What is Spiritual exhaustion?

By Elizabeth Prata

Spiritual exhaustion can be a real thing.

I’m not talking about the burnout that some busy pastors or elders experience, though that is a real thing as well. A genuinely burned out pastor is a tragedy. It happens over time from mental stresses of studying to produce an accurate sermon or two each week; from sadness of counseling relationally broken relationships, or physical exhaustion of small church pastors who do everything from mow the grass to paint the fellowship hall.

I’m not talking about spiritual weariness either. That’s when the relentlessness of daily Bible reading, prayer, intercession, church-going one or more times per week, just the long-term weariness that comes when you do anything for along time. Some days you (or I) might not feel like reading the Bible. We might not feel like praying. We might not feel like leading or participating in home devotions. We might feel ‘dry’ or distant from God. We’re weary.

I’m talking about spiritual exhaustion. Like after you’ve delved into a Bible teacher in a discernment project and discovered he or she is false. Like after a series of close encounters in a spiritual battle over your sin or the impact of others’ sin upon you. Like after a period of extra-closeness with the Lord. Close-up holiness is spiritually exhausting to the still-sinful human.

Here is a biblical example of spiritual exhaustion. Daniel.

This precious prophet was given a lengthy vision of the time of the end. All the abominations and trampling and death and inexplicable scenes, and especially the blasphemy, passed through his Yahweh-loving mind and his heart. When the vision was done, Daniel said,

Then I, Daniel, was exhausted and sick for days. Then I got up again and carried on the king’s business; but I was astounded at the vision, and there was none to explain it. (Daniel 8:27).

He said in the next chapter,

while I was still speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision previously, came to me in my extreme weariness about the time of the evening offering (Daniel 9:21).

Paul experienced spiritual exhaustion. And no wonder! He endured more hardships over 40 years than anyone I can think of! He traveled thousands of miles planting churches, relentlessly writing letters to each, urging spiritual strength and reliance on God. And he was the model of it. He said that he was weary often to the point of exhaustion, excessively grieved, sorrowful, angry, concerned… He relentlessly prayed for his congregations. He mourned over their sin. He engaged in endless spiritual battles.

When he wrote he was poured out like a drink offering, it means he had served the Lord down to his dregs. He was exhausted, used up, wrung out, and rejoiced in his soon homecoming.

Not many of us are called to serve like that, but in our frailties, we do get spiritually exhausted. Always turn in prayer and the word of God to refresh. His is an infinite and endless fountain of refreshment in living water.

He will lift you, sustain you, refresh you!

“For I satisfy the weary soul and fill up every soul who wastes away.” (Jeremiah 31:25)