Do you feel like God has hidden His face from you when you are praying? Do you feel distracted and off balance spiritually?
I have found it helps me to remember that God has said in His word, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). Of course, this promise is for the one who has named Him as savior.
Andrew Murray has described the distractions in prayer as a “feeling of flies buzzing around your head.” We know that flies in Scripture are sometimes symbolic of Satan. We also know that we have authority over Satan and we do not have to put up with his torment.
When I am in this situation it helps me to remain calm and check to see if there is an unconfessed sin that is clouding my spiritual vision. Then I remind myself that Scripture assures us that God will not leave me.
Following this I speak aloud and tell Satan he has no authority in this situation and to be gone in the name of Jesus. Then I do not stress if I don’t have a “spiritual” feeling. Just as I know that human love is not felt in the same intensity all the time so God’s love is not felt in the same intensity all the time. His love does not change but our capacity to receive it is not always 100%. I hold onto the fact that tomorrow His love may break through to me in a blaze of glory. Often I cannot detect that is anything I have done or not done. I think He is training me to walk by faith and not by feelings.
I am finding these periods of barrenness occur less and less as I am going to Him immediately upon awakening for a short time of prayer and devotion followed later in the day by a more extended time with Him. He loves for us to focus our heart on Him first thing every day even if our time is limited.
© Peggy Park
