What does Premanand Maharaj Ji say when bhakti feels dry and lifeless?

Every devotee goes through phases when the naam feels dry — the words come out of the mouth but the heart feels nothing. Shri Premanand Maharaj Ji speaks to this with great patience. He says: this dryness is not a sign that you have failed at bhakti. It is a natural part of the path. Even the most devoted bhaktas have experienced periods of spiritual aridity. The test is not whether the feeling comes, but whether you continue.

He teaches that feeling is not the goal of bhakti — love is. And love, in its mature form, does not always come with feeling. A mother who gets up at three in the morning for a sick child does not always feel joyful doing it. She does it from love. In the same way, continue your naam jap even when it feels dry. The roots of a tree go deepest during a drought. Your bhakti is going deeper even when the surface looks barren.

His practical remedy: in dry periods, increase satsang. Listen to Maharaj Ji's own teachings, listen to kirtans, sit in the company of devotees. The warmth of others' devotion will rekindle your own. He also says: in these moments, pray to Radha Rani honestly. Tell her exactly what you feel — 'I am dry. I have nothing to offer today except my willingness to sit here. Please give me the taste for your name.' This honesty in prayer is itself a kind of deep bhakti.

Based on Shri Premanand Maharaj Ji's satsangs.