Six things to remember when God seems distant

Last updated on: May 18, 2010 at 1:03 pm by Billy Kangas

Six things to remember when God seems distant 2010-05-18T13:03:00-04:00 Billy Kangas

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1) Prayer is an encounter, but also a relationship – Often times we set aside 15 minuets in the morning, or perhaps even an hour, and get upset when God doesn’t “show up.” We imagine that our relationship with God should conform to our own schedules, but that is not a healthy attitude to have in any relationship. God is with us at all times. Remember a healthy relationship with God is one that is mutual. We may be knocking on God’s door for 15 minuets in the morning, but God is approaching you throughout the day with opportunities of grace. Don’t complain when God seems absent, we are often the more absent party in the relationship. If we could make God show up with a formula that would be magic. If we could find God in our expected place God would be simply an Idol. Our relationship with God is a relationship.

2) Often our prayers are about what we want rather then what God wants. What we perceive as changing depth in prayer demonstrates that our own passions are changing. Think about how sweet prayer can be for someone you love, or how fervent a prayer can be for something you are desperate for. If prayers grow cold it does not mean God has grown cold, but it can mean we have grown cold. A prayer life about achieving our own desires, and not knowing God himself, it will begin to fall apart.

3) The point of prayer is to have communion with God. Sometimes I know that I can get caught in the cycles of religion. I pray certain prayers every day. I do certain things at certain time. My prayers can become something of a task to get done rather then an opportunity to grow closer to God. One thing I try to do is make sure I regularly take time to sit and talk over how things are going in prayer with God. This many not work for you, but it helps me work through what’s working and what’s not. Religion can easily overshadow God in our lives. Make a point to get centered on what it’s all about.

4) Seeming absence from God is often given to us as a gift. Approaching God is no small matter. There are many in the Bible who found God’s presence to be a thing of terror, or judgment. As Christians we have assurance in Christ of God’s love for us, and also of his grace. However that does not mean we should make light of the unapproachable light of God. St. John of the cross said, “The soul that is attached to anything however much good there may be in it, will not arrive at the liberty of divine union. For whether it be a strong wire rope or a slender and delicate thread that holds the bird, it matters not, if it really holds it fast; for, until the cord be broken the bird cannot fly.” God sometimes doesn’t not allow us to perceive him so that he might work a greater miracle in us. Absence can help make us holy, and prepare us for greater communion with God.

5) God wants to meet with Authentic people. God does not want to meet with a religious show. Knowing the right stuff, and saying the right words does not impress God. I know that sometimes when I pray I don’t feel like I was close to him because I didn’t let myself enter into prayer. I put on a happy face for prayer and said everything in the right order, but I wasn’t real. Do you remember the story of the publican from Luke 18? “Lord have mercy on me a sinner.” If we put a wall of pride up, or use religion as a barrier between us and God we will have trouble experiencing God in prayer.

6) Prayer begins with humility. We need God, but have no inherent right to have a relationship with him. The scriptures tell us God’s power is made perfect in weakness, but that he brings the proud low. Are you allowing God to rule in your prayers? In his book Beginning to Pray, Anthony Bloom writes that we should be like a child learning to write. If a child is stiff and instant on trying to do it by his or herself their letters will be sloppy, however if they allow a teacher to hold their hand and form the letters with them, they will begin to learn how to write well formed letters. If we allow God to take our hand and take control of our lives we will begin to have lives that look more like God.

For Further reading on this I highly recommend Beginning to Pray as well as the Dark Night of The Soul

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