Will God Really Give Me the Desires of My Heart? Priscilla Shirer

Summary

The Candace Cameron Bure Podcast: "Will God Really Give Me the Desires of My Heart?" Featuring Priscilla Shirer

Release Date: December 10, 2024

Introduction and Guest Welcome

In this heartfelt episode of The Candace Cameron Bure Podcast, host Candace Cameron Bure welcomes renowned speaker and author Priscilla Shirer to discuss the profound question: "Will God Really Give Me the Desires of My Heart?" The conversation delves deep into personal experiences, spiritual growth, and the transformative power of faith.

Personal Journeys in Marriage

Candace and Priscilla begin by sharing personal stories about how they met their husbands, emphasizing the importance of intentionality and involving family in the relationship process.

Priscilla recounts her meeting with her husband, Jerry Shirer, describing the initial reluctance and eventual pursuit:

"When I showed Jerry Shire, this young executive, your information, he laughed and said, I do not want to meet her because she is my pastor's daughter." (00:00)

Candace parallels her own experience, highlighting the significance of parental involvement:

"To me, it's a big thing when it's possible to have that connection." (09:29)

Both women reflect on the joys and challenges of long-term relationships, stressing gratitude for enduring marriages in a time where lasting relationships are rare.

Cultivating Desires Aligned with Faith

The conversation shifts to the central theme of the episode: understanding and aligning one's desires with God's will. Priscilla discusses how God desires more than mere obedience; He longs for authentic love and connection.

Priscilla explains:

"He's that powerful that he can change the innermost part of you to desire things that you actually do not have an appetite for right now." (15:30)

Candace adds her personal struggles and prayers for aligning her desires:

"I can go back into all of my journals and I've seen a consistent prayer for 10 years saying, God, help me know you. Help me desire you like using that specific word." (16:45)

They explore the concept of sanctification, where spiritual growth leads to a transformation of desires, making individuals crave a deeper relationship with God.

Overcoming Habitual Sin through Accountability

Addressing the practical aspect of spiritual growth, Candace and Priscilla discuss strategies to overcome recurring sinful habits, such as gossip and slander. They emphasize the critical role of accountability in breaking these cycles.

Priscilla advises:

"Accountability piece is critical." (34:02)

Candace shares her personal experience with accountability groups, highlighting how having a supportive community can help maintain spiritual victories:

"I'm with you." (36:59)

They stress the importance of proactive measures, such as removing temptations from one's environment and enlisting trusted individuals to provide support and hold one accountable.

Preparing for Future Seasons with Faith

As the conversation progresses, both women reflect on personal transitions and preparing for future seasons of life with faith and grace.

Priscilla speaks candidly about her anticipation of aging gracefully and the peace she finds in trusting God's plan:

"As it's gotten closer and closer, you know, just the aging process, there is an ease, there is a peace, there is a welcoming even of whatever these next seasons entail." (32:21)

Candace relates her thoughts on entering new life stages, encouraging listeners to embrace change with a trusting heart.

Listener Interaction: Addressing Habitual Sin

The episode features a poignant listener question from Brittany:

"What do you do when you keep falling into habitual sin? I have trouble with gossip and slander, and I pray for forgiveness every night, but I fall again the next day. I feel like God is getting tired of this vicious cycle of mine." (33:42)

Priscilla responds with compassion and practical advice, emphasizing that God never tires of us and highlighting the importance of accountability:

"If you have no accountability, and I mean, where you've enlisted it, where you've, like, called so and so and said, girl, look, this is where I'm struggling." (35:10)

Candace reinforces the message by sharing her own journey of overcoming gossip through active accountability:

"Let me know. But I'm with you." (37:07)

Conclusion and Resources

As the episode concludes, Candace and Priscilla reiterate the importance of cultivating a heartfelt desire for God and maintaining accountability to overcome personal struggles. They offer listeners a free personal prayer guide to encourage prayer for their families and provide links to Priscilla's latest book, I Surrender All, which aligns with the season's theme.

Candace leaves listeners with a final note of gratitude and encouragement:

"Be grateful all day, every day." (39:13)

Key Takeaways

• Intentional Relationships: Building strong marriages involves intentionality, involving families, and maintaining gratitude.

• Aligning Desires with God: True spiritual growth involves transforming one's desires to align with God's will, fostering a deeper connection.

• Accountability is Crucial: Overcoming habitual sin requires accountability, proactive measures, and supportive communities.

• Embracing Life's Seasons: Trusting God's plan in every season leads to peace and grace, especially during life transitions.

