My wife and I were driving from Pennsylvania to South Carolina right down the beautiful east coast of the great old U.S. of A. We were deep in conversation when I looked up and saw the shocking sign “Welcome to Tennessee.” Uhhhhh… that’s not on the way.
Maybe you know that feeling when you suddenly realize you’ve been going the wrong direction for miles. Your stomach drops. Your heart races. You think, “How did I get so far off track without noticing?” Maybe you pull over, recalculate, and wonder how much time you’ve wasted going the wrong way.
That’s the spiritual moment a lot of us find ourselves in. Not lost on some highway, but lost in life. Lost in who we’ve become. Lost in decisions we’ve made. And the hardest part? We’re not even sure when we took the wrong turn.
Maybe life hasn’t turned out how you planned.
Maybe faith used to feel alive, but now it feels distant or hollow.
Or maybe you’ve never known God personally, but lately something in you has started whispering, “There’s got to be more.”
If that resonates with you, you’re not alone. And more importantly, you’re not beyond finding your way back.
3 Bible Verses For When You Feel Lost
Psalm 119:176 says, “I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me, for I have not forgotten your commands.”
The psalmist is honest about being lost but still remembers God. You’re reading this right now, which means some part of you still remembers too. Maybe that flicker of awareness, that small ache in your chest that says “something’s not right” is actually God’s grace trying to get your attention.
Isaiah 41:10 offers this promise: “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Even when everything feels like it’s falling apart and you feel lost and alone, God promises He’s still with you. The valley you’re in doesn’t surprise Him. He sees you there.
Luke 15:4 asks, “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?”
Jesus pursues the one who is lost, not abandoning them but actively searching until they’re found. You’re not too far gone. You’re not forgotten. You’re the one He’s looking for.
We’ve all felt lost at times. These passages remind us that being lost doesn’t disqualify you from God’s love, it actually positions you for an encounter with Him. When you feel lost, God doesn’t love you less. He comes looking. Your lostness is the very reason He sent Jesus.
The Journey Home: How to Come Back to God After Falling Away
The parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32 tells the story of a son who demanded his inheritance, left home, and squandered everything in reckless living. When he hit rock bottom, feeding pigs and starving, he came to his senses.
Luke 15:17-20 records his turning point: “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”‘ So, he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion and ran and embraced him and kissed him.”
There’s a progression here worth noting:
- He came to his senses – Awareness
- He acknowledged his sin – Honesty
- He decided to return – Action
- The father ran to him – Grace
When returning to God after wayward decisions, true repentance involves examining what led you away, confessing honestly to God, and then actively turning back toward Him.
1 John 1:9 promises: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
God doesn’t condemn the backslider. His loving concern is steadfast and sure, and He calls that person back through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Jeremiah 3:22 extends the invitation: “Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings.”
Returning to God brings restoration and blessings. The enemy may have stolen from you during your time away, but all of this can be brought to a halt by returning to God.
The father in Jesus’ story didn’t wait for his son to clean up first. He ran while the son was “still a long way off.” God doesn’t demand you fix yourself before coming home. He meets you in your mess and does the restoring Himself. Your job is simply to turn around and start walking His direction.
6 Practical Steps For When You Feel Lost in Life
1. Get Honest About Where You Are
Stop pretending everything’s fine. Like the prodigal son sitting in that pigpen, there comes a moment when you have to admit, “This isn’t working. I’ve gotten off track.” You don’t have to have all the answers, but you do need to stop lying to yourself about the problem.
Immediate Action: Right now, get a pen and paper. Write down three specific ways you’ve drifted from God. Be honest. Name them. Then pray this out loud: “God, I confess [name each one]. I can’t fix this on my own. I need You.”
2. Come Home Without Cleaning Up First
God doesn’t ask you to get your act together before you come back. He’s not standing at the door with His arms crossed, waiting for an apology. He’s watching the road, ready to run toward you the moment you turn His direction. Come as you are.
Immediate Action: Set a timer for five minutes. Spend that time in prayer, telling God everything, the good, the bad, the ugly. Don’t try to clean up your words or impress Him. Just talk to Him like the Father He is. When the timer goes off, sit in silence for one more minute and receive His welcome.
3. Build Your Life on What Jesus Did, Not What You Do
If you’re feeling lost, it’s probably because you’ve been trying to earn your way, perform your way, or figure your way into peace. But peace doesn’t come from what you accomplish, it comes from what Jesus already accomplished on the cross. Your job isn’t to be good enough. It’s to trust that Jesus was good enough for you.
Immediate Action: Find a Bible (or use a Bible app). Read Hebrews 6:19 and 1 Peter 1:3-5 slowly and meditate on them every day especially when challenges arise, reminding yourself that Christ’s finished work secures your hope and salvation firmly.
4. Check Your Spiritual Pulse Regularly
You wouldn’t go years without checking your physical health. Why do we do that spiritually? Every so often, you need to pull over and ask yourself, “Am I growing? Am I closer to God than I was six months ago? Or am I coasting… or worse, drifting?” This isn’t about self-condemnation. It’s about self-awareness that leads to growth.
Immediate Action: Ask yourself this diagnostic question and answer it honestly: “If I died today, what would I say is the foundation of my hope?” Write down your answer. Then compare it to what Scripture says (Ephesians 2:8-9). If there’s a gap between your answer and God’s truth, confess that gap to Him right now.
5. Don’t Try to Do This Alone
You can’t follow Jesus in isolation. You need other people who are on the same journey, people who will encourage you when you’re weak, challenge you when you’re wandering, and celebrate with you when you’re growing. Find a church. Not a perfect one (it doesn’t exist), but a Bible-teaching, Jesus-loving community where you can belong.
Immediate Action: Search for three churches within 15 minutes of your home and visit their websites. Find their service times. Commit to visiting one this Sunday. If fear is holding you back, text one friend right now and ask them to go with you. Don’t wait, send that text before you talk yourself out of it.
6. Make Time with God Non-Negotiable
The truth is, you make time for what matters to you. You don’t “find” time to scroll social media or watch Netflix, you just do it. If you want to find your way back to God and stay on the path, you have to carve out daily time with Him. Not when it’s convenient. Not when you feel spiritual. Every single day, on purpose.
Immediate Action: Choose a specific time tomorrow (be precise: “7:15 AM” not “morning”) and set an alarm on your phone labeled “Time with God.” When it goes off, spend 10 minutes reading one chapter from the Gospel of John and praying. Do this for seven consecutive days. Tell someone today what time you’re choosing so they can hold you accountable.
You don’t need to have a whole plan laid out or be able to see the whole path, you just need to take the next right step toward God.
The Invitation
Maybe you’ve been far from God for a week. Maybe it’s been years. Maybe you grew up in church and drifted away. Maybe you’ve never really known Him at all.
But, you’re here. You’re reading this. And that tells me your story isn’t over.
The difference between people who find their way home and people who stay lost isn’t desire… it’s decisive action. God’s already running toward you. Your part is to take the first step.
Right now, wherever you are, you can pray something like this in your own words:
“God, I’m lost and I know it. I’ve been going my own way and I’m tired. I’m sorry for turning away from You. I believe Jesus died to bring me home. I want to follow You. Show me the way back. Amen.”
If you prayed that, you’re on your way home. Now find someone to tell. Connect with a local church. Open your Bible. Take the next step.
You’re not too far. You’re never too far.
