What's Keeping You From Praying?

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Quiz Questions

1.
Do you feel like your prayer life is stuck in a rut?
- A.
  Yep
- B.
  Probably
- C.
  I'm Not Sure
- D.
  Nope, it's fresh and lively
2.
Do you feel pressure about how often you pray, what you say etc.?
- A.
  All the Time
- B.
  Sometimes
- C.
  Not Really
- D.
  Definitely Not
3.
Spiritual forces are real and at work in the world.
- A.
  For Sure
- B.
  Neutral
- C.
  Disagree
4.
Do you become suspicious of and angry with God if it seems like he's not answering your prayers?
- A.
  Definitely
- B.
  I hate to admit it, but sometimes I do
- C.
  Nope
5.
Do you have a hard time staying focused when you pray?
- A.
  Most Definitely
- B.
  Sometimes
- C.
  Not Sure
- D.
  No, I don't really struggle with this
6.
Do you frequently wonder how you can know and hear God's voice?
- A.
  This is something I wonder a lot
- B.
  I haven't really thought about it much
- C.
  I feel pretty confident in my ability to know and hear God's voice
7.
How easy is it for you to ask for help?
- A.
  So hard!
- B.
  I don't love to, but I can
- C.
  I ask for help all the time
8.
Do you get easily discouraged if you lose focus during prayer?
- A.
  Most definitely
- B.
  Somewhat
- C.
  Not really
9.
Do you sometimes question if you've heard God correctly?
- A.
  All. The. Time.
- B.
  Occasionally
- C.
  Not usually
10.
Do you frequently measure the effectiveness of your prayers by how you feel afterwards?
- A.
  Oh yeah
- B.
  Sometimes
- C.
  Not very often
11.
Are you embarrassed to pray out loud?
- A.
  For sure
- B.
  Sometimes
- C.
  Not at all
12.
If God doesn't answer your prayer right away, or how you would like him to, does it send you down a spiral of doubt or despair?
- A.
  Sometimes
- B.
  Not usually
- C.
  Very rarely
13.
Would you say that you pray pretty infrequently?
- A.
  Yes
- B.
  Probably
- C.
  No

Quiz Outcomes

1.
Your Quiz Result: Perfectionism
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Perfectionism is the enemy of progress. Especially when it comes to growing in confidence and joy in our prayer lives.Do you often feel like you have to have just the right words when you talk to God? Or that if you just knew exactly what to say, surely he would listen more? Are you terrified to pray out loud in a group?Sometimes prayer can feel overwhelming, and you're left scratching your head wondering if you're "doing it right." I've been there, my friend.It can be paralyzing to think about all the things I might not be saying right, or all of the things I'm forgetting to say. It's enough to make you want to throw in the towel before you even start!But God doesn't want our conversations with him to be filled with anxiety and frustration. And thankfully, they don't have to be.But sometimes we can use a little help to push past the thoughts in our head that keep us stuck in the spin-cycle of perfectionism, and that's why I wrote Praying is (not) Hard. Here are just a couple of quick tips from the book, and if you want to dive deeper and find even greater freedom in your conversations with God you'll definitely want to check it out! Two quick tips to help you push past perfectionism...1. Define "Success"Our heads can be filled with all kinds of ideas of what a "successful" prayer looks and sounds like. And surprise! Some of those ideas might not even be biblical. It can be very helpful to grab a pen and piece of paper and write down everything that you believe makes a prayer "good".Maybe it's:--Praying for 30 minutes or more--Always knowing what to say--Never making excuses or getting distractedIt could be a bunch of things, but seeing them written down in black and white will give you a chance to evaluate what's truly good and biblical and what's just unhelpful and holding you back.2. Short & SweetIf you struggle to say imperfect words to God, there's a simple, but powerful one-word prayer you can try. Jesus.That's it. Just say the name of Jesus. And if you're thinking, Erica, that's not a prayer, it's a name, I think you'll be interested to hear Bob Goff's thoughts on it. He says, "Jesus isn't wowed by fancy words. Matter of fact, he said his name has all this kind of power. So what if we just [say] this...'Jesus!' And if you're not impressed by this prayer, you haven't experienced the power of Jesus's name."I couldn't have said it better myself. If you want more practical tips like these (and many more), be sure to check out my book, Praying is (not) Hard, for more tips and help to let go of perfectionism. You might find Chapter 11, which is all about the length of our prayers, especially helpful! And keep reading to check out the other great (FREE) resources about prayer available on my website.Let me introduce myself!Hi, friend, I’m Erica Barthalow 👋 author of three books, (Holy Doubt, Praying is (not) Hard, and Fulfilled-a Christmas devotional), and founder of A Beautiful Word Co.I’m a lover of God and beauty, but I’ve certainly faced seasons where life wasn’t so lovely. You can read about it in my book Holy Doubt. As a writer, I like to write about the things no one is