You can send a question about faith, the Bible, The Salvation Army, or your personal dilemmas to Captain Karen by visiting our website, www.prioritypeople.org, and clicking on “Ask Captain Karen.”
Dear Captain Karen:
I have been trying so hard to ask God to touch my soul and make me feel His presence because I want to worship Him as a good Christian, but sometimes I feel so empty inside. What should I do besides praying and reading the Bible? Please help me, Captain. I am worried about my life and my faith.
Thank you very much. God bless you.
Pablo
Fairfield, Ohio
Dear Pablo,
I hear the deep concern in your question, and my heart is saddened at your distress.
First, understand that your experience is not unusual. The 16th–century priest, St. John of the Cross, wrote about “the dark night of the soul.” Doesn’t that perfectly fit your feelings (this is a key word here)? Many other believers—some right now—have those same feelings. “Dry spells” do come in our walk with the Lord.
Second, think about that word feelings. Our faith and our feelings are not always “on the same page.” In a marriage, for example, the initial overwhelming flood of warm, can’t–be–apart days may become fewer, but the commitment of loving one person for life does not vacillate or waver. In other words, I don’t always feel love for my husband, but it is always there, growing as imperceptibly and steadily as the roots of a tree.
Next, dear brother, I would point you to Scripture. Hebrews 10:19–25 tells us of the confidence we have, the assurance that is ours—of faith, not feelings—through Jesus’ blood. It also says we should hold unswervingly
to the hope we profess—we confess it; we claim it.
Linked to this is the idea that we confess that hope to others. Make sure you are regularly having fellowship and worship time with other believers. Verse 24 of that chapter in Hebrews says we should consider how to encourage one other on to further love and good deeds. Then, in the very next verse, we are told not to give up meeting together. We grow from each other’s presence, each other’s experiences, each other’s testimony and witness. We bear each other’s burdens and share each other’s joys.
You would also benefit from finding a mentor or prayer partner. Your pastor is a vital resource in helping you move through this period, and she/he can also point you to a professional Christian counselor should you need further aid in attending to the emptiness you refer to.
I commend you, Pablo, for your continued prayer life and attention to Bible reading. Many who read this will automatically place you on their prayer list—as I have done. Be assured of your faith family’s love for you! Please keep in touch and let me know how you are doing.
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