I am an apostolic pentecostal. I was first saved and baptized in Sept 2002 in Plainview, Ark. at my father's church(UPC). I left there really excited and on fire for God. I had the seeds planted in my heart to serve God with all my might. When I was baptized I asked God to fill me with understanding and when I came up my soul was filled with the Holy Ghost. Since then, I could feel that my purpose was to serve God. I went home in search of a church to worship. I was trying so hard to get in a place that I could feel the way I did at my father's church. In the process i began to compare this and that till i found myself thinking " well, they don't believe just the way i do". then I started to miss a time here and there. Then the unthinkable happened I just quit all together.

Seven years later to the day, in Sept 2009, I found a church. My wife had been going to church with friend of hers. They had to start a new church and my wife was telling me about it during a ride to Jackson to do some shopping. As she was telling me the situation and about the new church and how she would like me to come listen to the pastor something happened... I felt the Holy Ghost stirring in me a little. I had forgotten what it was like to have that feeling and I started thinking about some of the scriptures I had read and all throughout the day i kept thinking about God and how i missed being on fire and having that desire to serve God.

So I told her that I would go with her Wednesday night. Before I go any farther I need to tell that just because I didn't go to church for so long that I still believed in God. I never stopped believing just gave up on church, or so I thought.

On Wednesday night, we went to this small church she had told me so much about and I saw a small group of people that seemed so sincere about God. The unity of the church was impressive and no one hovered me with the usual fake persona of "we are soooo glad you could come ". Just an old fashioned sermon with a point and a lesson and most importantly anointing. After the service was over no one left the church. Everyone just stayed and talked for at least another hour. I really didn't know any one but wanted to speak to the pastor because I felt a real connection to him from the second I meet him. In conversation, I mentioned that I could probably do some work to the nursery since there was just a piece of carpet laying on the concrete floor in there. This man just hands me a key to the church.

Later, on the the way home, I look at the key and start thinking of the verse in Matthew 16:19
And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

This guy doesn't know me at all and hands me a key to the church. No reservations, just pure trust.I began to look forward to work on the nursery.The next few days,I would drop in and work on the nursery for a couple of hours and just kind of talk to God. It felt so good to be there, I had developed a sense of urgency to prepare this place like a bird building a nest. God had a plan for me and it took seven years to fulfill. I have been there ever since.

Sometimes it takes a special calling for your life to find the right path.When you feel you are at your very least God can use you the most.I can only share the experience of my life with you. I don't know where God will put me in the future. I have just learned to step up whenever he calls me to do something for him. When I started I did not raise my hands in praise or give testimonies. These were obstacles I had to overcome. But I found that each time I did something that put me a little closer to God. I am still learning to get myself out of the way to make room for him to lead my life. We all have a natural instinct to try to control ourselves.You can break this cycle if you want to. You don't have to spend your life afraid to break the shell your keeping your self in.
Start small, pick something simple that is outside the normal for you. It can be as insignificant as saying amen out loud at the end of opening prayer. I think too many Christians today take for granted that others are not where they are spiritually. If you grew up in a household where prayer was common then is becomes second nature and you think nothing of it. To a person that never has prayer in their lives it becomes a mountain that is hard to overcome. Prayer is our lifeline to God. I have found other ways now to reach God now but would still be lost without the prayer.
Remember:
Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort [you] that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.Jude 1:3

Never give up on God, Keep the faith, and may God bless you always!!