Notable Quotes

• "He's that powerful that he can change the innermost part of you to desire things that you actually do not have an appetite for right now." — Priscilla Shirer (15:30)

• "If you have no accountability... you've enlisted it, where you've, like, called so and so and said, girl, look, this is where I'm struggling." — Priscilla Shirer (35:10)

• "Be grateful all day, every day." — Candace Cameron Bure (39:13)

This episode serves as a profound exploration of aligning one's heart with God's desires, overcoming personal challenges through faith and accountability, and embracing the transformative journey of spiritual growth.

Transcript

[A]

When I showed Jerry Shire, this young executive, your information, he laughed and said, I do not want to meet her because she is my pastor's daughter.

[B]

I always say life is like a roller coaster, but it's better when we go through it together. Welcome to the Candace Cameron Bure Podcast. We're here to share conversations about life's challenges, our celebrations, and everything in between. This season is about how our faith grows. We're calling it Moving Beyond Belief with Priscilla Shire. Come join us. Hey, Priscilla.

[A]

How you doing?

[B]

Good. I'm doing really good.

[A]

Are you sick of seeing me yet?

[B]

Are you kidding me?

[A]

This is like episode, what, seven in years? I know.

[B]

Unbelievable. No, it is a blessing.

[A]

Thanks for having me.

[B]

So fun to have these conversations. I was thinking, because we're, you know, we're talking about some, some deep stuff here.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And I kind of just wanted to talk about some personal stuff. I wanted to talk about you and Jerry.

[A]

Perfect.

[B]

And how you guys met and like, let's talk husbands for a minute.

[A]

Sounds good.

[B]

Because you adore yours and I adore mine.

[A]

I do. And you know, it is interesting when Jerry and I are at the 25 year mark now and you just kind of thought about that it was so far in the future when you first got married, and then all of a sudden you're there and you're not exactly sure how that happened, you know?

[B]

I know.

[A]

And then you're grateful that you do still, you know, kind of like each other and. Yeah. You know, you want to spend time together and you realize there are very few relationships these days that are going the distance. So I feel really grateful. We met when I was pretty young. I was 23. Jerry's six and a half years older than I am, so he's a little bit more established in life. And I went to actually go speak at a little meeting for some executives. I don't know why I was invited, but I'm this young girl and I just was going to do like a 15 minute little motivational talk. He was an executive for Hilton Hotels at the time.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And so I did that. And basically the woman who was the assistant to the president, she had organized this little luncheon and she just thought we needed to know each other. So I, I didn't know this woman. She'd never met me before, nor I her. And then she was like, you know, we've got this young executive and I feel like y'all need to meet. And I was like, girl, what?

[B]

I love when that happens.

[A]

I know. And it was super odd at the time. Because again, I never met her face to face. We just talked on the phone about the luncheon. So for her to kind of toss this idea in there that I meet this guy just sounded odd to me and awkward. And then she said to me, well, Priscilla, I was telling the people who will be at this luncheon about you and that you would be sharing. I showed them your information. And when I showed Jerry Shire, this young executive, your information, he laughed and said, I do not want to meet her because she is my pastor's daughter.

[B]

Get out of town.

[A]

So at that point, Jerry and I had been going to the same church for seven years, and we had never know each other. We'd never met each other.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

I sat sort of down front with dad and mom and, you know, pastor's kids, and he sat up in the balcony, you know, okay. Trying to stay away.

[B]

It's a pretty big church.

[A]

Big church. It's a big church. So our paths just did not cross. And then we met that day at the luncheon three months after this conversation with the woman. I kind of forgot about it until the luncheon. And then he walked through the door, and I remember kind of doing a double take, like, who in the world is this good chocolate nest walking? And we met that day, and he just kind of pursued me instantly. Like, I don't know. We literally just said hello at the event, did the luncheon. And then that night, there was a. I was going to say a voicemail from him, but that's back in the day. Was it? It was, yeah.

[B]

The answering machine.

[A]

That's right. And he left me a message, which means he'd asked the lady for my phone number.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And he left a message. And so we hung out a few days later. And I was really tempered the whole time because I had dated someone previously that I shared with you about in a. In a previous episode. And I was still kind of thinking that might recon and there might be a little ignition still there. So I was thinking that might be possible. So I. I told Jerry this after our second or third date. I was honest with him that we could just be friends, but let's just, you know, take it slow and not be all serious. And I'm telling you, a month after we met, I called my dad one day and said, hey, dad, what are you doing? And he said, oh, I'm sitting here talking to Jerry.

