When the Well Feels Empty: What I Learned in My Spiritual Dry Spell
No one talks about this part of the journey... but it really broke me.
There was a season—not all that long ago—when I couldn’t feel God.
Not in worship. Not in nature.
Not in my quiet time—where I usually connect deeply with Him.
I showed up, read the Bible, said the prayers. But it all felt like... sand. Dry. Lifeless. Mechanical.
This wasn’t a crisis of belief. I knew God was real.
But His nearness? I couldn’t sense it. And honestly, it made me question everything about my relationship with Him. Sometimes, it still does.
Do I really even know God anymore?
The Ache of Absence
I didn’t walk away. But I was deeply weary.
I was still going through the motions—church, devotionals, meditations—but something was missing.
Some days, I wondered:
Is it me?
Did I disappoint God?
Is this just what faith feels like now?
It was lonely. Painfully quiet. I didn’t know how to explain it to people without sounding ungrateful or unfaithful. And that’s what made it harder—this dry spell felt like a secret I had to keep.
What I Discovered in the Dryness
Eventually, I stopped striving to fix it. I stopped trying to "feel" something during my quiet time. Instead, I began to show up with honesty, silence, and a small but stubborn hope. I just remained consistent, knowing that just like in the past—I’d feel something again. I’d feel my way through it.
And slowly—gently—I realized something:
God wasn’t gone.
He was inviting me to see Him differently.
In the dry places, I discovered that spiritual depth isn’t measured by emotion.
It’s rooted in presence. In faithfulness. In trusting that God is still God even when I don’t feel Him.
Dry Spells Don’t Mean Dead Faith
If you’re there—if the well feels dry and your soul feels distant from God—please hear this:
You’re not broken.
You’re not failing.
You’re not forgotten.
Spiritual dry spells are part of the journey.
They strip away performance. They burn off emotional dependency. They make room for something deeper than feeling: dwelling.
A Prayer for the Spiritually Dry
“Lord, I don’t feel You—but I trust You.
I don’t hear You—but I know You speak.
I don’t see You—but I believe You’re near.
Meet me in the dry place.
Water the parts of me I cannot reach on my own.”
Want to Go Deeper?
If this post resonated with you, I’d love to invite you into a space where you don’t have to pretend.
I write a weekly newsletter for women who are tired of forced faith and want to experience God in a more honest, grounded way. You can subscribe here.
And if you’re in a dry season, reply to the email or DM me on Instagram. I’d be honored to pray for you.