“Passion is the fuel in the engine of your purpose.”  Priscilla starts our look into the ten different strategies that the enemy uses to draw us away from God and stifle our attempts at fervent prayer by talking about our passions.

What are the things that you are passionate about? Those things that stir your heart, the God-inspired activities that you pursue because you can’t imagine not doing them?

For me I am passionate about writing, and I have a heart for missions. I have a passion to unite women and create an environment where all feel welcome and find encouragement.

The enemy is well aware of the way God has equipped me to follow my passions, and he will stop at nothing to make sure I feel discouraged and disheartened if I pursue them.

A little over a year ago I approached a couple of other women in my church and asked if they would be interested in starting a women’s ministry at church. We didn’t have anything official in place and I felt like it was a need that the women of the church could benefit from.

We had a few activities planned and they were so much fun. We hosted a movie night and watched “Mom’s Night Out” and even did a painting class and marveled at the artistic ability of so many women in our church!

I felt inspired and excited at all God was going to do with this group of women. Unity was forming as I began to get to know so many people I hadn’t known well before.

I guess I should have known the attack was coming. I wasn’t praying over it, I was hardly praying at all really. I was in that place where everything on the outside looked good and put together…but my heart told another story.

Much of my undoing was a result of pride, this claiming of my role in the success.

I had stopped praising God for all the ways He was moving, thanking Him for fueling this passion He placed in my heart.

Behind closed doors I was becoming more and more embittered. I held unreasonably high expectations of those closest to me and became discontented with everything in my life. When I was confronted with my behaviors, I pointed fingers and blamed. I was unwilling to see that I was causing hurt and thought that because I was doing something good for the church that I must be “good” as well.

And so one day I walked away from it all.

I didn’t want to deal with the ugly, so I thought quitting everything that I loved was the answer, but what really needed to happen was a heart change.

And so just like that, everything that I was passionate about was gone and I was mad.

Mad at God, mad at my family…but you know, not once did I consider that the enemy might have his hand in all of it!

The enemy whispers lies, he is cunning and manipulative, he fuels pride and discontentment.

If we are not engaging in fervent prayer as we pursue our passions we are setting ourselves up for certain failure.

Yes God calls us, He fills us with His passions for our lives. But as we move forward in those passions we need to be in constant prayer. Prayer to remain humble, prayers giving glory to the One who started it in the first place. Prayers for guidance and prayers for protection.

I will share tomorrow the incredible way that God redeemed this entire situation. He is the reason that I am writing today. A gift He gave me and I always want my words to honor Him.

But for now I encourage you  to examine your passions. Take some time to write them down. Where is God calling you, and are you praying about those passions? Is there any heart work that needs to be done so that you can follow them?

And come back tomorrow as I share a little more of my journey!

Lord, Thank you that You have filled our hearts with different passions. Help us Lord to walk in those giftings in a manner that will bring You honor and glory. In Jesus Name, Amen.