Helping those in the desert of prayerlessness

Hidden prayerlessness can damage the church. I’m not referring to the unbeliever on the fringe who has no relationship with the Lord – nor the suffering believer who is struggling to concentrate or find the words – but rather the seemingly passionate Christian who is active in the local church but is operating as from a place of self-dependence rather than dependent on God.

The person who leads Bible studies, engages in one-to-ones, talks about evangelism – maybe even leads and preaches on a Sunday – and, in the course of those things, will pray prayers that sound good but, in the quietness of their own heart, there is nothing. No wrestling with the Lord over personal sin. No pleading with the Lord for the salvation of their family and friends. No intercession for the war-torn, poverty-stricken areas of the world. No seeking the Lord’s guidance in the daily decisions of life. A Christian who looks flourishing on the outside but is hollow and dry within.

Such people are in our churches. It’s an easy place to get to. Get a little overtired, a little disillusioned with the congregation, a little embarrassed about the spiritual drought… and suddenly you’re there: going through the motions of the Christian life but with a prayer life that is only skin deep. The path away from such dryness is far harder than the path that leads towards it. Often, we feel ashamed – or worried about the reputational impact if we tell someone close. We kid ourselves that we’re still believing and serving, so our situation cannot be too bad. But, like a diseased tree, that is somehow still bearing fruit, we are simply offering an illusion of healthy faith. The Spirit will still be at work but apathy has overtaken our heart and disaster may only be a hairsbreadth away. So, what – as churches – can we do to help our brothers and sisters in Christ in this place?