Relationships ebb and flow, and your relationship with God is no different. Sometimes there will be weeks where you feel a powerful presence and see signs everywhere and then there will be other weeks where you can’t find that connection no matter how hard you try. And those weeks can be incredibly frustrating and isolating. 

Here’s what I do when I’m not feeling especially connected to God.

1. Go in Nature — Even if I’m not feeling the divine presence, just being in nature can help ground us, calm our anxiety, and see what’s important in life. When looking out over the ocean or even a field of grass, it gives you the sense that there is more to the world than our problems and can give us some perspective that there is a divine presence running this machine. I find it hard not to see signs when I’m in nature — and maybe it’s me grasping at straws, but when you know everything living is made by God, and has a piece of God in them, simply seeing a butterfly can be a sign, seeing a beautiful sunset can be a sign. They are little reminders that God is with you, even when you aren’t feeling the presence in your soul.
   
   
2. Listen to Your Spiritual Soundtrack — Everyone has different tastes in music. I have always been the person who resonates with 60/70’s music most, and find it hard to connect to Christian music. But luckily for me, there are tons of songs from that era that are spiritual, and many people don’t even know it. Even if there aren’t any spiritual references, songs about love or songs that make you think of God all count. Anytime I feel a distance from God, I just turn on George Harrison and I feel that closeness again. It might sound weird, but when I listen to music, I feel as though I’m taken to a higher dimension and closer to God. I strongly believe that music is more powerful than we believe. It has the ability to bring people together, form a bond with others, boost our dopamine, ignite our need to dance and move our bodies, unlock old memories, and so much more. To me, music is my gateway to the spiritual realm. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to find a song or make a playlist of songs that are your spiritual tracks and think of God when you listen to them. When you listen to those songs, you will start to feel a presence when you hear them. If you don’t know where to start, here is a link to my spiritual playlist.
   
   
3. Talk to God — As simple as it sounds, saying a prayer can be just what you need to feel that connection with God again. If I’m ever feeling a lack of presence from God, I will talk to God about my feelings and ask for a sign that he’s with me, and I almost always get an answer. My signs are never crazy, just little things that let me know he’s there. My signs include: seeing angel numbers (1:11, 2:22, ext. And 8:13 which is my birthday), butterflies, seagulls, feathers, pennies, specific songs). Keeping that constant conversation throughout the day will keep your head in the spiritual realm and more likely to notice a sign that others would miss if they are preoccupied with their own world. I truly believe that there are signs all around us, we just aren’t looking. Pay attention and I’m sure you’ll see one and feel that closeness once again.
   
   
4. Helping Others — There’s something so incredible about helping those in need, and almost always, you can feel the benefits. Anytime I go out of my way to help, I feel God’s presence with me, as almost a nudge that I’m on the right path. Meeting and connecting with people in general have a powerful impact and it’s almost like you can feel God when talking with them. It can give us the feeling that we are all one and connected to each other. 
   

5. Seeing Love in the Outside World — Look around and you’ll be surprised by all the love that’s in the world. Seeing a mother watch over her child, watching a couple hold hands, seeing an elderly couple having dinner together, seeing someone play with their dog in the park – it’s all so beautiful. And yet often ignored. Instead, we are told there is no love, that the world is messed up, and we are doomed. But seeing these little moments of love can be enough to spark the presence of God. Anytime I see love in the outside world, it just makes me feel so thankful, and it’s almost like I get a boost of love myself.

6. Mediation — This spiritual practice has the ability to remove us from our problems and help us feel the peace that comes from a divine presence. Clearing our heads from all of life’s minuscule problems and grounding ourselves in love can awaken our souls to feel God’s presence. Prayer is how we communicate with God, and meditation is how he answers. Listen to what your soul tells you during this practice and you’ll be surprised at the wisdom you’ll learn. 
   

These have been the most effective ways to reconnect with God when I’m feeling a bit stuck. If you’ve found any methods that work for you, please leave them in the comments!