Soul desiccation is a spiritual malady which severely afflicts most men and women who call upon Christ for salvation. The root causes will undoubtedly vary from person to person, but the typical effects are certainly common to us all:

1. Bible reading and study no longer enlivens our spirit. We read the words of divine revelation, but remain unmoved their significance and power.

2. Prayer becomes pointless and undesirable. Although we dutifully lift our voices to God, it seems as if we are speaking to no one but ourselves. True prayer is always hard work, but now the least utterance is nearly impossible.

3. Obedience to God wanes, and what remains is very mechanical. Service once motivated by love for our Lord steadfastly dwindles down to duty done just because it has to be done.

4.Worship, both private and corporate, becomes terribly monotonous and boring.

Essentially, we feel stone cold dead to Jehovah, and the joy of our salvation has vanished. This is spiritual dryness.

The believer who finds himself in this condition struggles for solutions; constantly he cries out in anguish, "God help me!" Absolutely nothing in the Christian life is easy. The search for fail-safe methodologies guaranteed to produce instantaneous results will surely deliver nothing more than disappointment. However, the following suggestions mingled with divine blessings may initiate the spring thaw of what has been termed the dark winter of the soul:

1. Recognize that the winter of the soul is only a season in the Christian life. Although it may occur with a fair amount of frequency, it is always seasonal. It will not last forever.

2. Fix your heart and mind on Jesus. Remember, your Father in heaven has "blessed you with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3)." Nothing is more likely to quicken your heart and reinvigorate your faith than meditation upon the Redeemer of God's elect.

3. Constantly remind yourself that for His people, God works all things together for their good--even this present spiritual darkness (Romans 8:28).

4. Read a good book--a missionary story, the biography of an eminent saint--something devotional but solid enough to excite both your head and heart God-ward.

5. Complain heavily--and exclusively--to our triune God. Have you ever noticed how often the Psalmist says, "I cried unto Thee"? Such lamenting occurs quite regularly in the Psalms, usually followed by a favorable response from the Lord. Avoid religious or spiritual language language; God wants to hear the truth. Be pointed, be painfully honest and, above all, be respectful.

The biblical principle for the restoration of spiritual vitality is found in the exhortation of James 4:8a, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." My prayer is that this article will encourage serious closure with the Almighty.

May your soul prosper.

John 14:6
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

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