Ever have one of those moments that you feel your flesh pulling you in so many directions to use as excuses not to attend church? Whether it be a sudden headache, tiredness, overstimulation from a hectic day, or just not feeling it. We are humans after all and it definitely happens to believers every so often.

You see, the enemy is going to try everything to try to stop us from gathering. Again, as we discussed in our last post, God is a god of love and community. The enemy tries to isolate us from everything and everyone. He knows there a strong power in unity. Also, in the Lord’s house there is liberation and so many powerful effects that happens in us. Quite like my short testimony I want to share with you.

Last Sunday, or rather let’s start the day before, Saturday. I was feeling emotionally “heavy” and unmotivated. I honestly didn’t know what was going on with me. I recall having thoughts of not wanting to go to church the next day. I didn’t know at the time why, since the church I currently go to (I’ve been attending a new church for over a month now) has been such a life changer and positive experience. My day wasn’t going too bad-just minor inconveniences. Sunday morning came, and I wrestled in bed to get myself fully awake. My husband helped me with our daughters to get them ready. I then proceeded to ready myself. I could feel my flesh tugging at me to not go. After a few minutes, I heard commotion going on from the kitchen. I went to go check what happened and to my horror, 3 of my most loved plants were all over the floor. One of my daughters was reaching for something and accendently knocked one and while my husband trying to help another plant from falling, the others were knocked down in the process.

Now, I want to note that I had just repotted these 2 days prior into bigger pots because they had so much growth. I take good care of my plants and it’s a dear-to-my-heart hobby. I froze. My mind raced with so many thoughts. Including the thought: I’m defitnetly not going to church now. I stood there for roughly 15 seconds in that position. I remember abruptly halting my “thought train” and internally telling myself that the plants were not more important than my family or the safety of their emotions. My husband was trying to clean it up and trying to comfort me. God bless him, the Lord has really blessed me with someone so caring. I told him I was not mad but to let me feel out the situation. I won’t lie-I cried after. Just a brief rush of emotion. It was like all the little things were adding up and I felt suffocated. Then I blurted out loud, “the devil is just mad that I’m still going to try to make it to church”.

Oof. Let me tell you, you can tangibly feel how true that was. When we verbally declare that we will not be overcome by our situation, there’s a release that comes with it. Declaring victory is declaring faith. It might not happen how we expect, but the victory does come. I went on to do my daughter’s hair. I have all their hair accessories pretty organized, including the hair elastics by color. As I was doing her hair, the storage container with the hundreds of rubber hair elastics, fell to the ground. I stood up, took a deep breath and said, “you’re just mad devil. But I rebuke you in the name of Jesus!” I finished my daughter’s hair, rushed everyone out the house and off to church we went.

I remember the racing thoughts coming back. “You don’t want them to see you in this condition. Stay in your car during service.” “Don’t go in the sanctuary during service, your mental state isn’t well”. I started to think of excuses again to not go in the church. Nevertheless, I pushed through and made it in. Our church family was welcoming us in with their smiles and warmness. I led the girls into the nursery and went in to the sanctuary. The ambiance in the church was so joyful and peaceful, I could feel the “emotional baggage” being pushed away. Though with that, comes the flesh to fight.

During worship, I was singing and felt this overwhelming gratitude and presence of God “hugging” me. The intense moment you have when your heart is poured out and God is sustaining you in worship, is very deeply impacting. I was basically crying through out it all. The sermon came along, and there I was still crying. And the whole sermon hit home for me. God was speaking in such a powerful way. When the ministering part came, my husband took my hand and said “c’mon, you need this”. He led me to the alter. We went up for prayer. I held my hands up and held my heart out for the Lord to work. Our pastor came over and basically called out everything that was happening as he ministered led by God. I felt the overwhelming presence of God liberate me in a powerful way. Man, was I glad I made it to church!! God always comes on time♥

Sometimes, we can miss out on a blessing the Lord has for us when we miss a church service. That could have been the blessing you’ve been waiting so long for. Don’t let the flesh win! Drag yourself if you must! I am so grateful God gave me the strength to fight that day. To be spiritually renewed after being in emotional pain for so long(I was holding on to months of emotional hurt), was what I needed. To feel light and free again. I didn’t know I was battling so much baggage. I was numb but God came and renewed me!

Take courage and fight back! Don’t stay tramped over by the enemy. Hold your head up and fight! Please go to church, we were never meant to be alone♥

“not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25♥ (NKJV)