A Prayer When God Feels Far Away - Your Daily Prayer - November 3
A Prayer When God Feels Far Away
By Sophia Bricker
Bible Reading:
“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” - Matthew 28:20, NIV
Read or Listen Below:
There are seasons when God feels as close as a friend. The days shimmer with excitement as we learn more about our Lord and lean into His love. Every prayer, moment in Scripture, and praise sung in worship is filled with an intense feeling of God’s presence.
Yet as grateful as we should be for those times in life, other seasons come–ones that are not as welcome. Those long spells in a spiritual desert where talking to the Lord feels as hard as picking up our weary feet and reading the Bible seems like a chore. In those moments, there is no cheerful sparkle that marks our days. Rather, we feel as if God is far away. The Friend who we felt by our side for so long now seems like a stranger.
In Scripture, we find examples of this feeling, such as when the psalmist described God as standing far off from him (Psalm 10:1). Job and Jeremiah also felt as if the Lord had left them in their suffering (Job 30:20; Lamentations 3:8). And the greatest example of feeling cut off from the presence of God was when Jesus bore the sins of humankind and the Father turned away from Him. He cried out the words of a psalm: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? “ (Psalm 22:1, NIV; see also Matthew 27:46). To feel as if God is far away is something that we all experience at some point in life.
As shown from these examples, we perceive God as distant for a reason. Often, we do so because of the pain we are enduring, such as the loss of a loved one, an illness, a tragedy, or a hardship. Anger and sorrow can well up inside of us, making us question why the Lord allowed the events to happen, which in turn, places distance between us and Him.
Or we could be struggling with a sin. Christ was and is sinless, but the Father turned away because the Son bore the sins of us all, enduring the punishment we deserved. We will never have to experience the pain of separation that our Savior did on the cross if we have trusted in Him for salvation. However, the presence of sin in our lives can make us push the Lord away from us. We do what Adam and Eve did in the garden by hiding ourselves from Him. But even then, God pursued them just as He does when we choose to do wrong. Jesus died on the cross while we were still sinners, demonstrating His great love (Romans 5:8). We do not have to question whether God cares when we think He has turned away.
We cannot divorce our faith from our feelings, for God created us with emotions. We can, however, recognize that our faith is much more than what we feel or see. Those seasons of spiritual dryness may leave us weary and wondering where the Lord is, but He remains as close as a friend; yes, closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). For our Lord promised that He would be with us always. That remains true whether we feel Him or not.
Let’s Pray:
There are days, O Lord, when loneliness overwhelms me. I try to talk to You and listen to Your Word, but everything feels empty, and I wonder if You are listening. My words echo what the psalmist, Job, and Jeremiah asked so long ago: Why do You feel distant in times of distress? Why do you turn away from me?
Yet, faith tells me that You never left and that You never will. The cross reminds me that You, Jesus, endured separation from the Father so that I could have eternal life, an everlasting relationship with You, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. Remind me again, loving God, that I am not alone. May I cling to the promise of Your presence in every circumstance, whether I am experiencing spiritual highs or lows. I will trust that You go before me and are beside me, despite my emotions.
In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
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