Finding Strength in Dry Seasons

Psalm 63:1 “A Psalm of David; when he was in the Wilderness of Judah. O GOD, You are my God, earnestly will I seek You; my inner self thirsts for You, my flesh longs and is faint for You, in a dry and weary land where no water is.”

Introduction

I few years ago I was delivering for Amazon. The air in my car had gone out half way through the delivery. By the time I got home was looking for something to drink. I drank juice and I drank soda while delivering but my body kept crying out “I WANT WATER.” You see, thirst is the body’s way of saying, ‘I’m running low. I need to be refreshed.’ Now, David is in the wilderness—dry, weary, faint—and he cries out, not for water, not for food, not for comfort. He says, ‘O God, You are my God; earnestly will I seek You. My inner self thirsts for You.’ Just like your body cries out for water when it’s dehydrated, your spirit cries out for God when you’re in a dry season. The question today is—what are you reaching for when your soul is thirsty?”

Family, listen to me: every believer will face a wilderness. You may not like it, but you will. David was in the wilderness when he wrote this Psalm, yet instead of focusing on the barrenness around him, he set his heart on the One who could refresh his soul.

Here’s the revelation: your dry season does not mean God abandoned you. It means God is drawing you into a deeper encounter.

Say this with me: “My dry place is not my dead place—it’s my preparation place!”

I. We All Have Seasons Where We Feel Dry in Our Spirit

Even the greatest men and women of God had wilderness experiences:

Moses on the backside of the desert.

Elijah under the broom tree.

Jesus in the wilderness for 40 days.

A. How to Know You Are in a Dry Season

Prayer feels like a duty instead of delight.

The Word feels closed—you read, but you don’t receive.

Worship feels mechanical—you’re lifting hands, but your heart feels empty.

Temptation feels stronger than normal.

You feel weary in your soul.

But watch this: Galatians 6:9 (AMP) says, “Let us not grow weary or become discouraged in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not give in.”

Somebody shout: “I will not quit in my dry season!”

II. Why Dry Seasons Come

Dry seasons don’t come to destroy you. They come to develop you.

A. To Test Your Hunger for God

Deuteronomy 8:2 (AMP) – “And you shall remember [always] all the ways which the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.”

The wilderness is a test: will you still seek Him?

B. To Wean You Off Self-Reliance

2 Corinthians 12:9 (AMP) – “My grace is sufficient for you [My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough—always available—regardless of the situation]; for [My] power is being perfected [and is completed and shows itself most effectively] in [your] weakness.”

God allows dry places so you’ll stop trusting your flesh and start leaning on His grace.

C. To Prepare You for a Fresh Outpouring

Isaiah 43:19 (AMP) – “Listen carefully, I am about to do a new thing, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even put a road in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.”

Dry seasons strip the old so God can pour out the new.

Say this out loud: “My dry season is preparation for my new season!”

III. How to Refresh Your Dry Season

Here’s the good news: you don’t have to stay dry. God has given us access to rivers of living water.

A. Seek God With Intentionality

Psalm 63:1 “A Psalm of David; when he was in the Wilderness of Judah. O GOD, You are my God, earnestly will I seek You; my inner self thirsts for You, my flesh longs and is faint for You, in a dry and weary land where no water is.”

Earnestly means - in a serious and intentional way. Not half hearted or casually.

You can’t be casual in pursuit of God. Hunger attracts heaven.

Matthew 6:33 (AMP) – “But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.”

Confession: “I set my priority on God. I will not be casual—I will be intentional.”

B. Drink Deeply From the Word of God

Ephesians 5:26 (AMP) – “So that He might sanctify the church, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word [of God].”

When your soul is dry, His Word is water. Speak it, meditate on it, confess it until your spirit is saturated.

C. Worship Until the Rivers Flow

John 4:23–24 (AMP) – “But a time is coming and is already here when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit [from the heart, the inner self] and in truth; for the Father seeks such people to be His worshipers. God is spirit [the Source of life, yet invisible to mankind], and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Worship is not about your feelings—it’s about your faith. Keep worshiping until the dry atmosphere shifts.

D. Fellowship With the Holy Spirit

John 7:37–38 (AMP) – “Now on the last and most important day of the feast, Jesus stood and called out in a loud voice, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink! He who believes in Me [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Me], as the Scripture has said, “From his innermost being will flow continually rivers of living water.”’”

The Holy Spirit is your fountain. Pray in the Spirit, stir up that river within you.

Closing Exhortation

Child of God, listen: your dry season is not permanent. It is a classroom where God teaches you dependence, hunger, and worship.

David went from wilderness to throne. Jesus went from wilderness to Spirit-filled power. And you will go from dry season to rivers of refreshing.

Declare this: “I will not stay dry. I will seek God earnestly. I will drink deeply from His Word. I will worship until rivers flow. I will fellowship with the Holy Spirit. My dry place will turn into a place of overflow—in Jesus’ name!”