talking about in church; things like doubt, and finding it hard to pray. My newest adventure is A Beautiful Word Co. I’m going to be honest, I haven’t always loved God’s word like I do now. But these days I’m finding it to be one of the greatest sources of beauty and joy in my life! Whether in my writing or my art, my goal is to connect you with the beauty of God's word, in a beautiful way, so you can live a beautiful life. Looking for a few more resources on prayer? Check these out...1.The Prayer Personality SeriesCheck out this five-part blog series that breaks down some ways you can use your unique personality (the way God made you) to connect more with him! You can also find out more about this in my book, Praying is (not) Hard2. Take the Prayer Personality Quiz Use this fun quiz to find out which prayer personality you are, and then use that info next time you pray!3. Pray with Purpose: 4 Simple Steps to More Powerful and Impactful Prayers Check out this popular blog post and get some more helpful tips to fuel your prayer life.I'm so happy to have you here! If you want to dive deeper into all 7 of the things that might be stalling your conversations with God, then you have to check out my book, Praying is (not) Hard! It will change the way you think about prayer forever. But don't take my word for it, check out some of the reviews on Amazon. P.S Get 15% off the ebook on the Google Play store for a limited time! Just click here and use code: 9J3YWVXM0ENPSBlessings,Erica
2.
Your Quiz Result: Boredom
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If you find yourself mindlessly repeating the same words over and over to God, and even you are tired of hearing your voice, you're in the right place... If it feels like you're just going through the motions when you pray, and all the words are repetitious and empty. If you've lost the spark you once had when you talked with God it might be time to take a deeper look. This was an area where I struggled a lot, and also one of the reasons why I wrote Praying is (not) Hard. Here are 7 questions from the book that the Lord used to help me break free from boredom. 7 Questions to Help You Pinpoint the Source of Your Boredom in Prayer...1. After you've prayed for someone, do you catch yourself asking if there's something you can do?2. Do you frequently say you'll pray for someone and then never actually do it?3. Are you surprised when God answers your prayers?4. Do you roll your eyes (inwardly, of course) when people ask for prayer about "trivial" or "dumb" things?5. How much time do you spend praying? Do you spend more time thinking about an issue or talking to friends about it than you spend talking to God about it?6. When was the last time you sincerely asked someone to pray for you?7. If God answered your prayers, would it make a real difference in the world? The heart behind each of these questions is meant to reveal your true feelings about the power of prayer. Because if we truly believe it's powerful, boredom will become less and less of an issue.If you want to dive deeper into these 7 questions and get 3 practical, boredom-busting tips, be sure to check out my book, Praying is (not) Hard. And keep reading to check out some of the other great (FREE) resources about prayer on my website.Let me introduce myself!Hi, friend, I’m Erica Barthalow 👋 author of three books, (Holy Doubt, Praying is (not) Hard, and Fulfilled-a Christmas devotional), and founder of A Beautiful Word Co.I’m a lover of God and beauty, but I’ve certainly faced seasons where life wasn’t so lovely. You can read about it in my book Holy Doubt. As a writer, I like to write about the things no one is talking about in church; things like doubt, and finding it hard to pray. My newest adventure is A Beautiful Word Co. I’m going to be honest, I haven’t always loved God’s word like I do now. But these days I’m finding it to be one of the greatest sources of beauty and joy in my life! Whether in my writing or my art, my goal is to connect you with the beauty of God's word, in a beautiful way, so you can live a beautiful life. Looking for a few more resources on prayer? Check these out...1.The Prayer Personality SeriesCheck out this five-part blog series that breaks down some ways you can use your unique personality (the way God made you) to connect more with him! You can also find out more about this in my book, Praying is (not) Hard2. Take the Prayer Personality Quiz Use this fun quiz to find out which prayer personality you are, and then use that info next time you pray!3. Pray with Purpose: 4 Simple Steps to More Powerful and Impactful Prayers Check out this popular blog post and get some more helpful tips to fuel your prayer life.I'm so happy to have you here! If you want to dive deeper into all 7 of the things that might be stalling your conversations with God, then you have to check out my book, Praying is (not) Hard! It will change the way you think about prayer forever. But don't take my word for it, check out some of the reviews on Amazon. P.S Get 15% off the ebook on the Google Play store for a limited time! Just click here and use code: 9J3YWVXM0ENPSBlessings,Erica
3.
