When serving God becomes boring
What you need to know:
Sometimes prayers will become boring. But it is at this point when we are at our weakest that we that we need more strength to stay on the path of God, writes Gillian Nantume
There is a time in our lives when we are on fire for God. We do not have to be reminded to pray – we literally talk to God every other minute as we do our work.
Sunday service is a must and we are angry when we have to skip Bible study because of traffic jam or work. At this point, the mind is literally crawling with God.
Then, one day, you wake up to the realisation that the fervour is gone. It did not disappear overnight; it just crept up on you, slowly by slowly.
Probably your prayers were taking too long to be answered or remained unanswered. So, you go a week without having a heartfelt talk with God. The praise songs at church turn you off and there is nothing to thank God for.
Acknowledge spiritual detachment
You probably miss the person you were; that person who was not so relaxed around sin. The first step to get back on track is to admit to yourself that you have detached, spiritually.
Pastor Amos Acila of Deliverance Church Uganda says after admitting that you should get back to the Bible.
“Jesus sent letters to the churches of Asia, in which he basically told them to remember how they used to be, then repent, and working towards being right with Him (Revelation 2:5). This is what a fallen Christian should do, ” he says.
Sometimes getting back on your feet is not a battle that you can fight alone. You need company. Fr Joseph Muwonge, parish priest, Uganda Martyrs Shrine Namugongo, advises bored Christians to seek assistance from lay leaders.
“Yes, you are bored but do not give up,” he says.
Rev Can Stephen Gelenga of St John’s Church, Kamwokya, advises that before you seek help, try to diagnose the cause of your boredom.
“Visit other churches to find out if the problem is the church or yourself. Are the groups you associate with weighing you down? If so, dissociate yourself,” he says.
Sometimes, Bible study - which is the foundation of any church – is boring because the leaders are out of touch with life, their spiritual texts do not speak to your situations, needs, and lifestyle.
Canon Gelenga emphasises spiritual growth is important, although some reach a peak at some point in time.
“You should move from one level to another. If you are stunted then you have to be filled again with the Holy Spirit,” he says.
Both Can Gelenga and Fr Muwonge agree that Christians bored with God should seek the services of a church-based counsellor.
It may take months for you and the counsellor to unravel what is causing your boredom. However, the good news is that once you have known the cause, you can agree on the intervention.
Spiritual growth is about taking baby steps in prayer. The first simple step you should make is to ask God to make you aware of His presence in every situation of your life. Ask that everywhere you turn, you see His fingerprints.
Overcoming prayer
struggle
It takes grinding, hard work, accountability and the willingness to do what is needed to have a dynamic prayer life again or for the first time. Here are some ways to overcome our prayer struggles.
Vulnerability
Our relationship with God begins with our heart. Since we live a busy, tiring, and stress filled life, we often forget about our heart. We live in denial that everything is okay. When in reality, our heart is broken. Stop! Slow down! And be completely open and honest with God.
Confess
Confessing our sin is imperative for freedom to occur in your life. You can’t hide sin from God, but when we try, we are only hurting ourselves.
Eliminate distractions
Ever notice that it is hard to have conversations with other people in loud places, busy places, and when you are trying to do other things? Same thing with God. Find a quiet place that is your holy ground. Is it on your back porch, next to a body of water, in the woods, on your roof or in your car? Find that place and allow no one or nothing into it except the Holy Spirit.
Be grateful
Nothing else is better than thanking God for who He is, what He has done, is doing, and what He gave for you and me. When our Heavenly Father becomes the greatest thing in our life, nothing else can compare to the glory of who He is. Let Him know that. He is a jealous God and rightfully so.
