Are you feeling spiritually dry? Do you need to recharge your spiritual battery?

A reader recently emailed and said: “I feel so dry, spiritually. What can I do?”

We all have times when we need to be refreshed, refueled, and re-energized in our relationship with God. We can get so busy doing things for God that we forget to be with Him. Or, complacency can set in and before we know it we feel spiritually sluggish and lack the fervor we once had.

Whenever I feel spiritually dry, I open up the Psalms — the Bible’s “song book” — and stay there for as long as it takes for God’s Word to recharge my spiritual batteries.

The Psalms in Scripture are all songs written by songwriters who felt many of the same emotions we feel today. There are songs of praise, songs of confession, and songs of frustration and disillusionment. There are even songs written because the writers felt spiritually dry, themselves. But the one thing I love about the Psalms is that they each focus on God and bring us back to the right heart and perspective. They also stir up our love for the Lord and His Word.

Here are three ways you can recharge your spiritual battery in the Psalms:

1) Journal through the Psalms. I’ve been doing this for years. Start with Psalm 1 and each day, write out a different Psalm in your journal. Then personalize it by rewriting certain portions of the Psalm in your own words as a prayer to God.  If you’re used to a particular translation, I encourage you to try one you’re not as familiar with and note how the words resonate with your heart. (The New Living Translation, Contemporary English Version, or The Message are great ones to try for devotional purposes (as opposed to the New American Standard, New King James Version, or English Standard Version, which are better options for study.) End each journal entry with a one-sentence prayer asking God to reignite your heart based on what you’ve read.

2) Pray through the Psalms. You’ve probably heard people talk of “praying through God’s Word.” The Psalms is a beautiful place to start — or continue — that.  Psalm 145 is a favorite one of mine to pray through. Praying through a Psalm involves reading each line loud and then praying it back to God however the Spirit leads. For example, Psalm 145:16-17 says:

“You open your hand;
    you satisfy the desire of every living thing.

The Lord is righteous in all his ways
    and kind in all his works.“

I would pray those verses back to God by saying:

“Thank You, God, that You hold within Your hands all that I need to be satisfied. Satisfy me with only You.

I praise You for being righteous in all Your ways and kind in all You do. Help me to trust Your righteousness and kindness in all that I bring before You, rather than being cynical and, at times, expecting the worst.”

3) Sing through the Psalms. Pick a Psalm a day (or maybe even two or three) and sing them. That’s right, sing them. They were each meant to be sung. You might recognize some that have been set to music in recent years. Or, just make up a tune based on the mood you sense in the text. Make each psalm your personal song of worship to God.

For more ways to refresh, refuel, and re-energize spiritually, emotionally, and physically, see my book, When You’re Running on Empty.

Do you have an idea you can share with my readers about how you recharge your spiritual batteries when you feel dry? I’d love for you to share it in the comment section below.