How can you get out of spiritual dryness?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

Spiritual dryness, often referred to in our tradition as a "desert of the soul" or "spiritual coldness," is a period when a believer feels an absence of desire for prayer, a lack of comfort in the Divine Liturgy, and a general heaviness in the spiritual life.

1. Understand the Purpose of Dryness

Spiritual dryness is not always a sign of sin; sometimes, it is a "precious food" and an "honorable" trial. As noted by St. Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain in Unseen Warfare, God may allow this bitterness to:

• Kill the "inner man" of pride: It teaches the soul to "distrust itself" and not rely on its own feelings or "good state."
• Acquire True Humility: When you feel nothing, you realize that any spiritual warmth you previously had was a gift from God, not your own doing.
• Test Your Love: Do you love God for the "sensible" feelings of peace He gives you, or do you love Him for Who He is?

2. Maintain the Rule of Prayer (The Agpeya)

The greatest mistake during dryness is to stop praying because you "don't feel like it." Our Church teaches that prayer is a work of the will, not the emotions.

• The Power of the Agpeya: When your own words fail, use the "Book of Hours." The Psalms provide the language of the soul even when the heart is cold.
• Stand with "Attention": Do not allow your thoughts to wander. Even if the heart feels like stone, keep your mind focused on the words. As the Fathers advise, "Keep your attention within and stand praying in your heart before God."

3. Practice Self-Denial and "Childlike Crying"

Dryness is often broken by specific acts of humility:

• Humble Obedience: Casting oneself "under the feet of all men" and suffering injustice with a good heart can invite the Holy Spirit back into the soul.
• Crying to God: Like a child lost in the dark, cry out to the Lord with simple, honest words: "Lord, help my coldness," or the Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner".

4. Identify "Quenchers" of the Spirit

Sometimes dryness is caused by our own actions, which "quench spiritual warmth, as water quenches fire." Reflect on whether you have:

• Allowed "sympathy for things of the soul or the body" to enter the heart (excessive worldly attachments).
• Entertained "sinful thoughts or feelings" without immediate repentance.
• Neglected "meditation on the Scripture" or allowed "attention to stray" towards the vanities of the world.

5. Partaking of the Holy Mysteries

Even in a state of dryness, do not flee from the Eucharist.

• Confession: Visit your Father Confessor. Often, the "poison" of hidden thoughts or old sins causes dryness; "vomiting out" this poison in confession allows the grace of the Holy Spirit to re-enter.
• The Bread of Life: The Eucharist is the "Life-Giving" medicine. Approach the Altar in your brokenness, asking the Lord to "revive and inundate" your soul with the "rivers of living water" (John 7:38).

6. Relinquishing the World

As Fr. Mikhail Mikhail explains, the Christian must experience "relinquishing this world" to feel the inner spiritual motion of the Holy Spirit. If your heart is filled with the "cares and worries" of life, there is no room for spiritual warmth. Cut off these cares at their inception and "keep alive your zeal to please God."

Summary of Action:

Do not be afraid of the dryness. Stand firm in your spiritual canon, practice humility, confess your hidden thoughts, and wait patiently for the Lord. He often prolongs our thirst so that when He eventually satisfies it, the "sensible and visible" presence of the Spirit is more deeply cherished.