No matter how often we turn to God in prayer and no matter how rich and fruitful our prayer and worship experiences have been, sometimes we just come up dry. Sometimes God seems nowhere to be found. Sometimes we don’t feel like being found. We’re in the desert with not a drop of spiritual refreshment in sight. Mother Teresa of Calcutta shocked the world when she wrote in her memoir that she experienced long periods — years even — of spiritual dryness. And so we wonder, if that happened to such a holy and charitable soul, what chance have we got?
But that’s not how God works. Spiritual dryness is not a sign of weakness, nor is it an indication that our faith is lacking. Rather, it’s part of the journey of faith, part of the give and take and push and pull of our relationship with God, and that relationship is not an easy thing. On good days, we feel God’s presence in our silent prayer or in our private or communal devotion or worship, and we are as sure of God as we are of our own relationships with loved ones and friends. But on other days we’re not so sure. We second-guess ourselves and our lives of faith. We’re parched, thirsty for life-giving water and anxious to find a reliable source. The good news is that God is not looking for perfection. God is looking for open hearts willing to receive him. God is looking for us, waiting for us to turn toward him — even a sideways glance — and accept his invitation to friendship and belief. And the only response we can muster is a quiet and sincere, “Here I am, Lord, I come to do your will.” And that is enough.
Ask yourself in silence: Is my prayer dry or fruitful right now? What kind of effort do I give to my spiritual life? Am I willing to respond to God and strengthen our relationship?
