When You Have No Desire For Quiet Time

It’s eleven o’clock in the night and it has just dawned on “Ashley” that she hasn’t spent any quality quiet time with God … again! 

Has she lost her desire to have quiet time with God?

(By “quiet time”, I’m referring to spending one-on-one quality time with God where you focus on cultivating your relationship with God by singing songs to God; reading the Bible; listening to God; and the like.)

As she returns from the bathroom, she remembers the episode of the Netflix series that she has been excited to watch for the entire day.  All the tiredness has left her as she takes out her tablet to watch another episode. It was so attention-grabbing that she watched three additional episodes.  She went to bed at 2:36am.  

She thinks, “Another day has come and gone without quiet time with God. Sigh. Surely, God will understand.  Besides, I did mutter a little prayer for protection before I drove to work this morning.” 

“Maybe tomorrow I’ll do it, because I’m too tired tonight.”

Lately, “Ashley” has no desire to have her personal devotions with God.  Everything else seems more important and more exciting.  She knows that she should spend quiet time with God, but she simply doesn’t feel like doing it.  (Perhaps if she had more creative ideas to spend time with God, she might enjoy it more.)

I’ve been there countless times too!  For the most part, the problem was not having enough time.  If I were to be honest with myself, I would admit that I just didn’t have the desire to spend quiet time with God.  It was my heart condition.  I was often motivated by legalism, fear, guilt and perfectionism rather than my love for God.

All hope is not lost!  If I can now consistently spend quiet time with God and enjoy it, anybody can overcome these dry seasons! 

Here are 3 tips when you have no desire for quiet time with God:

1) Be honest with God.

If it’s one person with whom you can be totally honest … that person will be God.  He is already well acquainted with your feelings and thoughts.  As such, you can simply confess that you’ve lost your desire to spend quiet time with Him.  Tell him how you feel and ask him to change your heart.  You need Him to restore your desire for Him.

“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.” 1 John 5:14-15

2) Reach out to others for prayer.

You are not alone.  God has given you a support system of like-minded brothers and sisters in Christ.  Why not reach out today and tell a trusted friend that you’re struggling and need prayer?  

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” James 5:16

3) Search your life for any unconfessed sin.

Could your loss of desire be related to unconfessed sin in your life?  Sin has a way of clouding our views.  More importantly, unconfessed sin can hurt our fellowship with God.  

“but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.” Isaiah 59:2 

My sister, God loves you unconditionally and is so faithful to you, that He doesn’t want any form of wrongdoing to disrupt your flow with Him.  Today, confess your sins to God and turn away from whatever is holding you in bondage and run into His gracious arms.  Forgive yourself and allow God’s Spirit to restore you.

Suppose it’s this reason … 

Your lack of desire might be that you’re not investing in your relationship with God.  Like in any relationship, it can grow cold if it’s not being nurtured. 

Also, you might be stuck in a rot because your routine is too boring for you.  One of my favorite sayings that is widely applied in my life is “variety is the spice of life.”  Even your time with God should reflect how God has uniquely made you. Therefore, you may need to make some changes from time to time.

Religion or relationship?

Finally, your lack of desire may mean that you have not entered into a dynamic intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.  Being a true follower of Jesus has nothing to do with growing up in a Christian church. 

Religion can be a drag, but a relationship with Jesus is exciting!  God loves you so much that He wants you to know Him personally.  You can have a vibrant relationship with Jesus by giving your heart to Him.  To learn more about this, check out ‘How to Know God Personally’. 

Summary

It is totally common to lose your desire to spend time with God from time to time.  However, it is more important to decide what you will do about it.  Just feeling guilty about it is not helpful at all.  Guilt just weighs us down and nothing fruitful is borne.

If you have ever lost your desire to spend time with God, how did you handle it?  What advice would you give to come out of that rut?  Comment below and share with the entire Petals Bloom Community.  

To recap,

• Be honest with God.
• Reach out to others for prayer.
• Search your life for any unconfessed sin.

Thanks for stopping by!

#madeforlove

With love & laughter,

Kimberly Garth 

Other Helpful Resources:

10 Easy Tips to Start Journaling today 

Doing This Changed My Life (How to Memorise An Entire Book of the Bible)

How to Spend Time with God Every Day AND Enjoy It!

Recommended Books:

How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Gordon D. Fee

Brokenness, Surrender, Holiness: A Revive Our Hearts Trilogyby Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth

Blessed Child: The Caleb Books Series by Ted Dekker & Bill Bright

Recommended Reading Device (LOVE IT!):