[B]

Get out. Did he call your. Did he call your dad? He's like, Mr. Evans, I'd like to. I'd like to sit, but he didn't have lunch with you?

[A]

And I was like, jerry who? No, this man did not call my daddy. And he's sitting here talking to him. But he did. And now I know he was totally. Had covert, you know, undercurrents there because he was like, I know if I can get in good with this totally, Priscilla will have to pay attention to me. So he did. And he just was kind of real intentional and serious from the very beginning.

[B]

Wow, that's so great.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

I. You know, when Val and I met. Talk about not being intentional. We met at a charity hockey game and we were. Yeah, we were introduced. I didn't watch hockey, but Dave Coulier from Full House had this charity hockey game. And so he introduced me to Val and kind of like, Jerry, Val called me the very next morning. He asked for my phone number that day, and then called me the next morning and said, hey, do you want to go to lunch? And I was 18, he was 20. Um, so it kind of was fast and furious also. But we had courted. He courted me on the phone for six months because he was playing hockey on the east coast. I was still doing the show on the west Coast. But then when we. Six months later, once we spent time with each other for the first time, I flew out to see him. We both really liked each other.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And then, you know, five months later, he proposed to me.

[A]

Oh, wow.

[B]

But this is what Val did with my dad, so. My. My poor parents. Okay. Being a parent now, Priscilla, I have. I can't tell you how many times I've apologized to my mom and dad. I'm like, I'm so sorry. I just didn't know. I didn't get it.

[A]

Yeah, you don't get it until you have children of your own. And then you're like, oh, shucks. Well, there's so many apologies.

[B]

Yeah. So my parents only met Val twice before we got married. Okay.

[A]

My goodness.

[B]

And it was really because he was playing hockey on the east Coast. But we were having our rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding, and Val and I got into a disagreement over something that we were going to do during the ceremony of the wedding. Like, he was uncomfortable to pray or write his own vows or there was just something. So we kind of got into this argument. I got, you know, really peeved at him. And so we were. We were, you know, outside, and I think, you know, my dad walked in on this semi heated exchange. And my dad's, like, looking at me so nervous because he doesn't know this guy. He doesn't know him. And he's like, are you okay? Are you okay? And I'm like, yeah, dad, I'm fine. And he's like, do you need to call this off? Like, do you. Do you want to call this off? And I'm like, no, dad. Like, we're both just tired and it's a lot of decision making, and, like, our wedding's tomorrow and we're stressed out. We're fine. So later, my dad's then talking about things. Things totally calmed down. It was fine. And he goes, so, Val, why do you want to marry my daughter? And Val looked at him and he goes, because I really need a green card. My dad looked at him.

[A]

That's gangster right there. That is gangster.

[B]

And the good thing is. I know. The good thing is my dad has this great sense of humor. My dad has a very dry sense of humor. And my dad burst out laughing and he was like, oh, I like this kid. I like this kid.

[A]

That's great. That's great.

[B]

So it was. I was like, phew. But I was like, I can't believe that's what you said.

[A]

That's so awesome.

[B]

Funny.

[A]

But I love. I. You know, it's really cool, though, that I know that some people don't have the privilege, for whatever reason, the joy of having their dads involved in the process, even because their dads have passed away or they didn't raise them to begin with, they're present, but not really. Yeah. So the fact that my dad was involved in that is a big deal to me. I hope that I've told my sons, you know, with my three boys, whenever you get to the point where you feel strongly enough about a young lady that you want to date her, you need to make sure you have talked to that young lady's father. That's a big deal to me, you know, and they're kind of like, oh, us too. Yeah. They're kind of like, for real. And I'm like, oh, yeah, you're going to talk to her father.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And if you don't want to talk to her father, that means you don't like her enough.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Your heart's not endeared to her enough. So she ain't the one anyway. Yeah. So I've just still thought that that's sort of like an old school thing. But to me, it's a big thing when it's possible to have that connection. Point there.

[B]

Agree. We've our boys the same thing. And Natasha were like, you better tell him if he. If he wasn't raised that way.

[A]

That's right.

[B]

That he needs to talk to your dad.

[A]

That's a big deal.

[B]

And. But yeah, Lev, Lev had that conversation before he got married and, and several of them and it was, it was pretty cool. And it's, it's. I know I, I know how much it means for A4 parents to have those conversations with your, your future daughter or son in law and yeah, it's really special.

