Why do I feel closer to God when my life is falling apart and then completely forget about him when things are good?

It makes sense that you feel closer to God when everything is falling apart. Hardship can strip away distractions, expose your need, and make prayer feel immediate; when life becomes comfortable, it can quietly create the illusion that you are self-sufficient. This does not mean your faith is fake or that God only welcomes you in crisis. It shows how easily your attention follows your sense of need, while God remains faithful in both suffering and abundance.

The Bible is honest about this pattern. God’s people often cried out to him in distress and then drifted when they became secure, and Jesus also warned against allowing wealth and daily concerns to crowd out spiritual life. At the same time, Scripture presents gratitude and remembrance—not fear—as ways of staying attentive to God. See Deuteronomy 8:10-14 and Philippians 4:11-13.

You do not need to manufacture a crisis to feel close to God again. You could begin with two small practices:

• When something goes well, pause for thirty seconds and name one specific gift before God, such as a relationship, provision, strength, or ordinary moment of peace.
• Keep a short daily prayer for both seasons: “God, I need you when I hurt, and I need you when I am content. Help me remember that every good gift comes from you.”
• Once a week, write down one place where you noticed God’s help and one place where you were tempted to rely only on yourself, without condemning yourself.

God is not less near when your life is going well, and your forgetfulness does not cancel his patience. The goal is not to live in constant anxiety so that you will pray, but to learn grateful dependence in peaceful seasons. You can return to him today with honesty, and he will meet you there.