I don’t feel anything when I pray. Sometimes I feel like I’m not even a Christian, because I can’t feel God the way others around me do. What’s wrong with me?
My dear sister! I want to thank you for sending me this question. Part of the scheme of the enemy is to silence you into holding on to these things until you give up the faith. I want to assure you that nothing is wrong with you and that what you’re describing is a common feeling.
Some people believe in God, but don’t believe that they can experience Him; although they believe that the Bible is an inspired account of God’s relationship and interaction with humanity, they see the role of Christians today to believe and wait for His return. There are other Christians who believe that God is actively engaged with us on earth, intervening in our situations and loving us in tangible ways. While I am now one of those believers, I did not always feel this way.
I grew up in a Pentecostal church. Although mostly restrained, I became accustomed to seeing people be moved by the Holy Spirit and experience tears, happiness and fainting spells. I never felt a thing, so I thought I must be beyond God’s reach. Back then, I didn’t realize that God spoke to me in a way that just felt like a strong gut instinct. I always imagined what God would sound like, and when it didn’t happen in that way, I discounted what I already knew.
Prayer is powerful. Even if you don’t feel anything, the act of using words (action) to celebrate God for His character and His provision is deeply pleasing to Him. When we tell Him how we feel about things that are happening, He listens and can respond in a feeling, or impression, or dream. Sometimes, I have poured out my heart to God, felt nothing, but realized afterwards that I am calmer and I feel better about the situation. God wants to hear from us, so keep praying.
There are many different ways to pray. Some engage the emotions more than others. Some people use worship music, painting and journaling to inspire their communication with God. Prayer does not have to be eyes closed, heads bowed, hands clasped, although it could be. The bottom line is whatever your prayers look like, rest assured that God hears and cherishes them.
For myself, one way that I became closer to feeling God in a tangible way was to read more books about the Father’s heart, that is, learning to experience and receive God’s unconditional love. For a long time, I knew that God loved me, but I didn’t feel anything. I had to deal with some things from my past that corrected the way I understood LOVE. Once that was cleared up, I became open to feeling His presence in a tangible way. If it could work for me, it can work for you!