Coming back to Christ: a guide for returning to faith
Many people came to know Christ at some point in their lives: in childhood, in their youth, in a neighbourhood church, on a retreat or in a crisis. They prayed, sang, read the Bible and felt God close. But over the years something changed. Busyness, wounds, doubts, sin, discouragement or disappointment with other believers came along, and little by little they drifted away. If you recognise yourself in this description, this article is for you. No matter how much time has passed or how far away you feel, the door is still open. We will look at why we drift away, what Jesus says to those who want to return, how he restored Peter after his fall, and some concrete steps for coming back to Christ today.
Why do we drift away?
Few people leave God overnight. It is almost always a slow process. The cares of life: in the parable of the sower, Jesus spoke of the seed that fell among thorns and was choked by “the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches” (Matthew 13:22). Work, problems and hurry can gradually push God aside. Sin: when we fall into something we know is wrong, we often hide from God, like Adam and Eve in the garden. Wounds: many leave because of mistreatment, hypocrisy or abuse by people in the church. Doubts: unanswered questions that no one was willing to hear. Suffering: a loss that made us think God had abandoned us. Read also Where was God when this happened to me?.
Recognising why we drifted away is not about blaming ourselves, but about understanding what needs healing on the way back.
Jesus’ invitation
Throughout the gospels, Jesus does not present himself as someone waiting for the perfect, but as one who calls the weary and the lost. His invitation still stands:
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30
And elsewhere he left a promise that should dispel every fear: “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). No one who sincerely returns to Christ is turned away.
Christ knocks at the door
In the book of Revelation, Jesus speaks to the church in Laodicea, a community that had become lukewarm and self-sufficient. His words are a rebuke, but also an invitation full of tenderness:
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
Revelation 3:20
Jesus does not break down the door; he knocks and waits. To dine with someone, in that culture, was a sign of friendship and intimacy. What Christ offers to the one who returns is not punishment, but his company.
Peter: denied, wept and restored
Few stories show the way back better than Peter’s. On the night of the Last Supper, Peter promised: “Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.” Hours later, in the high priest’s courtyard, he denied knowing Jesus three times. When the cock crowed, “the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter… And Peter went out, and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:61-62).
Jesus had foretold it, and he had foretold Peter’s return too: “I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Luke 22:32). After the resurrection, by the Sea of Galilee, Jesus prepared breakfast for his disciples and asked Peter three times: “lovest thou me?” Three denials, three confessions of love. And three times he charged him: “Feed my sheep” (John 21:15-17). Jesus did not only forgive Peter; he gave him back his mission. Weeks later, that same Peter preached at Pentecost and three thousand people believed.
Your fall is not the end of your story with Christ. He prays for you, waits for you and can use even your return to strengthen others.
God calls his people to return
The call to return runs through the whole Bible. Through the prophet Joel, God said: “Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart… And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness” (Joel 2:12-13). Through Malachi: “Return unto me, and I will return unto you” (Malachi 3:7). And Hosea invited his people with words that can be prayed:
“O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.”
Hosea 14:1-2
God answers in the same chapter: “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely” (Hosea 14:4). Read the whole story in The parable of the prodigal son explained and The Lord rejoices when one of his children returns.
Steps for coming back to Christ
1. Talk to God honestly. You don’t need a speech. Tell him where you are, why you drifted away and that you want to come back. James promises: “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you” (James 4:8).
2. Confess and receive forgiveness. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). You no longer have to carry the guilt: Christ has already paid for it.
3. Return to the Word. Start small: a chapter of the Gospel of John or Mark each day, or a psalm. Let Jesus speak to you again. You will find a simple plan in God and the Bible.
4. Return to prayer. A few minutes each morning and evening are enough to begin. Read The duty of prayer.
5. Find a community. Faith is lived in a family. Look for a church where Christ is preached faithfully and lovingly. If you feel unsure, talk first to the pastor or to a believer you trust.
6. Put right what you can. Like Zacchaeus, who repaid what he had stolen, coming back to Christ sometimes means asking someone’s forgiveness or repairing a harm.
7. Be patient with yourself. Returning is a journey, not an instant. There will be good days and hard days. What matters is the direction.
Going back to church after being hurt
Many people did not leave Christ but the church, because they were hurt by leaders or fellow believers. That wound is real and deserves to be taken seriously. Jesus himself strongly denounced religious leaders who laid on others burdens they would not carry themselves (Matthew 23:4). If you suffered abuse, you have the right to seek safety, to report it and to seek professional help. Coming back to Christ does not mean going back to a place where you were harmed. It means looking for a healthy community where love, respect and truth are lived out. No church is perfect, but Christ remains faithful, and he is not the author of your wounds but the one who wants to heal them.
Coming back with doubts
Perhaps you drifted away because you had hard questions. You do not need all the answers to come back. A father said to Jesus: “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief” (Mark 9:24), and Jesus healed his son. Thomas doubted the resurrection, and Jesus did not reject him: he appeared to him and showed him his wounds. Bring your doubts to Christ; he can handle them. Read also Why believe in God? and Who is Jesus Christ?.
It is never too late
It doesn’t matter whether you drifted away a year ago or forty years ago. The thief on the cross turned to Jesus in the last hours of his life, and Jesus told him: “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). In the parable of the labourers in the vineyard, those who came at the last hour received the same pay as the first. God’s grace has no expiry date. Read It is never too late for God.
“Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord. Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.”
Lamentations 3:40-41
A prayer for coming back to Christ
Lord Jesus, it has been a long time since I spoke to you like this. I drifted away without noticing: first I stopped praying, then I stopped feeling, and one day I no longer knew how to return. Sometimes it was sin, sometimes it was wounds, sometimes simply weariness. I miss you. I miss how it was when I was close to you. I am afraid it may be too late, that you are disappointed. But you said that whoever comes to you, you will not cast out, and today I come. As with Peter by the sea, ask me again whether I love you: yes, Lord, you know that I love you, though I have failed you. Come, Holy Spirit, and rekindle what went out; restore to me the joy of your salvation. Lead me to brothers and sisters who will receive me without questions. From today I want to walk with you again. Thank you for never having left. Amen.
If you prayed this prayer, we would be glad to hear and to pray for you: write to us in Request prayer. And tell someone you trust: your return is good news too.