When You Don't Feel Close to God

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He rode alone for miles on muddy trails, preaching in tiny settlements and sleeping under cold skies. American missionary David Brainerd was young, sick, and he was often discouraged. His journal didn't hide it. Some days he wrote about feeling empty and praying and sensing nothing. It was almost like God had abandoned him. If you've ever stared at the ceiling and thought, Why can't I feel God? You're feeling what Brainerd felt. What do you do when your heart feels numb and God seems a million miles away?

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Welcome to Daily Devotions for Busy Lives. I'm Bart Leger. If you've been walking with God for any length of time, you've probably had seasons where he felt far away. The prayers feel flat and the worship songs don't move you. You read your Bible and think, Am I even connecting?

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But here's the truth. God's presence isn't based on how you feel. It's based on his promise.

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Do not be afraid or discouraged for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you. And Psalm 73, 28 reminds us, You want to know, You want to know something? God hasn't moved.

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But sometimes our emotions lie to us, and our emotions fog the view. Brainerd's story didn't end up with me. He kept praying and he journaled and he kept preaching through the silence that he felt. He brought his honest ache to God again the next morning and the next and the next. His journal began to.

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He wrote about the news of nearness, about strength that didn't come from him and peace that showed up in the same cold, lonely places that once felt empty. Nothing around him had changed. Oh, he didn't feel any better. The weather was just as harsh and life was just as hard.

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But God met him in the ordinary because God had never left him.

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Maybe you're in one of those seasons right now. You're praying, but it feels like your words are bouncing off the ceiling. You're showing up to church, but it feels like you're going through the motions. Well, friend, you are not alone. Some of the most faithful believers in history, David, Elijah, and even Jesus on the cross, felt that same ache. My God, why have you forsaken me? But feelings don't define faith. Faith keeps walking when the feelings fade.

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When you can't feel God, remember what you know. He's promised never to leave you.

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He's walking with you even when your emotions don't detect it.

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So what can you do? Well, just be honest. Keep praying and open God's word. Tell God how you feel. Just be honest with him and trust that he's working beneath the surface. Here's your challenge for today. Take five quiet minutes and tell God exactly how you feel. No filter.

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No pretending. Because God already knows what you're feeling and what you're thinking.

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Then, thank him for being present, even when you can't sense it. Write Deuteronomy 31, 8 somewhere. You'll see often this week. Let that promise anchor you through the silence.

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Father, thank you for being faithful, even when I can't feel you. When my emotions. When my emotions fade or get in the way, remind me that your presence doesn't fade. Give me strength to keep showing up and to pray honestly and to trust you when everything feels quiet. You are with me, Father, and that's enough. In Jesus' name, amen.

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Thanks for joining me today on Daily Devotions for Busy Lives.

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Remember, your feelings may change, but God's presence never does. Come back next time for more encouragement to help you live grounded in God's truth.

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Until then, God bless and have a great day.