The Long Dark Night of the Soul

 Commentators make mention of a period experienced by believers where they lose faith and hope. They experience the silence of God. The circumstances are confusing. The promises of God seem far fetched through the prolonged season of darkness. A person experiencing this may still attend worship services, read their Bible, and pray but be able to connect with God in a meaningful way. It is the long dark night of the soul.

Many reasons could be listed for such seasons, but one near the top would have to be spiritual attack. The closer we get to God, the more He uses us to make an impact on others, the more we are devoted to prayer and tearing down the kingdom of darkness, the more Satan wants to take us down. That might not mean killing us. It might be one trial after another. Job experienced such. So did Peter. 

In a prophetic moment Jesus foreshadowed what awaited Peter. [Luke 22:31-32] Jesus told Peter that Satan demanded permission to sift Peter like wheat. That means to funnel through a sieve to take out large lumps in a powder substance. Satan wanted permission to attack Peter. Jesus comforted Peter with the words, "I have prayed for you." He did this in advance of the attack he foresaw coming. 

It is comforting that Jesus prays for people going through the long dark night of the soul. He sees what they are going through. He cares and intercedes. Out of all the people who could pray for you, who can pray like Jesus? Who can get the Father's attention and plead the case for hurting people like Jesus? No one. 

Jesus prayed specifically and told Peter what He prayed. First, Jesus prayed that Peter's faith would not fail. That his trust would not fall away or come to an end. When the test and trials are severe enough, people can lose heart and belief that things will ever get better. This is one of the greatest lies of the enemy. To make people feel they are hopelessly and endlessly trapped in their trials. Like they will never escape. When a person is being hit from all sides and things keep getting worse rather than better, it is easy to lose faith. It is natural to lose faith. The supernatural thing to do is to keep believing God no matter what a person is experiencing. 

I can imagine right now Jesus praying that our faith will not fail in the face of adversities, afflictions, and anguishes. Faith is the muscle of our walk with God. Faith is the endurance. Faith is the will to persevere. Faith is the belief that God will intervene. Faith is the trust that God will not fail. Faith is the hope that better days will come. 

Jesus also prayed for Peter that he would return again. Jesus knew Peter would deny Him three times. He knew that Peter would live in the darkness of his failure and struggle to move forward. Jesus already knows how people will handle the long dark night of the soul. He knows how many will crumble and drift back to destructive behaviors. He knows how many will get bogged down in condemnation unable to believe forgiveness is offered. He knows how many will live in bitterness and feelings of failure. He has taken all these things into account. His grace is sufficient. His grace is enough to pull people out of the darkness back into His marvelous light. He knows how to restore people. He had a private conversation in John 21 to restore Peter. 

He also prayed that Peter would be effective at strengthening other people. God answered that prayer. Just read the epistles Peter wrote. He wrote to help suffering people experiencing their long dark night of the soul. Peter got restored and made the most out of the rest of His life. He did not spend all his time dwelling on the past. He proved faithful to the very end of his life when he was martyred. 

I hope all of us can take comfort that in the toughest seasons of spiritual assault that Jesus prays for us. I hope we are encouraged that we do not have to to endure these seasons alone. He intercedes for us. He is praying in the perfect will of God for those being sifted. Could that mean that today He is pleading for you?

Maybe you find yourself in such a position. Being hit on all side. Like your life is passing through a sieve straining out every imperfection. Maybe the pain is unrelenting and the faith is weakening by the day. Be encouraged that your Savior is at the right hand of God making intercessions even as you read this. Hang on. Be strengthened. In other words, be firm, steadfast, and firmly established in your beliefs. 

The long dark night is a season. Just like other seasons pass so will this. Blazing hot summer temperatures eventually surrender to cool brisk fall days. Fall gives way to winter. That long bitter bone chilling cold season of winter will pass eventually into spring. Just as the seasons come and go so will the season of the long dark night of the soul. Hold onto Jesus as He holds onto you through prayer. This season will not last forever.