Spiritual Healing from Spiritual Burnout

“Two farmers desperately needed rain, and both of them prayed for rain. But only one of them went out and prepared his fields to receive it. Which one do you think trusted God to send the rain? The coach replied The one who prepared his fields for it. Then the question was asked, Which one are you? God will send the rain when He is ready. You need to prepare your field to receive it” (Facing the Giants, Movie).

It is time to prepare for rain! It is time to seek the Lord for spiritual healing from burnout. Many of us in the church today suffer from spiritual burnout because of the pandemic, stressful economics, chaotic politics, violence, protests, and all the negative news we see every day. The church needs a season of recovery from spiritual burnout. How do we know if we have burnout? Here are several key symptoms of Spiritual Burnout:

• Apathy towards the Lord
• Loss of interest
• Difficulty in worship
• Anger and frustration
• Doubt
• Isolation and distancing
• Feeling Incompetence
• Exhausted
• Low Energy
• Cynicism 

If you have four or more of these symptoms and lasted longer than 30 days, you may be suffering from spiritual burnout. The Good News is that the Lord will heal the church of its spiritual burnout. One of the key ways that healing will take place is through worship. Several strategies will help the healing process, but today we are going to focus on worship. It seems to me that there is a fresh revival and desire for worship taking place. The church needs the breath of God: John 20:22, “And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, receive the Holy Spirit” (NKJV). Renewal and refreshing are in the air.

Believers in Jesus are hungry for an authentic experience in worship. Worship is fundamental. Worship is the foundation for everything the church is doing. This hunger to worship God in biblical correctness and purity is a natural response to the conditions of our culture today. Our society is fearful, confused, chaotic, and wounded. We are looking for answers.

The Bible is encouraging to us:

• “Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.” (Romans 5:20b)
• “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.” (Zechariah 4:6b)
• “As the deer pants for the water brooks so pants my soul for You, O God.” (Psalm 42:1)
• “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.” (Psalm 20:7)

As our culture is challenging us, we need to re-center ourselves on the Great I AM of Scripture (Exodus 3). The Bible teaches us that we are to be “in the world but not of the world” (John 17:14). IF the Lord is going to be Lord of all, THEN worship must have priority in our lives.

The essence of our call to worship is prioritizing worship as the central activity of our being, embracing the biblical boundaries and patterns of life. A life empowered by worship is a clear witness that Christ’s life and His resurrection is truth, not fiction.

Throughout Scripture, God has called us for such a time as this (Esther 4:14). If we believe that there is a call to worship the Lord, we must understand that God calls us “to be” in Christ before releasing an individual “to do” in His name. Remember that spiritual formation precedes spiritual vocation.

Deuteronomy 13:4, “Serve only the Lord your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him” (NLT).

Joshua 22:5, “But be very careful to obey all the commands and the instructions that Moses gave to you. Love the Lord your God, walk in all his ways, obey his commands, hold firmly to him, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul” (NLT).

In worship together,
Pastor Steve