Growing in Alertness to the Holy Spirit | Ep. 99
Season 5, Part 8 Show Notes of The Raised & Redeemed Podcast
Have you ever caught yourself praying but realized you weren't really praying at all? Going through the motions of faith while your heart felt completely numb?
What if I told you that spiritual numbness isn't just common—it's actually one of the most dangerous traps on our journey to God? And what's worse... the very things we do to fix it can make us even more numb.
Today, we're diving into the chilling reality of spiritual insensitivity and discovering how to awaken a soul that's gone to sleep. This isn't just about being tired—this is about the terrifying possibility of sleepwalking through eternity.
Step 18: The Trap of Spiritual Insensitivity
Step 18: Insensitivity, seems to be the perfect passion to address for those who are in ministry. For those who preach and teach perhaps so much that they often fail to feel the presence of God in their own words and prayers.
Saint John describes the insensitive man as a blind man teaching sight to others. He says it is a deep-rooted hypocrisy, being the one who teaches obedience but is the first to disobey; who blesses silence but can't stop talking.
Fr. Vassilios writes that this is his favorite chapter of the Ladder since it is the one he finds himself struggling with most often... and this is coming from a well-loved and respected priest.
He confesses in the text: "I speak constantly of repentance, but my life is bare of its fruits. I teach others how to fast, but I do not put what I teach into practice. I speak of self-control as a Christian virtue, yet there are atheists who practice it better than I do... And admitting my hypocrisy does not make me act upon it. No matter how much I confess my sin, no matter how guilty I feel, however much I yearn for holiness, I am too lazy and indifferent to go through the arduous struggle holiness demands” (Thirty Steps to Heaven, p. 147).
The Mirror Effect
One bad fruit of this insensitivity and hypocrisy is that we fail to see our own wretchedness and only judge the shortcomings in another. But, "Every sinner," Fr. Vassilios says, "is a mirror of another."
And this is why Jesus so often taught in parables describing other people's sins—that we might see ourselves in those stories and be called to repent.
Just between us, me and a couple of my in-laws beef... a lot. And my first instinct is of course to notice all the things that they did wrong.
But oftentimes, when I take a deeper look, maybe not at the specific action but the underlying demeanor behind the action—it's something I too am guilty of.
Someone for example may feel entitled to my husband's time and that irks me. Why? Because I too am entitled to his time. Or someone may think they're the boss in the house and that irks me. Why? Well, because I too must think I am the boss. You get what I mean.
"For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." - Matthew 12:37
So whatever we hold another to, we hold ourselves to as well.
The Problem with Every Solution
Fr. Vassilios says insensitivity seems to have no defeat. "If a hypocrite seeks to overcome his passions by fasting, he becomes proud and judgmental. If a proud man tries to be humble, he becomes proud of his humility. If he prays, he thinks he has achieved something. If he reads, he thinks he has become an expert on what he has read. If he acknowledges his hypocrisy, he thinks he has mastered humility... Every cure for insensitivity seems to become absorbed in the very sin it is supposed to remedy” (Thirty Steps to Heaven, p. 149).
But there is a way out—and it begins with despair. Not worldly despair—but the kind that brings us to cry out to God in all sincerity:
"Lord, I cannot save myself. Help me."
Only in the hopelessness of self does real hope begin—in Him.
Step 19: When Sleep Becomes Escape
Next we come to Step 19: Sleep, Prayer, and Church and address another passion that feels so natural—a gift from God that is good for us, but when abused, becomes destructive to the person and soul.
Sleeping too much is a symptom of someone who has fallen into depression, lacks purpose in life, and is blind to the things of God.
This kind of sleepiness isn't about the rest we obviously all need—it's a kind of escape and soul-sedation from the pain of disordered priorities.
While it's true we can't do bad while we sleep, we also can't do good. So let's look at some remedies.
Fr. Vassilios says to let the angels inspire you—they don't sleep or eat, but unceasingly worship. Aiming to imitate heaven on earth, this is why monks and nuns reduce sleep and food—to spend as much time as possible in prayer and worship and to keep their bodies under the control and will of the spirit.
