Daily Flossing

“Neglecting daily time with the Lord causes Division.”

During my morning prayer time today, the Lord suddenly showed me an image of flossing my teeth and how doing that daily equated to spending time in His presence. He was showing me that spending time daily in His presence was needed to get the junk out before it sank deep into places in my life and spirit. Neglecting this daily routine would allow the enemy’s lies and mistakes I had made to sink into my soul and cause deep dark pits to grow.

I didn’t go to the dentist during the thick of the Covid Pandemic. It seemed a bit of a risk to me that wasn’t necessary. When I finally returned to have my teeth cleaned for the first time in two years, it was painful. Tolerable but painful. Furthermore, the hygienist said I’d have to come back sooner than usual because she couldn’t accomplish all that needed to be done in the time we had. I went back yesterday, and it wasn’t as bad as it was four months ago. She tried to impress upon me, in the sweetest way possible, that flossing every day would make a huge difference. Regularly removing the junk from under the gums and between the teeth wouldn’t let it settle and become hard.

The lesson the Lord was teaching me through this analogy was that I should take time to spend with Him every day so He can lift the junk off me before it gets rooted into my life and heart and turn my heart hard or cold. I need to pray regularly for the Lord to do a deep cleaning and chip off the junk that has settled in my spirit, life, and habits. Just as only the dental hygienist can do that for my teeth, only the Lord can do this for my soul, heart, and spirit. When I don’t take time to sit with the Lord and allow Him to cleanse me and fill me afresh with His Holy Spirit, it prevents me from serving with all my heart. Neglecting a time out with the Lord each day causes division that prevents me from hearing His still small voice and living the life He truly wants me to live.

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.” Psalm 51:10-12 (NLT)

Thank you, Father, for showing me this truth today. Thank you for this instruction. Please help me remember this lesson and come to You every day for a refreshing of my spirit, for the cleansing You need to do so I can better serve in Your Kingdom. Father, I ask that You root up anything that is not of You that has grown deep into my spirit, remove it, Lord and fill that hole with Your love, mercy, and compassion.