Your Quiz Result: Distractions
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Distractions continue to top the list of things that people find frustrating about prayer.So, you're not alone. And there's nothing wrong with you because your mind wanders when you pray. Lots, if not most, of people struggle to maintain focus during prayer. This is something that I struggled with for years, and often beat myself up over. Honestly, it kept me from wanting to pray at all, because I just assumed it would be frustrating and futile.I can't say that I never struggle with distractions when I pray now, but I definitely struggle a lot less! That's something to celebrate. And it's one of the reasons why I wrote Praying is (not) Hard. Here's a quick tip from the book that you can use to help you overcome distractions, and if you want to dive deeper and discover how you can even use your distractions to fuel your prayers you'll want to check it out! A quick (but powerful) tip to help you push past distractions...Shift Your MindsetOne of the reasons we find distractions so frustrating is that we keep coming to prayer expecting to not be distracted. It was life-changing for me when, instead of being surprised by distractions, I was expecting them. No longer did I feel like I was failing because my mind was like a sock in the spin cycle, I just accepted that it was part of the process.Making that small shift helped me come to prayer with a lot less guilt and far more anticipation. So next time you pray, try saying to yourself (either out loud or in your head) "I'm going to be distracted, and it's not the end of the world--and it doesn't have to be the end of my prayer time." Try it the next time you pray, I promise it really does make a big difference.If you want more practical tips like this (including the surprising way that distractions can actually help your prayers), be sure to check out my book, Praying is (not) Hard. And keep reading to check out some of the other great (FREE) resources about prayer on my website.Let me introduce myself!Hi, friend, I’m Erica Barthalow 👋 author of three books, (Holy Doubt, Praying is (not) Hard, and Fulfilled-a Christmas devotional), and founder of A Beautiful Word Co.I’m a lover of God and beauty, but I’ve certainly faced seasons where life wasn’t so lovely. You can read about it in my book Holy Doubt. As a writer, I like to write about the things no one is talking about in church; things like doubt, and finding it hard to pray. My newest adventure is A Beautiful Word Co. I’m going to be honest, I haven’t always loved God’s word like I do now. But these days I’m finding it to be one of the greatest sources of beauty and joy in my life! Whether in my writing or my art, my goal is to connect you with the beauty of God's word, in a beautiful way, so you can live a beautiful life. Looking for a few more resources on prayer? Check these out...1.The Prayer Personality SeriesCheck out this five-part blog series that breaks down some ways you can use your unique personality (the way God made you) to connect more with him! You can also find out more about this in my book, Praying is (not) Hard2. Take the Prayer Personality Quiz Use this fun quiz to find out which prayer personality you are, and then use that info next time you pray!3. Pray with Purpose: 4 Simple Steps to More Powerful and Impactful Prayers Check out this popular blog post and get some more helpful tips to fuel your prayer life.I'm so happy to have you here! If you want to dive deeper into all 7 of the things that might be stalling your conversations with God, then you have to check out my book, Praying is (not) Hard! It will change the way you think about prayer forever. But don't take my word for it, check out some of the reviews on Amazon. P.S Get 15% off the ebook on the Google Play store for a limited time! Just click here and use code: 9J3YWVXM0ENPSBlessings,Erica
4.