[A]

And you know, you and I could have a whole conversation. We' totally off topic, which I love, but we could have a whole conversation about, you know, your son getting married. Because I've thought about this. Now that my boys are coming into their early 20s and they're getting, you know, probably in this next decade, one or two of them might find their person and be getting married. And I've thought a lot about how that's going to feel for me when there's this woman that, you know, I already feel like I'm gonna have an attitude problem. Like I'm not, I'm not doing well. You know, just thinking about it, I know, I'm just like, lord, please let this young lady just be sweet and joyful and gracious and humble and all the things that endear us to each other as opposed to her kind of coming in as a know it all and me having. Because I'm not going to do well. So I'm asking the Lord to prepare my heart right now. So I might need to get counseling from you on how you did that.

[B]

I feel it really is so different with your sons because I feel. What do they say? A daughter is a daughter for life. But I can't think of it either. You know, a son like takes his wife.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Basically.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Like he. I know.

[A]

And you kind of want to be like, who is this chick? Like, I don't really know you like that girl.

[B]

I know it's. Yeah, yeah. It's a little hard because you're no longer the leading lady of their life, you know, But I'm. Listen, I'm so grateful. I love my daughter in law so much. I loved her when I saw her and didn't know that she was the one that was dating my son. I hadn't met her yet, but they had just started dating. Very interesting.

[A]

Was there something she was doing or saying in that moment that made you.

[B]

She just, she was walking towards me, but I didn't know she was walking towards me. We were in a public place, but I just saw her walking down and I went, what a beautiful Young woman.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

And I just. She was so classy and so elegant and you could tell she was 20 years old. But she just held her head high and she just had just a disposition of peace and grace. And then she kept walking towards me and walking towards me and she was like, hi, Mrs. Bure. And I was like, wait, are you Elliot? And she's like, yes, I am.

[A]

And I'm like, awesome.

[B]

Wow. So nice. But you know, that first impression was a good impression.

[A]

That's so great.

[B]

And that was a blessing. But anyway, I love it.

[A]

I'm praying for my future daughter in laws. Since my kids were little.

[B]

Yeah, me too.

[A]

So.

[B]

Me too. And I'm. Yeah. Praying for my. My other kids, but I'll. When I pray for mine, I will remember to pray for yours.

[A]

Thank you. Wherever they are, just know I'm preparing my own heart for you.

[B]

Yes, I know what we. What the goal is. To be a mother in love. Yes. Mother in law, but a mother in love.

[A]

Jerry's mother. It's like I hit the mother in love jackpot. She just gathered me up into her bosom, for lack of a better word. Like she. I was her daughter for all intents and purposes and she just loved me, was gracious to me. Gosh, now that I'm on this side of the coin with grown boys, I wish I would have been so much more. The only word I can think of is humble. Not that I was arrogant, but I would have asked her more questions. I would have positioned myself as a student a little bit more just about you. You know my husband, you know him when he's in a funk. What do you suggest that I might do to help him with that? Or when he's not communicative or what just brings him joy? Or what meals did you cook that are his favorite? Could you show me how? Like I would have intentionally positioned myself more just at her feet to learn from the wisdom of her life, you know, but she was just so gracious, this little 24 year old. I can't imagine bounding into her son's life and just being like, hey, total. I want to be what she was to me. She's in heaven now. Excuse me, but what she was to me, I really would love to be to my daughter in laws whenever I meet those young ladies.

[B]

So yes. Oh, that's good. I know. I feel like we could do a whole series on family. We are going to stick to the program. We're going to get back to the task. We are talking today about out everything you Want. Everything you want. Which is, to me, a little bit similar in that we talked about sanctification, becoming. But break down what everything you want is about.

[A]

It is, man, that part of the book, I Surrender all, is after we get past this halfway point in the book, it starts to talk a lot about your desires. That's what the want, okay. Attaches itself to that longing, the passion, the desire in you that God wants more from us than just obedience because we're supposed to. He wants us to want to.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

He think about the vast, great, boundless, passionate love of God that he would send his son to die. I mean, I hope I'm glad nobody's salvation depends on me doing something with my boys, because we'd all be in trouble. Right. It took my son because that love connection is so deep.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And so wide. But he loved us that much. He wouldn't have gone through all of that just to demand obedience from people. He actually wanted love in return. He wanted connection, friendship. Yeah. And so the goal of our discipleship is that it be rooted in a passion which sometimes in different seasons of our life, if we're to be honest, we don't have. It's a little dry. Like we're in a valley. It's a dry season. Maybe we're still showing up to our Christian life and doing what we're supposed to do. But if we're honest, it's really not rooted in any sort of authentic desire.

