Spiritual Dryness
What it is and how we should deal with it.
Recently, I have experienced something that just about every Christian will experience at one point or another: spiritual dryness. It is not necessarily the same as other spiritual struggles, such as doubt or quietness, but we must be able to recognize and handle it.
Spiritual Fruit
As Christians, we’re expected to bear spiritual fruit. We bear fruit through our actions derived from our inward condition. Paul writes, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). We do not bear this fruit on our own, but through the Holy Spirit working within us, which is why Paul also said, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25).
Understanding the fruit of the Spirit is important in recognizing spiritual dryness. Many people view dryness as a sign of weak faith or as a general affliction in our walk with God, but I disagree. I will not say spiritual dryness is a “good” thing, but I believe God allows it for good reason. Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful” (John 15:1-2). Pruning is defined as the selective removal of specific parts of a plant, and in this context, spiritual pruning is metaphorical for spiritual growth in which God removes things from our lives to allow us to be more fruitful. This process is uncomfortable and often unpleasant, but it is ultimately good in allowing us to bear fruit.
I believe that spiritual dryness is a form of pruning. First, spiritual dryness can allow us to recognize struggles in our lives. God will use our dryness to point out things that we must change, whether it be repenting of sin or removing other hindrances from our lives. This is a prime example of pruning. Secondly, it reduces self-reliance. Our spiritual walk is not simply an effort on our part — we grow by relying on God and not ourselves. Another important thing for us to understand is that spiritual fruit cannot grow under constant watering — if God is always showering us, we can’t expect to mature in our faith. Dry seasons do not have to be seasons of grief — they can instead be seasons of growth.
We understand spiritual dryness, but how do we get through it?
Remain in Christ
Jesus said, “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me” (John 15:4). To bear spiritual fruit, we must remain in Christ. We are the branches, and He is the vine, and we know that a branch cannot survive disconnected from the trunk. Jesus is the source of spiritual life, and the only hope we have of bearing fruit is by remaining in Him always. Should we begin to neglect what Christ has given us, whether it be allowing our Bibles to collect dust, failing to make time for prayer, or remaining in sin, we will become like a broken branch. And “such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned” (John 15:6).
Our walk with Christ is constant — spiritual nourishment does not simply occur from attending church once a week, but through consistent effort to truly connect with God and remain in step with the Spirit. This means reading scripture, even if we “don’t have time” or it feels boring, praying always, even when it seems like He isn’t hearing us, and repenting every single day, even when our sin seems to overwhelm us. This dryness is temporary, but Christ lives eternally.
Conclusion
Spiritual dryness is uncomfortable, but God is good, and He will ultimately use this to grow us spiritually and allow us to bear fruit. We must always seek to remain in Christ and remember who He is: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)