Your Quiz Result: God's Silence
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"Intentional silence breeds resentment. As damaging as the silent treatment can feel in our earthly relationships, God's silence can be more damaging still. There's a whole different level of pain to be experienced when it seems like the God of the universe is freezing you out. Letting you down. Indifferent and deaf toward your prayers. Leaving you holding the broken bits of your heart and life, wondering when (or if) he's ever going to answer." -- Erica Barthalow, Praying is (not) HardFew things can feel more vulnerable than sharing your deepest feelings and needs with God and hearing crickets. It can definitely be hard to keep the conversation going if it seems one-sided. This is one of the reasons why I wrote Praying is (not) Hard. Because I've been there (and I might be there again someday), and I needed to tuck some truths into my heart that would help me keep talking with God even when it's discouraging or disappointing. If you're currently facing a season where you wonder if God is even listening when you pray, here's one thing from the book that I hope will help you today. And if you want to dive deeper, you'll definitely want to check out the entire chapter on God's silence. Help when God seems silent...I'd like to direct you, with all the tenderness and kindness I can express through the internet, to read John 11. It's the story of Mary and Martha's reaction to the loss of the their brother, Lazarus. We know the end of the story. (Spoiler: he doesn't stay dead) But it's the brokenness and despair and the utter honesty that they express to Jesus when it seems that he didn't care and let them down that I'd like you to note. And then note his response.If you want more and help with 6 other issues related to prayer, be sure to check out my book, Praying is (not) Hard. And keep reading to check out some of the other great (FREE) resources about prayer on my website.Let me introduce myself!Hi, friend, I’m Erica Barthalow 👋 author of three books, (Holy Doubt, Praying is (not) Hard, and Fulfilled-a Christmas devotional), and founder of A Beautiful Word Co.I’m a lover of God and beauty, but I’ve certainly faced seasons where life wasn’t so lovely. You can read about it in my book Holy Doubt. As a writer, I like to write about the things no one is talking about in church; things like doubt, and finding it hard to pray. My newest adventure is A Beautiful Word Co. I’m going to be honest, I haven’t always loved God’s word like I do now. But these days I’m finding it to be one of the greatest sources of beauty and joy in my life! Whether in my writing or my art, my goal is to connect you with the beauty of God's word, in a beautiful way, so you can live a beautiful life. Looking for a few more resources on prayer? Check these out...1.The Prayer Personality SeriesCheck out this five-part blog series that breaks down some ways you can use your unique personality (the way God made you) to connect more with him! You can also find out more about this in my book, Praying is (not) Hard2. Take the Prayer Personality Quiz Use this fun quiz to find out which prayer personality you are, and then use that info next time you pray!3. Pray with Purpose: 4 Simple Steps to More Powerful and Impactful Prayers Check out this popular blog post and get some more helpful tips to fuel your prayer life.I'm so happy to have you here! If you want to dive deeper into all 7 of the things that might be stalling your conversations with God, then you have to check out my book, Praying is (not) Hard! It will change the way you think about prayer forever. But don't take my word for it, check out some of the reviews on Amazon. P.S Get 15% off the ebook on the Google Play store for a limited time! Just click here and use code: 9J3YWVXM0ENPSBlessings,Erica
5.