[B]

That, you know, I mean, I. I have such a passion and desire to know God and be with God and spend time with God, but that hasn't always been my life. And not just like, oh, not just being a new believer or something, but for years and years. I can go back into all of my journals and I've seen a consistent prayer for 10 years saying, God, help me know you. Help me desire you like using that specific word. And when I go back and read some of them, I'm like, wow, I've been praying for that desire for a long time. Give me an appetite to read the Bible.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Because when I read it right now, I don't even know what I'm reading. And I, you know, things like that.

[A]

It feels, like, stale and.

[B]

Yeah. And like. But like 10 years, 12 years. And I feel like somewhere in my 40s, it kicked in.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And anyway, I'm just saying, like, I've prayed for a long time for the desires of my heart to change, to want different things, that they didn't all happen overnight.

[A]

That's right. And I'm glad that you have just shared that because people need permission to know that it's. It's okay. Like, the Lord knows the state of your heart. Anyway, just go ahead and be honest about that because the reality is we are human. He's fully aware of our frailty and our ups and downs. And, you know, one step forward, two steps back, and he is so gracious and kind that he meets us where we are. And he is so powerful that he not only changes circumstances, but. But some of the biggest. I've said this before, Some of the biggest miracles he does is that he changes your heart. He actually changes your appetites. He's that powerful that he can change the innermost part of you to desire things that you actually do not have an appetite for right now. And it's reminding me. Speaking of the boys, it's reminding me when I was pregnant with my first son. Oh, my goodness. As the new life of this baby was growing in me, my taste buds were, like, all over the place. Like, I'm not a pickle person. But all of a sudden I was. And then on the exact same day, I would want chocolate. Like chocolate and the pickles at the same time. I remember looking at my nightstand one day and I had some, you know, a jar of dill pickles sitting there and also an Oreo blast from Sonic. And I mean, I was going back.

[B]

Some sweet and sour, right?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Sweet and tart.

[A]

And I hadn't really been a chocolate person beforehand. Not a pickle person either. But all of a sudden, the new life was dictating my appetite. My whole palate was shifting because there was something else growing inside of me.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So I didn't have to focus on my palate. I just had to grow. New life. And the automatic result of that was that my palate changed. This is our relationship with the Lord. It's like as we're focusing on growing the new life of Christ in us, old things have passed away. When we place faith in Jesus Christ, all things have become new. Like the Holy Spirit of God is on the inside of us. As we cooperate with the growing process, then we're going to find our palette starts changing. Like we're sitting in movies and we're in a movie we would have loved to see before. We would have laughed at those crude and crass jokes before, but now we see them. And they might still be funny, but there's something about them that is just distasteful.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Or the. The gossip or the whatever that you would have sat in comfortably before, it's just not as comfortable anymore. The excess that you could have walked down that road with an excess of drinking that or eating that or participating in that. And you didn't feel anything before, but now your tastes are changing and you're uneasy about it, or you desire something that you didn't before. This is the work of God in us. It is the sanctification process, and it's a gift, because that means we don't have to focus so much on behavior modification, which can be temporary and exhausting.

[B]

Right.

[A]

If it's not rooted in something inside that wants it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And so the Lord helps you want what he wants.

[B]

So someone says, well, okay, how do I start wanting that?

[A]

Yeah. Revelation, chapter three. You know, Revelation is this book in the Bible that you. You hear the name of it, and it's like intimidations. That's in. Because it's the Revelation.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

But right at the beginning of it. Oh, man. At some point, I think I want to write something on these letters that John writes to these churches, and he's challenging each of them and the church at Ephesus. I think it's Revelation, chapter two, his challenge to this particular church. Every one of them has a unique challenge, and one of them is the Lord basically is commending them. You've endured. You've. You've got good works. Your church is fruitful. Like, you're doing all these great things, but I have this one thing against you. You have left your first love. How important is it to the Lord that we love Him? That even with all this laundry list of good deeds that he commends the church for, he's like, it's all great, but actually it's not rooted in love anymore. You're just doing the thing instead of loving me. And so he challenges them to get back to that place of desire, of passion. And one of the first things he says is remember. It's like three things. It's like, remember. Remember where you have. From where you have fallen, I think it says. Which basically means remember how you felt originally. Remember where you were. Remember the passion that we had. Remember what you shared with me. It's like when you get married and you're 25 years in, or 10 years in, or three years in, and you kind of have to think back sometimes to when you were dating and what that felt like.

[B]

You're like, I used to think it was really cute when you were chewing that cereal. It's not so cute anymore. I don't like the stress. Exactly.

