What To Do When You Feel Spiritually Stuck In Your Daily Devotions

We’ve all been there. You sit down with your bible ready to spend time with God and yet nothing seems to click. Your mind wanders, your heart feels dry, and the words on the page barely register. Spiritual dryness can feel frustrating, discouraging, or even guilt-inducing. But here’s the truth feeling spiritually stuck is a normal part of your faith journey. Even the most devoted believers go through seasons where God feels distant or your devotional routine seems mechanical.

The key is not to panic or give up. These seasons are opportunities for growth, self-reflection, and deeper intimacy with God. In this guide we’ll explore practical ways to reignite your devotional life, restore spiritual vitality and move from stagnation to meaningful connection with God.

1. Recognize That Feeling Stuck Is Normal

First, remember that spiritual dryness doesn’t mean you’re failing. Many faithful Christians experience it at some point, including biblical figures like David, Elijah, and even Paul. Feeling stuck is often a sign that God is inviting you to slow down, reassess, and seek Him differently.

Instead of condemning yourself, acknowledge your current state. Pray honestly about your struggle: “Lord, I feel distant from You today. Help me seek You even when I don’t feel You.” Honesty in prayer opens the door to renewed connection and invites God’s presence into your devotional time.

2. Break the Routine, Try Something New

Sometimes, spiritual stagnation is simply a result of a repetitive devotional pattern. When the same habits become mechanical, your heart may no longer engage fully.

Try changing your approach:

• Read a different translation: A fresh perspective can make familiar passages come alive.

• Use a devotional guide or Bible study plan: Structured guidance can spark insight and reflection.

• Try a new location: Moving outside or finding a quiet corner in a different room can refresh your focus.

• Experiment with journaling: Writing reflections, prayers, or questions allows your heart to process Scripture actively.

Breaking the routine can reignite curiosity and encourage deeper engagement with God’s Word.

3. Focus on Prayer Before Reading

When you feel spiritually stuck, starting with Scripture can feel overwhelming. Begin instead with prayer. Ask God to guide your thoughts, open your heart, and reveal Himself through His Word.

Praying before reading shifts your mindset from duty to desire. It invites the Holy Spirit to work in your understanding and transforms your devotional time into a genuine dialogue with God.

Example prayer:
“Lord, I want to connect with You today, but I feel distant. Please speak to me through Your Word, guide my thoughts, and remind me of Your presence.”

4. Reflect on Your Spiritual Expectations

Sometimes, spiritual dryness stems from unrealistic expectations. We want to feel God’s presence intensely every day, but the spiritual journey often progresses quietly, through small steps of faithfulness.

Ask yourself:

• Am I expecting emotional highs instead of steady growth?

• Do I measure devotion by feelings instead of obedience and consistency?

• Am I seeking God for His glory, or simply for comfort or answers?

By adjusting expectations, you can reduce frustration and focus on faithful engagement rather than emotional experience.

5. Incorporate Scripture Journaling

Writing your thoughts, prayers, and reflections can help you break free from stagnation. Journaling encourages active engagement with God’s Word rather than passive reading.

Start by choosing a verse and reflecting on questions like:

• What does this verse teach me about God?

• How does it apply to my current situation?

• What action does it prompt me to take?

Over time, your journal becomes a record of spiritual growth and answered prayers, which can rekindle hope and motivation.

6. Engage With Community

Spiritual growth isn’t meant to happen in isolation. Feeling stuck often improves when you share your journey with others. Join a Bible study, small group, or online Christian community. Discussing Scripture, prayer requests, and spiritual struggles helps you gain perspective and encouragement.

Even brief conversations with a mentor, pastor, or trusted friend can provide insights and restore inspiration. Sometimes God speaks through others just as powerfully as through Scripture.

7. Embrace Worship and Praise

When devotionals feel dry, shift your focus from obligation to worship. Worship music, singing, or even silently praising God can open your heart and reset your spiritual perspective.

