Navigating Spiritual Dryness: What It Means and How to Move Through It

At some point in life, most of us experience what feels like a deep, unsettling silence in our spiritual journey. The prayers feel empty. The connection that once felt so alive now feels distant, or even nonexistent. The rituals, the practices, the things that used to bring peace—suddenly, they don’t resonate the same way.

This is spiritual dryness. And if you’re in it, you’re not alone.

I’ve been there. And I know how disorienting it can be.

For a long time, I thought spiritual dryness was something to fix—a problem to be solved, a sign that I wasn’t doing something right. But over time, I’ve come to see it differently. Instead of a detour or failure, I now recognize spiritual dryness as part of the natural rhythm of faith—a season of waiting, listening, and even unlearning. It’s uncomfortable, yes, but it’s also an invitation to something deeper.

So, if you’re feeling spiritually disconnected right now, here’s what I want to share: this isn’t the end of your journey. It’s a shift, a transformation, an opportunity to rediscover faith in a new and deeper way.

What Causes Spiritual Dryness?

Spiritual dryness doesn’t happen randomly. Often, it arises because of deeper shifts happening within us. Here are some common reasons why this season may be unfolding in your life:

1. Faith is Evolving, and That’s Unsettling

Faith isn’t static—it grows, stretches, and sometimes unravels. When we start questioning long-held beliefs or feel drawn toward a deeper, more expansive understanding of spirituality, it can feel like we’re losing something. In reality, we’re making space for something new.

2. Burnout—Spiritually and Emotionally

Sometimes, spiritual dryness comes from sheer exhaustion. If you’ve been doing faith more than living it—constantly serving, attending, giving, striving—your soul might just be asking for a pause.

3. A Major Life Shift Has Disrupted Your Connection

Grief, trauma, or major life changes often shake our sense of connection to the Divine. In times of deep suffering, we sometimes feel abandoned or unsure how to pray anymore.

4. Routine Has Become Stagnant

When our spiritual practices become just that—practices—we sometimes lose the deeper connection they once held. When faith feels like going through the motions rather than a living, breathing relationship, dryness follows.

How to Move Through Spiritual Dryness

Spiritual dryness isn’t something you can just snap out of. It’s a process. But instead of fighting it or forcing yourself to feel something you don’t, here are some ways to move through it with intention and grace.

1. Let Go of the Guilt

One of the most harmful things we do when we experience spiritual dryness is to assume we’re failing. We tell ourselves that if we were more faithful, more disciplined, more something, we wouldn’t feel this way.

But guilt only deepens the dryness.

You are not failing. Your faith is simply shifting. Instead of seeing this as a spiritual malfunction, see it as an invitation into something new.

2. Stop Forcing It

You don’t have to fake feeling spiritually connected just because you think you should. If prayer feels empty, don’t force words that aren’t there. If church feels performative, allow yourself space. If reading scripture feels like a chore, set it down for a while.

Sometimes, the best thing you can do is simply be. Faith is not a transaction—you do not have to earn divine presence. It is already here, whether you feel it or not.

3. Find God in Unexpected Places

When traditional practices feel dry, expand your idea of what “spiritual” looks like. You might feel closer to the Divine while hiking in the mountains than in a church pew. Maybe connection comes through poetry, music, or silence instead of structured prayer.

Faith doesn’t only exist in designated spiritual spaces. It’s in every breath, every sunset, every act of kindness. Sometimes, reconnecting with God means stepping outside the usual places and discovering the sacred in the ordinary.

4. Get Comfortable with Silence

Often, spiritual dryness comes with an eerie silence. It can feel like God isn’t speaking. But what if the silence is speaking?

Silence isn’t absence—it’s invitation. It’s space. Instead of fearing the quiet, lean into it. Sit in it. Breathe in it. Instead of demanding clarity, let the silence be what it is. In time, it might reveal more than words ever could.

5. Shift from Doing to Being

If your faith has been primarily action-based—doing the right things, checking the right boxes, performing the right rituals—this might be the season where faith invites you to just be.

Being is harder than doing. It requires trust. But what if faith, at its core, isn’t about effort? What if it’s about resting in something greater than yourself, knowing that even when you feel dry, you are still held?

6. Re-Examine What No Longer Fits

Sometimes, spiritual dryness is a sign that we’ve outgrown something. A belief. A framework. A practice.

And that’s okay.

If something no longer resonates, it’s worth asking: Am I holding onto this because it still gives life, or because I’m afraid of what will happen if I let it go?

Faith isn’t about clinging to old ideas just because they once made sense. It’s about allowing yourself to grow, evolve, and expand.

7. Know That This Won’t Last Forever

Seasons of dryness feel permanent. But they aren’t. Faith ebbs and flows, and you won’t always feel disconnected.

One day, a small moment will catch you off guard—a sunrise that moves you, a conversation that stirs something inside, a song that suddenly feels like prayer. And you’ll realize that the connection was never really gone. It was just changing, waiting for you to meet it again in a new way.

Faith is Bigger Than This Season

If you’re in a season of spiritual dryness, I want you to hear this: You are not broken. Your faith is not lost. You are not alone.

This season is not the end of your journey—it is part of it. You don’t have to force your way through it, and you don’t have to have all the answers.

Faith is not about feeling spiritual all the time. It’s about learning to trust, even when the well feels dry.

So, take a deep breath. Let go of the guilt. Be open to the silence. And trust that even now, when you feel nothing, you are still deeply, unshakably loved.