[A]

So just like pausing and remembering what it felt like when you felt that fervor in your heart and then repeat the things that you did that cultivated that. Because we really do move away from the things that we're cultivating that pure love for the Lord. Just like in marriage, like we start doing all the things because we're busy with kids and we've got schedules and we've got dynamics, we've got all the things that we've got to wrestle through and we stop just repeating the simple things that actually made us fall in love in the first place.

[B]

This Christmas, people are still reeling from Hurricane Helene. Your $50 gift provides emergency essentials like food, water and other critical supplies to one person. And your generosity will be doubled by matching funds. So $50 helps two people demonstrate God's love in a practical way. This Christmas through World Helps. They have a four star charity navigator rating. Double your gift [e-mail] candice that's worldhelp.net candice you know how much I love the generous kids book club. They bring stories to life for kids ages 2 through 12, teaching values like gratitude and kindness. You can subscribe to get a new book every month or with the holidays coming up, grab our 10 book bundle. It makes the perfect gift. We also offer individual copies so you have lots of gift options. Go to GenerousFamily.com to learn more. We are in that season of life just because our youngest is still lives at home now. But we have rediscovered all the things that we loved about each other when we first started dating. And it's so beautiful and it's really simple too. For example, well, the, the walk and talk conversations. I remember when going on a walk and holding hands when we were first dating and you're just talking about things and that was enough. That was exciting and because you're discovering each other and today I love those walk and talks and they might not be as discoverable, but it's, it's different. It's just the togetherness and still holding the hands and being able to talk about life and think of the future and maybe grandkids one day. And like all the dreams and goals, they're just, they just look different now. But those things were such beautiful things. But you know, in the busy throes of raising the kids, like, I don't think we took walks together very often.

[A]

Yeah, you're exhausted.

[B]

Yeah, exactly.

[A]

And I think, I think coming back to that and remembering what it is that you used to do that helped to cultivate that friendship with the Lord. And then doing those things again, like doing it over and over again and trusting the Lord that he's gonna let your feelings catch up as you just continue to cultivate that friendship and that relationship. Yeah.

[B]

Would you say that even. Maybe Mary and Martha are kind of examples of that in the way that it was. It was Martha that was so busy. Right. And she just was doing her thing. It's like we get caught up in sometimes so much in doing the thing for God.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But forget to sit in the presence of God and just be with him.

[A]

Absolutely. And, you know, thank God for the Martha's. Somebody's got to.

[B]

For sure.

[A]

Somebody's got to put stuff together. Yeah. Like what? At the expense of what. Like what are we missing out on that is actually making us frustrated and worn out and exacerbated in our relationship with the Lord instead of enjoying. We're supposed to be enjoying our lives with Him. And if we're not, then it is time to just pause and say, okay, what is it that I need to repeat from way back at the very beginning that will help me? I remember I intentionally went to a Bible study. Oh, my gosh. I guess this is 15 years ago now. I found out about this home Bible study group that was meeting in the Dallas Fort Worth area. And I literally just showed up. I didn't know these people. I knew that they were way, way, way, way, way more charismatic than I was used to. So completely different streams of the church than me. It was sort of an eclectic group of people that gathered and I loved that I wanted to be stretched. I wanted to be in a place that was different than me and different than my usual. And I went into that place and the first hour, all they did was pipe worship music through this house. And these 20, you know, 20 to 25 people each week, some would be on their knees, some would be standing. Some would literally lay across the floor. Some would sit there with their journals, Others, would, you know, have their hands raised. Or some would just sit and prayerfully be in God's presence. And I thought, this is so unique and beautiful and spectacular and endearing us to the heart of God in a non profit, programmatic way. And I wish. I mean, that revolutionized my.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

My own prayer time and my own life with God that it's okay to literally just sit here and not feel like I have to do anything except let the words of this. These worship songs provide a soundtrack for my reflections, my gratitude, my worship, my praise. And I wish that we did that more as a Global church.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

That we moved away from the program a little bit. There's got to be structure. Of course, when you have hundreds or thousands of people gathering, of course there has to be structure. But there's room. There's. There needs to be room made for just pause and just be.

[B]

Yeah, I can. I've had a couple of those experiences too. I've always wanted to go to other churches that are not like mine.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I still have yet. Because I'm a little scared to go by myself. So I'm like, I want a buddy, I want a friend to just take me to their church. That is their church. That's different, you know, maybe more charismatic. I. I mean, I have been to churches that are way less charismatic.

[A]

Me too. I love that too. Yeah.