We don't need to go to monastic extremes, but we can strive in that direction:
Learn to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit and meditate on the fact that when we stand in prayer, we stand before the Holy and Almighty God.
Fr. Vassilios says, "If I could learn to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit as tangibly as I could feel the presence of a guest, I would not love sleep so much, and I would not need it as much as I think I do” (Thirty Steps to Heaven, p. 155).
Step 20: Cultivating Spiritual Alertness
From the passions of insensitivity and excessive sleep, we now move to Step 20 where we find the opposing virtue: alertness.
This isn't anxiety or paranoia—it's spiritual sobriety, a state of always being prepared to meet our Maker.
Jesus said in Matthew 26:41: "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation."
Staying alert means living with vigilance; being awake to our thoughts, motives, and temptations; the spiritual war around us; and not wasting any time to repent, pray, and study Scripture.
Father Vassilios says, "Remembrance of death leads to alertness, alertness fosters prayer, and prayer prepares us to meet God” (Thirty Steps to Heaven, p. 158).
In other words, live each day like your last.
My Personal Journey with Spiritual Alertness
The biggest takeaway I had from this section on insensitivity to spiritual alertness is to grow more aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit.
It's so easy to get swept away in the daily routines and treat our prayers and spiritual studies like items on a checklist.
But knowing I want to be closer to the heart of God each day, I visualize that when I am praying I am literally stepping into His presence with His light wrapping around me like a divine hug and His eyes setting on me from amidst the heavens.
When I'm in Divine Liturgy, no matter how crazy my baby is that day, I try to take at least one moment to simmer on the fact that this is where heaven is meeting earth—that the angels are amidst us worshiping God in unison.
When I read Scripture, I try to slow down and imagine God is speaking to me personally through each line.
And when I recount my own testimony, I try to remember that first love. When I first encountered the Lord and He embraced me in a love like I'd never felt and showed me how different my life could be with Him in it. And that that's the same God still with me today.
Practical Application: Beyond the Checklist
For the practical application part of this episode, I want to take this beyond the checklist since these passions often look like doing the checklist and still being numb to the presence of God. So instead, let's have this be more of a meditative application.
Whether you're at church, in prayer, or reading Scripture, I want to challenge you this week to slow down and meditate on the presence of God in those times.
To break this down:
Prayerfully Reading Scripture – Perhaps this looks like reading less, and being totally present with just one verse this week.
Embracing Silence – Recognize if you feel the need to fill every moment of silence with some form of escape or entertainment. Observe what comes up when you allow silence instead.
Pray from your heart – If you find yourself feeling numb during prayer, maybe don't even say any words at all.
Look for God in Creation – Go outside and spend time in nature. Perhaps somewhere you feel humbled and in awe like in a forest, on the summit of a hike or at the beach. Just breathe and enjoy.
Listen to Testimonies – When you feel you've gone numb and forgotten the love and glory of God, hearing what He's done in the lives of others can greatly move and inspire us. Any testimonies to faith and miracles of the Saints and Mother Mary can deeply reawaken our hearts and souls.
A Word from the Saints
St. Isaac the Syrian said: "Be at peace with your own soul, then heaven and earth will be at peace with you."
That peace begins when we are awake, not numb.
Prayer to Awaken the Soul
Let us pray together:
"Heavenly Father, I confess that I have grown numb to Your presence. I have gone through the motions of faith while my heart remained asleep.
Lord Jesus, You who called Lazarus from the tomb, call my soul from its spiritual death. Awaken in me a burning love for You that cannot be extinguished by routine or distraction.
Holy Spirit, pierce through my insensitivity with Your divine light. Help me to feel Your presence as tangibly as I feel the air I breathe. When I pray, let me truly pray. When I worship, let my heart soar to You.
Strip away my hypocrisy and clothe me with genuine devotion. Make me alert to Your voice, watchful for Your coming, and ready to meet You at any moment.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."
Resources Referenced
Thirty Steps to Heaven by Fr. Vassilios Papavassiliou
The Ladder of Divine Ascent by St. John Climacus
Coming Up Next
Next Week: We'll confront the loudest enemies of inner peace: Vainglory and Pride—and how meekness and humility become our refuge.
"Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." — Ephesians 5:14
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