Your Quiz Result: Spiritual Warfare
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"Maybe your struggle to pray is evidence that the enemy trembles over what God will unleash when you pray." --Erica Barthalow, Praying is (not) HardEphesians 6:10-18 tells us that the spiritual realm is very real. And we have a very real spiritual adversary that would love nothing more than for us to struggle to pray or not pray at all. But it can be hard to keep that in mind in our everyday lives because we can't usually see what's happening in the spiritual realm.This was something I was completely unaware of for much of my life, until I was confronted, in rather dramatic fashion, with the reality of it. You can read about that in my book, Praying is (not) Hard, as well as find some tips to help you grow in your awareness of the spiritual battles taking place around you. But here's a couple quick tips from the book to help you grow in this area, and if you want to dive deeper be sure to check out the book! Two things to remember when you're facing spiritual warfare...1. When you find it hard to pray or you're facing something particularly difficult, ask God to show you if there's something more going on than you can see with your eyes. This accomplishes 2 great things. 1) It gets you talking to God ;) and 2) it makes you more aware of the spiritual realm.2. Be encouragedThis might sound strange if you're experiencing spiritual warfare or spiritual attack, but truly, I see it as evidence that you're making a significant impact for the kingdom of God and Satan wants to slow you down! Don't let him! Remember, you never face spiritual battles alone!If you want more practical tips like these and a lot more, be sure to check out my book, Praying is (not) Hard. And keep reading to check out some of the other great (FREE) resources about prayer on my website.Let me introduce myself!Hi, friend, I’m Erica Barthalow 👋 author of three books, (Holy Doubt, Praying is (not) Hard, and Fulfilled-a Christmas devotional), and founder of A Beautiful Word Co.I’m a lover of God and beauty, but I’ve certainly faced seasons where life wasn’t so lovely. You can read about it in my book Holy Doubt. As a writer, I like to write about the things no one is talking about in church; things like doubt, and finding it hard to pray. My newest adventure is A Beautiful Word Co. I’m going to be honest, I haven’t always loved God’s word like I do now. But these days I’m finding it to be one of the greatest sources of beauty and joy in my life! Whether in my writing or my art, my goal is to connect you with the beauty of God's word, in a beautiful way, so you can live a beautiful life. Looking for a few more resources on prayer? Check these out...1.The Prayer Personality SeriesCheck out this five-part blog series that breaks down some ways you can use your unique personality (the way God made you) to connect more with him! You can also find out more about this in my book, Praying is (not) Hard2. Take the Prayer Personality Quiz Use this fun quiz to find out which prayer personality you are, and then use that info next time you pray!3. Pray with Purpose: 4 Simple Steps to More Powerful and Impactful Prayers Check out this popular blog post and get some more helpful tips to fuel your prayer life.I'm so happy to have you here! If you want to dive deeper into all 7 of the things that might be stalling your conversations with God, then you have to check out my book, Praying is (not) Hard! It will change the way you think about prayer forever. But don't take my word for it, check out some of the reviews on Amazon. P.S Get 15% off the ebook on the Google Play store for a limited time! Just click here and use code: 9J3YWVXM0ENPSBlessings,Erica
6.
Your Quiz Result: Confusion/Knowing God's Voice
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Half of praying is listening to God.And it can feel discouraging if we don't know if we've heard God's voice or not. Or if we wonder if we're just making up what we want to hear. Because God rarely speaks audibly it can sometimes feel confusing when we listen for his voice. It can be paralyzing to think that we might get it wrong. It's enough to make you want to throw in the towel before you even start!But God doesn't want our conversations with him to be filled with anxiety and frustration. And thankfully, they don't have to be.But sometimes we can use a little help to push past the thoughts in our head that keep us stuck in the spin-cycle of confusion, and that's one of the reasons why I wrote Praying is (not) Hard. Here's a quick tip from the book, and if you want to dive deeper and discover even more ways God speaks to us you'll want to check it out! A super reliable way to help you push past confusion...Read the BibleIn my experience, God is still speaking on the regular, and it's usually through the pages of his word. Often when I'm reading, the Holy Spirit will cause something to stand out to me. Or as I'm praying, a passage of scripture will rattle around in my head.One more helpful thing to remember: God will never speak something to you that is in contradiction to his word, so it's truly a faithful and reliable way to test and see if you've heard his voice. If you want more practical tips like this, plus other proven ways that God speaks to us be sure to check out my book, Praying is (not) Hard. And keep reading to check out some of the other great (FREE) resources about prayer on my website.Let me introduce myself!Hi, friend, I’m Erica Barthalow 👋 author of three books, (Holy Doubt, Praying is (not) Hard, and Fulfilled-a Christmas devotional), and founder of A Beautiful Word Co.I’m a lover of God and beauty, but I’ve certainly faced seasons where life wasn’t so lovely. You can read about it in my book Holy Doubt. As a writer, I like to write about the things no one is talking about in church; things like doubt, and finding it hard to pray. My newest adventure is A Beautiful Word Co. I’m going to be honest, I haven’t always loved God’s word like I do now. But these days I’m finding it to be one of the greatest sources of beauty and joy in my life! Whether in my writing or my art, my goal is to connect you with the beauty of God's word, in a beautiful way, so you can live a beautiful life. Looking for a few more resources on prayer? Check these out...1.The Prayer Personality SeriesCheck out this five-part blog series that breaks down some ways you can use your unique personality (the way God made you) to connect more with him! You can also find out more about this in my book, Praying is (not) Hard2. Take the Prayer Personality Quiz Use this fun quiz to find out which prayer personality you are, and then use that info next time you pray!3. Pray with Purpose: 4 Simple Steps to More Powerful and Impactful Prayers Check out this popular blog post and get some more helpful tips to fuel your prayer life.I'm so happy to have you here! If you want to dive deeper into all 7 of the things that might be stalling your conversations with God, then you have to check out my book, Praying is (not) Hard! It will change the way you think about prayer forever. But don't take my word for it, check out some of the reviews on Amazon. P.S Get 15% off the ebook on the Google Play store for a limited time! Just click here and use code: 9J3YWVXM0ENPSBlessings,Erica
7.
