Oh, Boy, I'm In Trouble Now

I have a paralyzing fear. And yes, although I'm deathly afraid of the ocean, this is not what I'm talking about. My fear is a lot more inconvenient for a Christian to have. I am afraid to pray out loud. Yep. It is crazy inconvenient, especially when I am asked often to lead prayer. Seriously, some people would assume that since I can share the gospel without any problem, I can pray out loud. Even I would assume that. But no. Ever since I was little, I have never liked praying out loud. And I don't know why. So, when my youth pastor decided that instead of him just reading the prayer requests, having anyone that volunteered read with him, I began to squirm in my seat.

In general, I am willing to do difficult things for a good reason, and I don't let fear get in my way. One of my favorite games to play is Gaga Ball (a game like dodgeball, but you have to bend over). When you play it, you have to go into it knowing that you will probably be hit in the face with a jelly ball. And if you get hit by the right person, that really hurts. But I think it is so worth it and play every game I can. I guess that's fine and dandy, but I actually want to play Gaga Ball. I can tell you right now that I did not want to pray in front of the entire room.

So, I guess this brings me to another incident that happened in Karate class. We were breaking plastic boards over our knees and every time we would break one board, we would take one up that was a little thicker. By the time I had gotten to the thickest board, my knee was bruised. I was terrified to break that last board over my knee. My Sensei handed me that board, and shivers went down my spine as I held it in my hands. But I raised it and slammed it over my leg, snapping it in half. Yes, it did hurt. But it was nothing compared to the accomplishment I felt of having defeated my fear.

All these times I've been afraid, I had overcome in the past, and I wasn't going to let a little thing (although it seemed huge to me) ruin my chance to pray for someone in need. So, when there was a break in the prayer, I knew it was my turn. And although my heart was racing faster than I can ever remember to date, I did it. I prayed in front of the entire high school room. I wish I could say that I nailed it, but really it was brief and choppy. But you know, that was ok. God knew what that person needed, and He wouldn't answer that prayer differently than He would have had I used the most beautiful flowery language. The event didn't go to waste, though, because I know that next time I have an opportunity to pray out loud, I won't be nearly as nervous and hopefully not nearly as awkward.

Doing things for the first time may seem terrifying. When I first shared the gospel, I was scared. But after you do it the first time, it suddenly won't seem as terrifying. And don't put the pressure on yourself, expecting yourself to do it perfectly. God can use any effort you put towards sharing His kingdom. Facing our fears is why I named this website Brave the Battle. So, I'm going to ask you this, and please take this seriously. Are you willing to brave the battle and share the gospel? If you are, check out the weekly challenge and share the gospel with me and other friends.

Thank you for reading! Please comment below if you have anything to add or have your own experience to share. The link to the Weekly Challenge is below!

Weekly Challenge