A Prayer for Those Who Feel Like God Is Far Away - Your Daily Prayer - January 8
A Prayer for Those Who Feel Like God Is Far Away
By Keneesha Saunders Liddie
Bible Reading:
O Lord, do not stay far away! You are my strength; come quickly to my aid! - Psalm 22:19 (NLT)
Listen or Read Below:
Have you ever experienced a period of profound suffering? A time when you felt like God had abandoned you. This is the suffering and anxiety that King David displayed in Psalms 22. He had enemies on every side, those who were God’s chosen and those who were enemies of God. What a time David had running for his life and suffering as a nomad, but God was on his side.
The mind is one of the battlefields for believers. What we think can have either a crippling or inspiring mark on how we live and who we are. Here is the simple truth: when we feel like God is far away, it is only in our minds. God never leaves the believer’s side. Never. Once you are His, it is for time and eternity. What happens is, the believer leaves God’s side. We may have sin in our lives; or, we have stopped praying and reading God’s Word, so we can’t hear from him. If we truly examine it, God has remained constant; he is still in the same place, waiting with arms open wide. He has said that if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He has also said he would never leave us or forsake us and has promised to be with us until the end of the age.
Once we belong to him, no one can pluck us from his hand. We are to hold fast to God’s unchanging hand because God is the same yesterday, today, and forever; we are the ones who let go. You may be wondering, “Well, what do I do when I recognize that I’m the one who drifted, and that’s why I feel like God is far away?” Here’s how: draw close to God, and he will draw close to you. Communicate with your God. This is the time to pray. I believe we don’t realize how essential prayer is to our relationship with God. If you love someone, you would talk to them. You would plan to spend quality time in conversation with them. It should be the same with the lover of our souls.
God loves us more than we can fathom. Nothing was too good for him to withhold from us to show his love. His allowed his only begotten Son to die for us. Many times, as believers, we don’t feel like we have eternal life. But it's not about feelings; it is about faith. David hoped in his God. He said “You are my strength, come quickly to my aid,” and with faith, he believed and waited. Let us do what David did; let us believe with faith that God is not far away, and that he will come through for us in times of deep suffering because he has a proven track record. Let us also pray and recommit ourselves to God, so that we may know He is present no matter what we are feeling.
Let’s Pray:
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for your faithfulness towards me. You have never failed me yet, and you never will. I can boldly trust in you to always be there for me. You have said in your Word that I am yours, and I accept, embrace, and trust that your words are trustworthy. O Lord, do not stay far away! You are my strength, oh Lord, and I will rely on you for help always. I don’t feel your presence, dear Lord. I feel as though you are far away from me. I dismiss my feelings and trust with faith that you are near to me. I believe that you are with me, so forgive me for any sin in my life that is separating me from you. Restore my faith, dear Lord.
Help me to seek you by reading and studying the Bible. I know that I can only feel close to you when I hear from you, and you have already given me direct access to you through your Word. Help me to put you first in my life and live for you. Thank you for being my strength and for coming to my aid whenever I deal with deep suffering. You suffered for me, and as your child, I am not immune to suffering, so help me to remember your goodness and your faithfulness. Help me to praise you through the good times and bad times. Help me to realize that you are never far away, and when I feel like you are, to praise and have faith that you are not.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
Discuss today’s devotional with others in the Your Daily Prayer thread on the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo Credit: Unsplash/Bobby Stevenson
Keneesha Saunders-Liddie is a wife and mom. She is an avid reader of wholesome romance novels and a writer. She has a Master's in Biblical Counseling as she believes in the sufficiency of Scripture. As a pastor’s kid, she fell in love with the way Jesus loved her at an early age and wants to encourage others to live for Him through her words. You can find more musings from her at keneeshaliddie.com
Related Resource: How to Choose Your One Word for 2026
This month on the How to Study the Bible Podcast, we’re starting a new series called One Word 2026, and it’s meant to be a gentle but intentional way to reflect, respond, and reconnect with God as we begin the year. In this episode, I’m walking you through why I love taking the whole month of January to pause and listen — rather than rushing into resolutions or putting pressure on yourself to “get it all together” by January 1. We’re going to start with Philippians 1:3–11, where Paul reminds us that we can have real confidence because God is still working in us, and He’s not finished.
Then I’m going to share six words I’ve been praying over for our community — six spiritual intentions that I believe reflect the kind of growth God may be inviting us into this year. You don’t have to choose one right away, and you definitely don’t have to force it — but I hope that one of these words will resonate in your spirit and give you a steady anchor for 2026.
This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to subscribe to the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
