as well learn the process of overcoming it now. Here is a word of hope: the battle is over; the yoke is broken; I hear the sound of abundance of rain. Lack of spiritual productivity is an open invitation to spiritual dryness. When we stop preaching and telling others of the mercies of God, dryness sets in.
Spiritual dryness is a situation where a Christian comes to the point where he realizes he is not where he should be. And when things that used to come natural to him now come with a struggle, there’s need for concern. It is a dangerous place to be. In fact, one shouldn’t spend the night there at all. God is concerned that we remain fresh and productive always; even for the aged there is a word that ‘they shall still bear fruits in their old age’ , Ps.92:14.
SYMPTOMS OF SPIRITUAL DRYNESS
Spiritual dryness sets in when reading of the bible becomes mechanical; when while reading the bible truths do not jump in your face, as it were (as it used to be). When there is not any longing to read the bible. When five minutes is such a long time to spend reading the bible. When in your attempt to read the bible, you stay on a verse for a long time but cannot make any meaning or sense out of what you are reading before your mind begins to run wide.
There is evidence of spiritual dryness when you cannot glean the Rhema out of the Logos of God. The bible and its instructions need to be appropriated. Grace for this follows the Rhema, which is a specific illumination out of verse, a phrase, a clause, etc., which the Holy Spirit strongly impresses on your heart. The bible is paper. What is spirit is the word of God that opens up into your spirit. It is an experience that is unmistakable. There is spiritual dryness when there is no more inspiration, revelation, fresh message and new instructions to you from the word of God. When the bible stops talking to you.
There is spiritual dryness when in your praise and worship, there is no more fellowship. When worship times is nothing but singing times. When there is no divine caressing of your spirit by the Spirit of God. When that gentle movement of the Holy Spirit isn’t there anymore; that feeling of satisfaction that the spirit of God brings after a time of genuine worship. This experience is not limited to the physical building called the church. You can have it in your kitchen, bedroom, etc. You ought to have this experience all the time. And you do not need to worship for one hour before you feel that witness in your heart. When there’s no more intimacy with the Spirit of God.
Another characteristic is loss of joy, which is the secret of divine strength, and consequently the tenderness that should characterize every Christian.
Yet another symptom of spiritual dryness is irritability. You tend to snap too frequently. You cannot bear/suffer long anymore; you get stressed up very easily. Things you would readily overlook in the past become serious matters to you especially the shortcomings of others.
Internal confusion and dissatisfaction is another manifestation of spiritual dryness. You cannot explain it but on your inside there is unhappiness. You don’t know what is going on, you do not like it, yet it is the obvious reality of your spiritual experience.
When you notice a combination of these outlined signs increasing in your life, it portends danger. That is the time to take a break and go for the kill (of the dryness)
In our next post, we will look at the causes of spiritual dryness. Have a blessed time in Jesus name, Amen.
(To be continued)