Consider incorporating worship into your devotional routine:

• Start or end your devotional with a favorite worship song

• Reflect on God’s attributes His faithfulness, love, and mercy

• Write a prayer of gratitude for specific blessings

Worship draws your focus to God’s greatness rather than your own spiritual dryness.

8. Focus on Small, Consistent Steps

Feeling stuck can make daily devotionals feel like a heavy burden. Instead of aiming for lengthy study sessions or deep insights every day, commit to small, consistent steps.

For instance:

• Read a single verse and meditate on it for a few minutes

• Pray for 5–10 minutes, focusing on gratitude or a specific need

• Write a short reflection or insight from your reading

Small, consistent actions build momentum and help you gradually overcome spiritual stagnation.

9. Address Distractions and Mental Clutter

Sometimes, being spiritually stuck has less to do with God and more to do with our environment and mindsets. Evaluate what distracts you during devotionals. Is your phone nearby? Are worries or tasks occupying your mind?

Strategies to minimize distractions:

• Turn off notifications or leave your phone in another room

• Set aside a quiet, dedicated space for devotional time

• Use deep breathing or brief meditation to clear mental clutter before reading

A focused, distraction-free environment allows God’s Word to resonate more deeply.

10. Reflect on Past Spiritual Growth

When you feel stuck, it can be helpful to reflect on where you’ve been spiritually. Consider questions like:

• How has God worked in my life over the past months or years?

• Which prayers have been answered, even in small ways?

• How has my understanding of Scripture evolved?

Recognizing past growth reminds you that God is faithful, even when progress feels slow or invisible.

11. Mix Different Devotional Practices

Feeling spiritually stuck can signal that your current devotional practice no longer meets your needs. Mix things up:

• Meditation: Focus deeply on a single verse and its implications for your life

• Creative reflection: Draw, doodle, or write poetry inspired by Scripture

• Scripture memorization: Committing verses to memory strengthens your connection with God

• Act of service: Apply devotionals practically by helping someone in need

Combining practices helps prevent burnout and reignites spiritual curiosity.

12. Practice Patience and Trust

Finally, remember that spiritual seasons fluctuate. Feeling stuck doesn’t indicate failure it’s often a quiet period where God is shaping your heart in ways you cannot yet see.

Psalm 46:10 reminds us: “Be still, and know that I am God.” Sometimes spiritual growth occurs quietly in your obedience, prayer, and consistency. Patience and trust are essential. Continue seeking God faithfully, even when emotions lag, and trust that He is working.

13. Keep a Prayer and Scripture Log

Creating a record of prayer requests and Scripture reflections is a powerful tool to overcome spiritual dryness. A simple log can include:

• Verses that spoke to you during devotionals

• Prayers for personal growth, family, or friends

• Notes on answered prayers and God’s guidance

Reviewing your log periodically can boost faith and remind you of God’s consistent presence, even during dry seasons.

14. Seek Spiritual Mentorship

Mentorship can provide guidance, encouragement, and accountability. A spiritual mentor or pastor can offer advice, pray with you, and suggest resources that revive your devotional life. Sometimes hearing someone else’s perspective can reignite your connection with God and provide clarity on spiritual blocks.

15. Be Honest With God

Authenticity in your devotionals matters. Bring your doubts, frustrations, and questions to God openly. The Bible shows many figures expressing honesty in their struggles David’s Psalms are filled with lament and raw emotion.

Honest prayer invites God’s presence and allows your devotional time to be a genuine dialogue rather than a routine.

Feeling spiritually stuck in your daily devotions is a common experience, but it doesn’t have to define your faith. By breaking routines, journaling, praying, reflecting, engaging with community, and trusting God’s timing, you can move from stagnation to renewed spiritual vitality.

Remember spiritual growth isn’t always about feeling inspired it’s about faithfulness, honesty, and consistency. Even small, intentional steps in devotionals create meaningful momentum. God meets us in our struggles, guides us in our dry seasons, and uses these periods to deepen our intimacy with Him.

