5 simple ways to spiritually fill up when running on empty.

Matthew West's song The Motions is one of my favorite "turn up the radio in the car and sing it loud" songs.  It just never gets old.  As you read the lyrics above did you do what I did and sing it!  I just love this song. 

As a born-again Christian for the past 18 years, I have gone through spiritual ups and downs. Sometimes it’s a season where I feel as high as a kite filled with His passion and lots of spiritual energy. During these times, my senses are wide awake.  My mind is continuously renewed.  God’s word is alive when I read it.  I actually can’t get enough of His word during these times. 

Then there are seasons where I feel so spiritually empty.  My passion has dwindled.  I have just enough energy to make it through the day with my husband and children.  I feel like my mind whispers all day “blah, blah, blah.”  I read God’s word but it doesn’t come alive.  During these down seasons I only go through the motions of my Christian life.  I only go through the motions as I live my daily life with my family and friends.  During these times I am spiritually running on empty.


Have you experienced times in your Christian walk where you seem to be spiritually running on empty?  Can you relate with Matthew West’s song lyrics above? If you are like me, you don’t want to stay on empty.  You want to get filled back up spiritually. 

Here are 5 simple ways I spiritually fill back up when running on empty.  These are easy tools to apply while you are still wife to your husband and Mother to your children because you know as well as I do that life doesn't come to a complete stop for you to fill back up. 

1. Pray.  Don’t be afraid to let God know you are struggling spiritually right now.  Tell Him you feel spiritually hollow.  Ask Him to fill you up.  As you go before the presence of the Lord, take a few deep breaths in and slowly exhale out.  After you have told God how you feel then quiet yourself before the Lord and receive His love for you because He does love you very much. 
 

2. Pry open a scripture.  What do I mean by this?  I mean take one scripture and go deeper.  I do this several ways:  looking up every word in that specific scripture in Strong’s Concordance, reading what different translations say about the scripture, and reading commentaries about that particular scripture.  I do all these so much that I added the Strong’s Concordance app on my phone along with different bible translations and some commentaries.  Now I am able to go deeper in car pool line.  It’s so easy because it is right there all on my phone.  I can go deeper right before I go to bed with all lights off and everybody asleep.  I utilize this method in my devotion time as well.  As I do this, it’s like God peels back layers to the scripture and I get so excited.  Another benefit to doing this is it has helped me remember the scriptures better. 
 

3. Speak forth the truths you just learned above throughout the day. I will intentionally do this during my day.  I will incorporate what I learned in my daily conversation with my husband.  I will bring it up with my children as we talk about our day.  I will use it in prayer when I tuck them in bed.  Talking about it periodically in your day helps plant it deeper in your heart and in your mind. 
 

4. Text your revelation to a family or friend.  As Christians, I think we do not do this enough. Whatever you were blessed to learn as you pried open God’s word will surely be a blessing to someone too.  Send it on, girl!  J  I am blessed with friendships where they think this is an important way to pour into our relationship.  And I do the same.  As God lays it on our hearts, we will text each other scriptures throughout the week.  Can I say receiving these unexpected texts brings me such joy and there have been many times when I needed the exact scripture they sent for that day.
 

5. Persevere. Yes.  Do not give up!  You are right around the corner from being full again! Just put this list on repeat and start with number 1 again.

Other than the five ways above, what are some simple ways you have done to get spiritually filled up again?

"'Cause I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
Without Your all consuming passion inside of me"

"I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of Your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High."
Psalm 9:1-2, ESV