- Seeds of Jealousy & Envy - I may feel that I'm as close to God as I've ever been and that nothing can come in to unsettle that wonderful feeling. All of sudden, LIFE happens...and knocks me off track again. It can be so many LITTLE things that we let creep in on us. These seeds of jealousy and envy have eaten chunks out before we even recognize what they are. I've heard a lot of people struggle when they see others going on a nice trip or driving a new car or doing any new and exciting thing that they themselves either can't afford or just don't have time to do. They let seeds of jealousy spring up in their hearts and become bitter at the other person. Maybe someone else is asked to sing and YOU wanted to be the one singing!? The devil will quickly sew seeds of envy in your heart and make you bitter toward the service, toward the person singing, and even toward the person in charge. You may hear that someone got a new exciting job or see someone come in every single day with nice, trendy clothes that you can't afford. The devil begins to sew seeds of jealousy and envy in your heart. The ONLY WAY I have found to overcome these feelings is to stop RIGHT THEN and pray for myself and my horrible attitude and THEN to pray for the other person (who doesn't even know I'm feeling this way about them). It always amazes me how quickly my attitude changes when I remember to pray about it! It says in Philippians to "be careful for NOTHING; but in EVERYTHING by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." That tells me that my little silly attitude problems are important to Him and He wants me to bring it to Him...right then!
- Seeds of Pride - Many people have said they can't raise their hand in church because they're embarrassed. Many people say they can't get up in front of the church and share their testimony because they're too shy or quiet. Some have said that it just feels weird to them to say a word for the Lord or to "get out of their comfort zone." Psalm 78 talks about limiting the Holy One of Israel. I don't EVER want to be guilty of limiting what God can do in my life! Romans 1 says "For I am not ashamed of the gospel." So many people don't realize that hiding behind shyness or quietness is really a form of pride. God wants us out of our comfort zones so that we DEPEND ON HIM instead of on our own selves or our comfortable shyness. Did you know that every time you stand up in church and share your testimony, it gets a little easier? Did you know that every time you raise your hand in praise at church, that each time it gets a little easier? Sure, the first time is terrifying!! People have told me that talking in front of church or raising my hand during a song just "comes easy for me." But I can assure you all that it doesn't. The devil puts seeds of doubt in my head just about every single time. He tells me that no one wants to hear my testimony. He tells me that what I say doesn't even make sense. He tells me that people will think I am only doing it for show or because someone else did it. But you know what? I don't want to allow those seeds of pride to grow in my heart and keep me from serving the Lord! When He speaks to my heart and tells me to do something or say something for Him, I wanna do it right then!
- Seeds of hate & dislike - Sometimes we let the devil sew seeds of dislike in our hearts. Maybe someone rubs us the wrong way or they talk too much or we think they don't like us. Soon we find that we don't even WANT to like them or get along with them. I have allowed this to happen more times than I care to admit and it makes me ashamed! But once again, I have realized that if I stop and pray for that person - RIGHT THEN - as well as for myself, that God will take those seeds of dislike away right then. I just have to ask Him and admit to Him the dumb stuff I have allowed the devil to do in my heart yet again. And often times, those same people that you thought you could never even like, might just end up being a really good friend! So many times they're just fighting the same battles that we are and trying to make it through the day.
- Seeds of worry - We worry what others think if we do certain things. We worry what they think if we DON'T do certain things. I often take things personal that I have made up in my own mind that AREN'T EVEN REAL. Thankfully my husband is always quick to point these moments out to me. I usually can't see it myself until he tells me that's what I'm doing. The moment I see it, I am horrified (yet again) that I have let the bloomin' devil have free reign in my heart. The moment I start to feel that I just don't "measure up" or that I'm not "worth it", I stop - right then and there - and ask the Lord to forgive me! He created me for a purpose and He created me JUST EXACTLY LIKE HE WANTS ME TO BE. He knows my faults. He knows my failures. Yet, He loves me anyway. Some days I wonder why in the world He would possibly love someone like me, but I'm sure glad He does!
I'm sure there are a million more "Joy Stealers" that you can think of...but these are the ones that I struggle with. Often. But I have come to realize that Prayer is a wonderful privilege that I fail to use so many times. God has sweet wonderful peace that He is just waiting to give me...if I'll just ask.
One last thing...I have a Prayer List app on my phone that I use every single day. The moment someone mentions a need or asks me to pray, I add them to my list. I have always prayed, but the Lord recently spoke to my heart about physically getting down on my knees and praying beside my bed. You wouldn't believe how hard this was for me to do!! We go to church every time the doors are open. I am a saved child of God! I love Him with all my heart and want to serve Him. I am married to a preacher for goodness sake...and do you know what I was worried about? I was worried about what Shannon would think when I got down on my knees to pray beside my bed. How dumb is that? I tried to talk the Lord out of it. I told Him I could just pray in my bed as easily as I could BESIDE my bed. But I knew this was something I had to do. God was helping me (yet again) with my silly Pride Problem. So one night, I told Shannon, "I think I'm gonna kneel down right here and pray. You wanna pray with me?" And you know what he said? "Sure!" I have prayed on my knees every single night since and am so glad the Lord pressed me about it. It has been wonderful! Something so simple...and I almost let silly Pride get in the way. Prayer is truly a privilege.
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