So if you’re feeling stuck today, know this: you are not alone, and God has not abandoned you. Keep seeking, keep journaling, keep praying, and trust that He is at work even when you cannot yet see it. Your devotionals, even when they feel dry, are a step closer to a deeper, richer relationship with Him.

16. Use Journaling to Process Your Spiritual Dryness

Journaling is one of the most effective ways to navigate spiritual dryness. When you feel stuck, write honestly about your struggles what feels distant, confusing, or frustrating. Sometimes simply putting words on paper can bring clarity and release emotional burdens.

Try a dedicated section in your journal titled “Current Struggles and Questions.” Include prompts like:

• What emotions am I experiencing today in my devotional time?

• What questions or doubts are weighing on my heart?

• How do I sense God calling me to respond in faith, even if I don’t feel inspired?

After writing, spend a few moments praying over what you’ve recorded. Ask God for guidance, patience, and insight. This practice encourages a deeper connection with Him, even when your emotions feel distant.

17. Revisit Favorite Scriptures

During seasons of spiritual dryness, revisiting familiar, meaningful verses can rekindle hope and encouragement. Verses that have spoken to your heart in the past remind you of God’s faithfulness and love.

For instance, you might meditate on:

• Isaiah 40:31 – “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles…”

• Psalm 34:17 – “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.”

Write these verses in your journal, reflect on how they’ve applied to past situations, and pray for God to make them relevant to your current season. Repetition of trusted Scriptures strengthens your faith even when emotions lag.

18. Set Small, Achievable Devotional Goals

When devotionals feel stagnant, aim for small, realistic goals rather than lengthy study sessions. For example:

• Commit to reading one verse or short passage daily

• Journal one reflection or prayer each day

• Spend five minutes in quiet meditation or worship

Even these brief, consistent actions create momentum. Over time, they build spiritual discipline, deepen your understanding of God’s Word, and gradually restore your devotional enthusiasm.

19. Reflect on God’s Faithfulness

Take a few minutes to review past journal entries, prayer requests, or answered prayers. Seeing how God has guided you in the past reminds you that He continues to work, even when you feel spiritually stuck.

This reflection strengthens hope, reminds you of His unwavering presence, and encourages you to persevere in faith, knowing that spiritual dry seasons are temporary but God’s faithfulness is eternal.

These additional steps journaling honestly, revisiting favorite Scriptures, setting small goals, and reflecting on God’s faithfulness help turn spiritual dryness into an opportunity for growth and renewed intimacy with Him.

20. Lean on Worship and Music

Music is a powerful way to reconnect with God when devotionals feel dry. Singing or listening to worship music can lift your spirit and open your heart, even when words or feelings fail. Consider creating a playlist of favorite worship songs or hymns and incorporating it into your devotional time. Sing, hum, or meditate on the lyrics, letting them guide your thoughts toward God’s presence. Worship bypasses mental blocks and speaks directly to the soul, reminding you that God is near. Even in spiritual dryness, these moments of praise can reignite your connection and restore a sense of hope and peace.

21. Practice Silent Meditation

When you feel spiritually stuck, sometimes the best approach is simply to be still in God’s presence. Silent meditation allows your heart and mind to focus without distraction or expectation. Choose a verse, a name of God, or a truth from Scripture, and quietly repeat it in your mind. Pay attention to any impressions, thoughts, or feelings that arise, trusting that God is speaking in subtle ways. Even a few minutes of intentional silence can refresh your spirit, calm your mind, and help you sense God’s nearness, creating space for renewed devotion and deeper connection.

Conclusion: Incorporate Scripture Visualization

Another effective way to reignite your devotional life is visualizing scripture. As you read a verse, picture the scene in your mind the landscapes, the people, the actions. For example, when reading the story of Jesus calming the storm (Mark 4:39), imagine the waves, the disciples’ fear, and Jesus’ authority as He commands peace. Visualization helps Scripture become more vivid and personal, making the lessons easier to internalize. Pair this with journaling your thoughts and prayers about the scene. Over time this practice strengthens understanding, memory and connection with God, even during seasons of spiritual dryness.