There are times in our walk with God when our hearts feel distant. We still believe. We still show up.
But if we’re honest, the flame inside has dimmed. The passion that once drove us feels quiet, and our
burden for people, for mission, even for prayer, seems faint.
This isn’t something we often say out loud. But many of us feel it. I’ve felt it at times, too.
The good news is – God knows. And he’s never content to leave us there. He’s always in the business
of awakening the heart.
How We Drift
Drifting rarely feels dramatic. It’s usually quiet. Subtle. It often begins when the pace of life speeds
up and the soul slows down. The fire that once burned bright begins to fade, not because we’ve
rejected God, but because we’ve stopped noticing Him.
Sometimes disappointment plays a part – a prayer unanswered, a hope deferred, a season that wore
us down. Or it’s comfort that dulls our edge. Life gets easy, and the urgency we once felt starts to slip
away. Our hearts settle into maintenance mode instead of mission.
We don’t drift because we stop loving God altogether. We drift because we stop feeding the flame.
Without even realising it, we go from alive and awake to present but passive.
But even in our drifting, God’s desire for us doesn’t change. Still, in the silence, He whispers –
reminding us that we were never meant to live half-awake.
The Beginning of Awakening
Awakening starts, not with guilt, but with grace.
In Ezekiel 36:26, God says, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will remove
your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”
That’s the heart of our God – not demanding that we “get it together,” but gently offering to do a
work in us. Often, this begins with a holy restlessness. A desire for “something more.” A longing for
our lives to count for the kingdom.
Sometimes it’s a moment in worship that softens us. A word from Scripture that jolts us. Or a quiet
conversation that reawakens something we thought was lost. God knows how to find us – even in the
fog.
When You Start to Feel a Burden Again
One of the clearest signs that your heart is coming alive again is when you begin to feel a burden –
not a crushing weight, but a God-given ache.
You start to notice people again. The lonely, the lost, the overlooked. You start to care – deeply.
Maybe for a specific person. Maybe for a ministry. Maybe for something that’s broken in our world
and desperately needs God’s healing touch.
Paul described it this way: “The love of Christ compels us” (2 Corinthians 5:14). That kind of love
doesn’t leave us stuck in observation – it moves us to action.
Awakened People Make a Difference
An awakened heart leads to awakened hands and feet.
You begin to serve with renewed purpose. You pray with new urgency. You speak with boldness and
live with compassion. You don’t wait for someone else to make a difference — because God is
already working through you.
Sometimes, it starts small. A conversation. A visit. An invitation. But when God breathes on those
things, they ripple out further than we ever imagined.
Awakening always involves a choice — to respond, to follow, to act.
A Quiet Call to Come Alive Again
Maybe as you’ve read this, you’ve sensed something stirring – a faint flicker of desire, or maybe a
gentle ache you can’t quite explain. That might be the Spirit of God inviting you back to a deeper
place.
Not to strive or perform, but simply to come close again.
Sometimes the first step in awakening is just admitting, “I miss you, Lord. I don’t want to stay here.”
If that’s where you are – even faintly – don’t ignore it. Lean into it. Take a moment. Let your heart be
honest. You don’t need to figure it all out. Just begin by turning toward Him again. He is not far. He’s
already reaching toward you.
A Prayer for the Heart That Wants to Feel Again
Lord, I’ve grown tired. Maybe even numb.
But I want to come alive again.
I want to feel what you feel, love what you love, and be moved by what moves your heart.
Awaken me from whatever has dulled my spirit.
Stir something real in me.
Even if it starts small, start it today.
I open my heart to you again. Meet me here. Amen.