The renunciation prayer is for desolation (enemy-caused), not aridity (God-caused dryness). Use it when the symptoms match Ignatius's signs of desolation: agitation, doubt, despair, self-loathing. Not when prayer is simply dry.

This is a discernment question. The renunciation prayer applies to desolation — the enemy-caused state Ignatius describes in his rules — not to aridity, which is God-caused dryness during normal prayer development.

Markers that indicate this is desolation (use the renunciation): - Agitation, restlessness, anxiety without cause - Doubt of God's goodness or your salvation - Self-loathing, despair, "what's the point" - Pull toward sin (vanity, lust, anger, gluttony) - Distance from the church, sacraments, or community

Markers that indicate this is aridity (perseverance, not renunciation): - Peace remains underneath the dryness - No felt consolation, but the will is still oriented to God - You can still meditate even though it tastes like dust - No active pull to sin; just no felt sweetness

See C2 (Aridity, Desolation, and the Dark Night) for the fuller treatment. Misdiagnosis matters: using the renunciation prayer on aridity is harmless but doesn't help; treating desolation as aridity (passive perseverance) prolongs the attack.