This week’s question is a great one! “Why Don’t I feel close to God even though I pray and read?”

Praying and reading are two places I often find God. There is another side to examine in our walk of faith. In seminary, I learned of the “horizontal and vertical relationships.”

Praying, reading, daily devotionals, personal bible studies, and other individual pursuits are part of the vertical relationship. It is the relationship between you and God. It is the first part of the golden rule when Jesus answers the question, “What is the greatest commandment?” in Matthew 22:36-40. “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.’”

Maybe a change in reading is in order? Or a new voice in your prayers? I have really been loving John O’Donohue, an Irish poet. I’ve also been reading Joan Brown Campell’s Prayers from Chautauqua. There’s also a few podcasts I really love like Lady Preacher, Rob Bell’s Robcast, and Pete Enn’s The Bible for Normal People. I would love to hear what you’ve been praying and reading.

Jesus goes onto state, “And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  This is the horizontal relationship, our relationship with our neighbor. If you want to feel closer to God; serve. Find a mission to contribute your time, talent, and treasure to. Find a place to get in community with people. Call someone from church. Call me and ask great questions like this over coffee! I LOVE talking about these type of questions all. Day. Long!

I also want you to know that what you’re feeling is Biblical. There are Psalms and Proverbs, and Laments in the Bible that give us language to this feeling. St. John of the Cross talks about the Dark Night of the Soul, a time of extreme doubt and feeling God-forsaken. I’ve had a few of these occasions myself. Yet when I examine what’s going on in my vertical and horizontal relationships, I have always found my way back to God. I pray that for you and I would love to chat more if you feel up for it.