[B]

Or. Or very formal in that sense.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

You know, I go to a very contemporary. It's a non denominational church, but the teaching is solid, you know, and I know that. But I have yet to be. Go to a very charismatic church. And I'd love to.

[A]

Oh, yeah, I love it.

[B]

I really would love to. But I've had some moments at some. In some women's ministry events as well that have been kind of smaller and more private and. And there have been moments where I'm like, this is out of the norm for me. But. But God's always like, take your shoes off, Take your shoes off. And it just. And I'm. I don't know where that came from. And maybe that's a thing for some people, but I'm like, okay. And I just will take my shoes off. And you feel. I feel grounded. There's something. I mean, maybe it's because Moses.

[A]

Yeah. I understand that, like, this is holy ground. There's something sacred about this moment in this, this particular spot in your journey with me.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And just acknowledging that in some physical way, whether it's taking your shoes off or getting down on your knees, like.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Those are real promptings that are invitations to the. From the Lord, I think, to just join him.

[B]

Right.

[A]

In a more personal way. Yeah.

[B]

So feeling like that, but having this ministry of what you. You just shared in, just sitting in the presence or singing or feeling okay to lay flat on the floor. And I've done it. And yet that's not my norm. And yet I'm like, this is. It's so beautiful. And it's changed me. And I just. I value those times. And I think that one of the desires that I have that I want to have is to not have that fear of man.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And I just want to freely listen to what I feel. The Lord is speaking through me, and I. I feel like I know his voice pretty well when he is. And. And say it's okay if. If I look crazy to someone because I'm taking my shoes off or I'm laying flat on the floor and people start thinking of germs. And I, like, get up.

[A]

But you also don't know how many people see it. And it actually frees up something in them.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

To do what they feel like the Lord is encouraging them to do. But they've felt restrained in doing that. But then they see the example of someone else who's just being obedient.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And it does something for them. And that was part of what the Lord wanted out of your worship, too. Wasn't just for you. It's because there are people attached to. To us in our.

[B]

Yeah, I didn't even think about that.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

That's. So have there ever been times where you. You felt like either you desire to want something new or maybe God is saying, you don't even know this, but this is where you need to change. This is where you need to be woken up, like one or the other. Do you have any examples in your life?

[A]

I'm trying to think of something specific that I didn't even know that I needed or wanted. Have to think about that.

[B]

I can't think of anything right now. Okay.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Yeah. You know, I've. I've prayed for things just to rely on God to give me those desires.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And things like that. Even. You know, we talked about motherhood in the very beginning, the earlier years, because again, like, for me, I had had a whole career before motherhood, which isn't normal. And I always feel like I talk about it. And people probably think like, you don't. You don't. Do you not like your children or. And I love them, but I just. My world was flipped growing. So I was so in work mode, career mode. And I really had to pray for God to give me the desire to love motherhood and want to be. There wasn't a love for my children. I love my children, but just a desire to be intentional and enjoy the season of motherhood and young kids.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And. And God certainly did do that. You know, but, you know, it was a lot of your. A lot of years in the beginning of praying pretty consistently and hard to say, like, I want to love this, because I do love them. I want to love everything around it.

[A]

Yeah. I think along those same lines, it's like you're saying that the Lord gave you a joy in that season. And as I look toward the future, I feel like that's one of the things the Lord has given me, a holy anticipation and expectation for, you know, like, for me, it's like the 50s coming up this next season, which honestly felt a little intimidating to me. I would say six, seven years ago, I would look towards these next decades with a sense of dread is too dramatic. But a sense of, oh, gosh, yeah, what, what now? What am I going to be, you know, as productive as am I going to be tired? You know, what, like, what is that going to look like? And I've kind of been nervous about it, but as it's gotten closer and closer, you know, just the aging process, there is an ease, there is a peace, there is a welcoming even of whatever these next seasons entail. And I'm grateful that I've watched the Lord sort of mold that in me from being a little bit anxious about it and now being even welcoming towards it.

[B]

You know, I feel the same way.

[A]

Yeah. Little gray hair never hurt anybody.

[B]

Nope. But I'm going to hide them as long as I can. Should we take a listener question?

[A]

Love to.

[B]

Okay. This is from Brittany. She said, what do you do when you keep falling into habitual sin? I have trouble with gossip and slander, and I pray for forgiveness every night, but I fall again the next day. I feel like God is getting tired of this vicious cycle of mine.

[A]

Like, you know, I love the honesty of this question so much.

[B]

I know.