Your Quiz Result: Independence
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The spirit of independence robs us of more prayers than we even realize.This can be one of the most difficult issues to recognize, because it's so subtle and so deeply woven throughout our culture. It can slip into our relationship with God so quietly that we won't even know it's there.Wanting to be independent has been a huge issue for me most of my life, and it wasn't until recent years that I realized how much it had affected my relationship with God and all that I was missing out on because I didn't invite him to help me. That's one of the reasons why I wrote Praying is (not) Hard. Here are just a couple of quick questions and thoughts to help you overcome independence in your relationship with God. And if you want to dive deeper and discover why it's such a gift to be increasingly dependent on God you'll want to check it out! Two quick questions and thoughts to help you push past independence...1. Do you pray infrequently or very rarely?2. Do you only pray about the "big" things?It can be so easy for our reliance to shift from God to ourselves. Almost everything in the world around us will applaud it and even encourage it. And if we're not careful we can start to believe that this is the way God wants it. That we're bothering him when we ask for his help, and he would prefer we just handle it. But that couldn't be further from the truth.If you struggle deeply with independence it might be really hard for you to ask for help--even from God. So here's a little exercise to try: For one week, ask for God's help with something (big or small) every day until it becomes a reflex and you don't cringe when you do it. If you want more practical tips like this and lots more, be sure to check out my book, Praying is (not) Hard. And keep reading to check out some of the other great (FREE) resources about prayer on my website.Let me introduce myself!Hi, friend, I’m Erica Barthalow 👋 author of three books, (Holy Doubt, Praying is (not) Hard, and Fulfilled-a Christmas devotional), and founder of A Beautiful Word Co.I’m a lover of God and beauty, but I’ve certainly faced seasons where life wasn’t so lovely. You can read about it in my book Holy Doubt. As a writer, I like to write about the things no one is talking about in church; things like doubt, and finding it hard to pray. My newest adventure is A Beautiful Word Co. I’m going to be honest, I haven’t always loved God’s word like I do now. But these days I’m finding it to be one of the greatest sources of beauty and joy in my life! Whether in my writing or my art, my goal is to connect you with the beauty of God's word, in a beautiful way, so you can live a beautiful life. Looking for a few more resources on prayer? Check these out...1.The Prayer Personality SeriesCheck out this five-part blog series that breaks down some ways you can use your unique personality (the way God made you) to connect more with him! You can also find out more about this in my book, Praying is (not) Hard2. Take the Prayer Personality Quiz Use this fun quiz to find out which prayer personality you are, and then use that info next time you pray!3. Pray with Purpose: 4 Simple Steps to More Powerful and Impactful Prayers Check out this popular blog post and get some more helpful tips to fuel your prayer life.I'm so happy to have you here! If you want to dive deeper into all 7 of the things that might be stalling your conversations with God, then you have to check out my book, Praying is (not) Hard! It will change the way you think about prayer forever. But don't take my word for it, check out some of the reviews on Amazon. P.S Get 15% off the ebook on the Google Play store for a limited time! Just click here and use code: 9J3YWVXM0ENPSBlessings,Erica

What's Keeping You From Praying?

Take this quick quiz to find out which one of 7 common issues is stalling your conversations with God...and then find out how you can overcome it! Ready to get started?

Quiz Questions

Quiz Outcomes