5 Ways to Overcome Spiritual Weariness

In the biblical accounts of individuals suffering from spiritual fatigue, they all prayed when they became overwhelmed. When David was anxious because Saul sought his life, He offered prayers to the Lord, as shown in the Psalms (see Psalm 57). Similarly, Jesus found strength in his anguish in the garden by praying for His Father’s will to be done (Matthew 26:36-44). Elijah also prayed amid his fatigue, even though he asked the Lord to take his life (1 Kings 19:4).  

Turning to God in prayer when we feel weary enables us to express our feelings to Him. He already knows what we are experiencing but wants us to come to Him. He cares about us (1 Peter 5:7). Notice in the examples that the Lord did not judge or condemn the people for their feelings. He did not frown and say, “You should not feel that way.” Instead, the Lord listened to their cries. Even in the case of Elijah, who was depressed and suicidal, God listened to what the prophet was feeling without condemnation. 

In our times of spiritual tiredness, we should also turn to the Lord and pour our hearts into Him in prayer (Psalm 62:8). He will listen. Unlike others who may not understand, God will not look down on us for our feelings or the circumstances making us feel overwhelmed. We can take comfort in His attentive care. Telling God about our tiredness displays our dependence on Him. We acknowledge that we cannot fix the weariness ourselves or through specific acts. By praying, we give the Lord our feelings and find comfort in knowing He understands and cares.     

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Accept Jesus’ invitation to come to Him and find rest (Matthew 11:28-30). He promised that if we go to Him, He will give us rest for our souls (Matthew 11:29). Our souls have been longing for such an invitation.  

In the context of the verse, Jesus refers to the rest He offers through a personal relationship with Him. Instead of people trying to earn favor through religious acts or following the Law, He provides freedom. No longer do we have to feel compelled to work to earn acceptance. Instead, Jesus saves us, and we want to serve Him as disciples. His yoke is easy, and his burden is light because He gives us what we need to accomplish tasks (Matthew 11:30). However, His call for us to come to Him to rest still applies when we encounter spiritual weariness. Instead of continuing in our anxious striving and struggle, we can find nourishing rest by spending time with the Lord. He wants to strengthen us when we are tired (see Isaiah 40:29). 

Heeding Jesus’ invitation includes getting away with Him. This could look like clearing up our schedule and finding a place to worship, read the Bible, and talk to Him without interruption. We can find refreshing rest in the presence of our Savior. We must heed His call and go to Him when fatigue and discouragement weigh us down.  

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When Elijah was depressed and wishing for death, God gave the prophet physical nourishment. The Lord sent food through an angel and gave Elijah time to sleep (see 1 Kings 19:5-8). We may have thought God would have given a long speech to the prophet. Instead, He met Elijah’s needs to alleviate the physical and spiritual weariness. Although we can feel physically strong while our soul is weary, spiritual fatigue often impacts our health. We may find ourselves struggling to get out of bed in the morning or longing to take more naps because of tiredness. Spiritual fatigue notifies us of the need to care for our spiritual and physical well-being.  

During seasons when we feel hopeless and of little faith, we can find rest by doing something for our physical health. Like Elijah, we could benefit from a nourishing meal and a nap. Or we may need to take a break and do something that brings us joy. For some, this could mean listening to a favorite album, reading a book, walking outside to observe nature, spending time with family, or engaging in a hobby. If we think these things are not “spiritual” enough, we should reread Elijah’s experience in 1 Kings 19. The Lord used baked bread and sleep to strengthen and encourage Elijah. If He did that for a prophet, why should we think He would not use similar means to refresh us?  

To overcome the tiredness of the soul, we need to attend to our physical well-being. Perhaps God is inviting us to slow down and find nourishment through food, rest, the fellowship of others, or other things that bring us joy.    

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Taking time to care for our physical and spiritual health is essential, but it should not just be a one-time event. At the beginning of creation, the Lord modeled the need for regular rest, or Sabbath (Genesis 2:2-3). Christians are no longer bound under the Law to keep the Sabbath since Jesus fulfilled this part of the Law (Matthew 12:8; Hebrews 4:9-11). However, we can benefit from the spirit of the Law, the concept behind Sabbath-keeping. We all need consistent times of rest. Western culture cherishes busyness. We feel guilty if our days are not filled with activities that promote productivity. So many of us have been influenced to rush around in our days and weeks that rest is now perceived as an indulgence. 

Perhaps this constant busyness influences our descent into spiritual weariness. We can quickly think that God is only pleased with us if we do something, such as checking off lists of religious duties or completing a task. This mindset is especially instilled in those who work in ministry. Many pastors, children’s workers, Bible teachers, chaplains, and missionaries work constantly until overwhelmed and burnt out. Yet, we are not meant to work all the time.  

God provided the teaching of the Sabbath, showing us that we need to set aside time in our week to rest. Doing so is not lazy. Deliberately choosing to engage in rest requires faith and an act of sacrifice. We need to incorporate more rest into our lives to combat spiritual tiredness. For example, we can choose to take a day off each week. If that is not possible, we could work on creating a rhythm of rest each day, such as taking breaks between tasks. Or we could set aside a specific time, such as mornings or evenings, for physical and spiritual refreshment. Whichever way we choose to add rest to our days and weeks, let us make it a priority in life so that we can fight against fatigue of the soul.   

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Just as our bodies need food, so do our souls. If we do not spend time with the Lord regularly, reading and listening to His words, we become spiritually starved. We are wise to remember what Jesus said: "People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4, NLT; also see Deuteronomy 8:3). Christ applied this truth, finding strength from the Bible when He was tired and hungry as he faced Satan's temptations in the desert. Believers need the nourishment of God's Word. It is as vital for our physical well-being as food.  

We can combat spiritual tiredness by regularly spending time with the Lord and listening to Him through reading Scripture. The Holy Spirit will guide us in our reading, helping us see what we need, such as correction or encouragement. Reading and meditating on Scripture gives us strength. Listening to God is essential, and we must follow what He says. Obedience is often challenging in the believer's life, as it can involve tough decisions and sacrifice. However, obeying the Lord also brings refreshing joy. As David wrote, "I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart" (Psalm 40:8, ESV).      

Reading Scripture and obeying God's Word are essential to our spiritual nourishment. We need to spend time with our Lord to find strength for each day. He will refresh us when we are weary and weak (Jeremiah 31:25). Spiritual fatigue can leave us hopeless, but we can find rest if we turn to the Lord. He sees our struggle, hears our cries, and invites us to come to Him. Through loving attentiveness to our physical and spiritual needs, the Lord will help us overcome weariness.  

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