Satan can be so slick. Thoughts come to mind that are so bizarre, we are confident they are not our thoughts. Thoughts that are completely foreign to our life. Then there are the half-truths. Or the thoughts that could actually be true.

What are you getting at, Gwen?

I have a circle of friends that like me, rise early, get coffee, light our candles, and pray. Recently one of my dear prayer partners came to me with these thoughts.

Someone she had been speaking with said they had been convicted that getting up every day praying and spending time in the Word was a “shrine”. She no longer got up to spend time in the Word and pray. It was just a discipline…a habit…not truly worship. She did not want to make a “god” out of it.

I understand the sentiment. I truly do. It is so easy to begin well. We give Abba God honor and praise. We intercede for others…ask Him to be mighty in our own life so that we might glorify Him. We do it day after day until we question ourselves. Why exactly am I doing this? Then the deceiver whispers, “So you will be a good disciple, a good follower of Yeshua. You do it to your own credit. Not because you love Him.” What?

I understand we all desire to have our hearts in the right place. An occasional inventory of our motives and some good confession keeps us on track. But to listen to this?

Who do you love most in this world? Family, spouse, children, parents… When you get up in the morning, who do you want to talk to most of all? Those you love. If you didn’t speak to your spouse or your children, they would believe you were angry or that fellowship with one another was broken. How much more should we desire to talk to the lover of our soul?

It is the most natural thing to desire, to need to speak to our Abba. We can have a disciplined prayer life. We can change up how we pray or come to Him…but we MUST come to Him.

How like the evil one to accuse us in a passive-aggressive way. To assume we are playing at our life. To assume our hearts are not turned to our Father.

Falsehood is falsehood. Satan can dress it up however he chooses. We are Abba God’s beloved children. We can begin our days with joy and anticipation… Excited to talk to our Abba God. Don’t allow anyone to take your Abba time. Joyfully meet Him in the early hours. He will be there waiting.