[A]

First of all, you know, God is not tired of you, and he's not never at you. So that's something that the enemy would love to cripple us with. This sense that God is mad and he's over it. And, you know, now there are consequences that are attached to our choices. So God's anger is not necessarily connected to what could be very real consequences when we continue in a cycle that we know we need to discontinue. But one of the main tools to help us to live in victory is accountability. If you have no accountability, and I mean, where you've enlisted it, where you've, like, called so and so and said, girl, look, this is where I'm struggling. I. I realize I've crossed a line here. And I realize it's. It's almost addictive at this point, because what. What I hear in this woman's question is that it's not just that she knows that she's. This is a simple act. It's that she actually can't stop. It's that when she would like to not do the thing. And this could apply to any number of things.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

When I'd like to not do that, I still do it. I can't actually control myself. That's an addictive pattern. That's. That's set in to your life. And the only way. Well, one of the main and primary ways to be able to break that, no matter what the issue is, is with accountability. And you have to actively proactively enlist someone who, you know has got victory in that area, who can hold you accountable. Accountable. And get all up in your business.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

And challenge you and say, we're not doing that. Come. Come over here with me. Come over here with me. Let's. Let's talk through this and let's get it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Get it together. So that accountability piece is critical.

[B]

It is. That was. That was going to be my answer to. Even in. In specific, to gossip or slander. This played out in my life in that I had a girlfriend and the two of us were Christians and we had a group of ladies we would lunch with. Rest of the ladies weren't Christians, but, you know, we would talk about all the things, but it would always turn gossipy at some point. And one day my friend said, hey, guys, like, I don't want to be a part of this conversation anymore. And it was really bold of her to say that. She said, so if we're going to start talking about people, then I'm going to leave. But if we would like to talk about these other things that's not behind someone's back, then I want to continue to have lunch. And I was like, high five in her. I'm like, good for you.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But even her speaking that out loud to the group and it even convicted me in the moment very much. But then I'm like, okay, I got my buddy. So then it was like, confidence. Yeah.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And accountability. And then I'm like, I didn't really think I was struggling with gossip, but I wasn't opposed to being a part of it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Or just like listening to.

[A]

Right.

[B]

But now that I go, hey, you spoke up.

[A]

You were.

[B]

Were bold. I'm like, if you ever hear me saying that, let me know. But I'm with you.

[A]

You.

[B]

You kind of feel, you know, safer in.

[A]

Totally.

[B]

When you have a buddy.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

And, you know, that's just something else to think about that.

[A]

That's right.

[B]

It all comes back to accountability and.

[A]

And it kind of leads to even the second thing that was on my mind, which is your friend in that situation, she was willing to remove herself. And to me, that requires accountability and some courage as well. But what is the thing that it is you are unable to resist? Is it just sitting there on the table or are you going to remove it? Meaning if. If food is your problem, if gluttony is your problem, if sugar is your problem, but you still go to the grocery store and buy every sugary thing you can get your hands on and it's sitting right there, you are not going to be able to resist the Krispy Kreme doughnuts. They right there.

[B]

Right.

[A]

You don't have to make a decision. I'm going to shift my environment. I'm going to remove certain things that are going to be temptation for me to keep walking down, take myself out of this pocket of friends. I'm going to remove those items from my living space or my. Whatever that is now conducive with the new path that I'm walking down. And that takes courage, that takes accountability. But you can't expect to, to be in the environment that is actually supportive of the activity and think that you're strong enough to resist it. So is it online that you're, that you're getting into all the slander and the gossip and you can't help but comment, then you need to delete your Instagram.

[B]

Right.

[A]

You need to be drastic in what you need to do to support.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Honoring God in whatever area of your life he's asking you to.

[B]

Hey, I, I've been so open about my disordered eating through my whole life, and those are. That's the, the biggest tool that I have to overcome bad choices when it comes to food in my life. It's like I just can't have it. I can't have it in the house, you know?

[A]

Oh, I want to do a whole episode on that. I would love to hear about that.

[B]

Well, we could talk about that next week or something. We just slide it on in.

[A]

Yeah, that's very interesting. Yeah.

[B]

Okay, well, maybe we'll, we'll talk about that. We'll. We'll see where it, where it can fit in. But that's it for today.

[A]

Great conversation.

[B]

It was a great one. Thanks for joining us, everyone. Remember, we have a free gift for you that we're calling a personal prayer guide. And it's our way of encouraging you to pray for your family. Go to Candice.com to find the link. It's also in our show notes. And you'll also find a link to Priscilla's newest book, I Surrender all, which is the conversation this season that we're having. Until next time, Be grateful all day, every day. Candy Rock Entertainment. All rights reserved.