The Spiritual Funk

 

Walking with God certainly has its highs.  Among our circle of friends, we have seen many prayers answered.  We have seen diseases healed, we have seen hearts softened, and we have seen relationships restored.  In my own life I have seen God change the way I look at things.  I have experienced hope.  Best of all, I have experienced times of great intimacy with God.

 

But, if one walks with God for any length of time, they are bound to encounter a period of time where they will not be soaring in the heights ‘on the wings of eagles.’  There will come into our lives times where God simply does not seem present.

 

Out of faith, or duty, we will sit down to pray.  We will pour out our hearts, but we will not feel that anyone is listening.  It might feel like we are the only one who showed up for our devotional time.  We might have remembered that God promises to be with us when there are two or more of us present.  So off to small group.  Out to the service project.  I am sure it was comforting to be around our brothers and sisters in Christ, but it just didn’t feel like God was there.  These times can really make us feel alone, or unsupported.  It may feel like talking to a brick wall.

 

Conversely, we may feel the presence of God, but we do not feel the activity of God.  We pray that prayer – one more time.  That same prayer you have desperately prayed for God to answer many, many times.  That sin we struggle with, seems only to gain a firmer grip.  We pray, but nothing seems to change.  We might begin to feel abandoned by God.

 

Losing any sense of the presence of God or the work of God in our lives will tempt us to think that God is no longer with us.  Or no longer on our side.  These feelings are indicative of being in that place some call the ‘spiritual funk.’  It is that place where God feels distant and we have little or no motivation to pursue him anymore.  In a sense, one feels a little spiritually lost.

 

This funk goes by many names.  Times of spiritual dryness.  Times when our walk with God is not close.  Many believers have been in this place.  You may have been to this place before.  You might be a regular there.

 

I am in this place — I am in a Spiritual Funk

 

I know in my head that God is present.  There is enough theology stuffed into my mind for me to know that God is always present and that he is always in control.  I have seen his hand actively guiding my life in the past.  In recent years however, his plan has consistently diverged from my plan.  In my work, in my ministry, and in my health.  Even in the choice of where to live.  God’s plan has not been my own.

 

My proud heart has taken great issue with this.  I pray for certain things, but nothing I desire comes about.  I make plans that I think are in line with God’s will, but they only implode.  Often after a great deal of effort has been invested in them.  I get frustrated.  I try to sit quietly before him, but I do not feel his presence.  It is tempting to feel like he is not on my side.  In my times of need I do not feel upheld or encouraged .  The God who once talked to me and showed me where to go, has fallen silent.

 

I am in the spiritual funk.  Disconnected from God and spiritually sapped.

 

Something needs to be done.

 

The Conviction

 

In this spiritual funk, I quickly realized something needed to be done.  But I did not know what to do.

In my mind I know that God still loves me and that I am still his child.  But I was not experiencing the joy and intimacy of a parent-child relationship.  Nor the peace.

 

As we get started, let me get it out there that I am a book geek.  I love to read.  My default when I face I problem that cannot be easily solved is to crack open a book.  This situation was no different.  I turned to my library and opened a book.  Then another.  Then I bought a few books.  Sifting through a whole pile of books, nothing seemed to be scratching the itch.

 

Then I opened a book of sermons by Jonathan Edwards.  Edwards was an American pastor who preached in the mid 1700’s.  Known for his powerful preaching that pulled no punches, I looked to the past for help.  In this book I found a sermon titled “Hypocrites Deficient in the Duty of Prayer.”  In this sermon he says,

 

“The spirit of a true convert is a spirit of faith and reliance on the power, wisdom, and mercy of God, and such a spirit is naturally expressed in prayer.  True prayer is nothing else but faith expressed.  Hence we read of the prayer of faith; James 5:15.  True Christian prayer is the faith and reliance of the soul breathed forth in words.”

 

Edwards is telling us that every authentic believer has a spirit of faith and a spirit of reliance.  With the spirit of faith, the believer hears that God is powerful, wise and merciful – and knows that it is true.  With the spirit of reliance, they act as if these traits are true about God.  They move forward in uncertain times because they know God is powerful.  They seek – and treasure – God’s guidance because he is wise.  In fact, they get to the point where they cannot imagine making any major decision without seeking God’s direction.  And when they stray, the true believer runs to God, knowing there will be mercy.  They know their relationship with God depends on it.

 

And how is this belief and dependence expressed?  By prayer.  “True prayer is nothing else but faith expressed.”  Chew on that for a second.  If I do not believe God is powerful, will I ask him to work in my life and in the world around me?  No, I won’t.  If I believe God is not wise, will go to him for guidance and advice?  Of course not.  If God is simply vindictive, and without a shred of mercy, will I ever have reason to bring my sin before him?  Absolutely not.  If I do not believe the Helper is able or willing to help – I will never ask for it.

 

On the other hand, if I believe God can and will help me, that belief will be demonstrated by my going to him and seeking help.  How do we go to God and seek help?  WE PRAY.

 

Enter stage left:  CONVICTION

 

The Solution

 

Jonathan Edwards opened my eyes.  I was struggling to connect to God because I was struggling to pray.  I was struggling to pray because I was struggling in my faith.  Looking at my circumstances . . . I wasn’t so sure that God was powerful.  Feeling a lot of pain and frustration in my life . . . I was not so sure mercy was available to me.  Expecting no help or no comfort, it is no wonder I did not pray.  Or struggled when I tried.

 

The cry of the disciples becomes my cry, “Increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5)  But how on earth do we do that?  If there is such a strong connection between faith and prayer, it seems the way to fix the prayer life, to increase one’s faith, and to get out of the spiritual funk – is to pray.  I need to exercise my weak faith muscles with the exercise that trains them best:  regular prayer.

 

The Challenge

 

Processing all of this, a book I read in high school came to mind.  Remember, I’m a book geek.  Back in my high school days I played a lot of sports.  So, whenever a famous Christian athlete came out with a biography I quickly received it as a gift from some well-meaning friend or family member.

 

One of those was a biography by A.C. Green.  A popular NBA player, he wrote a book called Victory:  The Principles of Championship Living.  It was a good story about his decision to become a Christian and his subsequent growth in faith.  The particular part of his story that came to my mind involved a challenge his spiritual mentor gave him.  His mentor challenged him to start praying.  A.C. replied that he did not know how to pray.  In response, his mentor told him to simply set aside 30 minutes every day and pray.  Learn to pray by doing it.

 

Enter stage right:  CHALLENGE.

This is what I need to do.  I need to grow in faith.  My connection to God must be restored.  I need to get out of the funk.  And I believe the way out is to pray.

 

So, I have decided that I am going to pray.  I am going to try an experiment.  I am going to take on the same challenge A.C. Green took on.  Except I am going to do it for one year.  I am going to set aside 30 minutes every day for one year and pray – and I am going to see what happens.

 

To keep myself accountable and hopefully to help others, I invite you to take this journey with me.