If you can get a hold of Charles Spurgeon's "Morning & Evening" I urge you to turn to the evening portion for August 28th. I cannot shake these words of truth from my mind.

" ...yet there are times when we feel very barren. Our prayers are lifeless, our love is cold, and our faith is weak. We are like flowers in the hot sun that need a refreshing shower. What are we to do in such a condition? "Sing, O barren...break forth into singing, and cry aloud." (Isaiah 54:1)
What is my barrenness? It is the platform for His fruit-creating power.
What is my desolation? It is the black setting for the sapphire of His everlasting love."