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You know the routine well.

Sunday morning: Put on your “church face.” Answer “blessed” when asked how you’re doing—even if you’re struggling. Nod knowingly during the sermon. Raise your hands at the right moment during worship. Speak the language of victory even when you feel defeated.

Monday through Saturday: Navigate the constant pressure to maintain the image of the “good Christian.” Keep your doubts private. Hide your struggles. Project spiritual success.

This exhausting performance isn’t what Jesus envisioned when He promised abundant life. Yet millions of believers find themselves trapped behind carefully crafted Christian masks—presenting a polished religious image while their authentic selves remain hidden and disconnected.

In Scott Johnson’s transformative novel THE CALL, protagonist Bob Cooper discovers this truth during his mysterious mountain journey: “You’ve been operating from the wrong map.” Like many believers, Bob had built his life around a religious performance that looked impressive but left him hollow inside.

Let’s explore how to move beyond the Christian mask and discover the authentic self God actually designed you to be.

The Cost of the Christian Mask

The Christian mask—that carefully constructed spiritual image we present to others—carries a devastating price tag:

• Emotional exhaustion from maintaining inconsistent external/internal realities
• Spiritual disconnection as relationship with God becomes performance-based
• Community isolation despite being surrounded by other believers
• Identity confusion as the “mask self” competes with the authentic self
• Diminished impact as ministry flows from image rather than genuine calling

In THE CALL, Bob confronts this reality when he realizes his seemingly perfect life was “a carefully constructed illusion” that kept him spiritually exhausted but never fulfilled.

The mask doesn’t just hide you from others—it eventually hides you from yourself. As one reader of THE CALL shared: “I played the good Christian for so long that I couldn’t remember who I actually was anymore.”

Four Common Christian Masks

While Christian masks take countless forms, four archetypes frequently appear in faith communities:

Mask #1: The Perfect Spiritual Discipline Practitioner

How It Manifests: Subtle references to extensive prayer times, fasting practices, or Bible reading streaks. Spiritual disciplines become achievements rather than relationship tools.

What It Hides: Seasons of spiritual dryness, inconsistency in practices, uncertainty about experiencing God’s presence.

THE CALL Connection: Bob’s realization that “prayer life transforms when embracing the truth: We don’t pray to reach God; we pray because He has already reached us.”

Mask #2: The Perennially Happy Believer

How It Manifests: Constant positive language regardless of circumstances. “I’m blessed!” becomes the automatic response to every inquiry, while negative emotions get spiritualized away.

What It Hides: Normal human emotions like sadness, anger, disappointment, and grief that are actually biblically validated (see Psalms).

THE CALL Connection: Bob’s journey reveals that authentic faith “doesn’t deny struggle but transforms how we experience it.”

Mask #3: The Theological Expert

How It Manifests: Identity built around doctrinal precision and biblical knowledge. Faith becomes primarily intellectual rather than relational.

What It Hides: Questions, doubts, and the gap between knowing theological truths and experiencing them.

THE CALL Connection: Bob’s realization that “information about God is not the same as transformation by God.”

Mask #4: The Never-Struggling Saint

How It Manifests: Testimonies only shared after victories are secured. Struggles mentioned only in past tense, never present tense.

What It Hides: Ongoing battles with temptation, sin patterns, and the daily need for grace.

THE CALL Connection: Bob’s discovery that “you don’t have to earn peace. You already carry the Prince of Peace within you.”

Key Takeaway: The Christian mask is not a single behavior but a pattern of presenting a curated spiritual image rather than an authentic self.

Why We Wear the Masks

Understanding why we default to performance helps in breaking free from it. The Christian mask develops from several sources:

Misunderstanding God’s Expectations

Many believers operate from a distorted view of God as a demanding taskmaster rather than a loving Father. This creates a relationship built on performance rather than love.

As portrayed in THE CALL, this produces the “prayer paradox”: the more desperately someone tries to reach God through effort, the more distant He often feels.

Fear of Community Rejection

Christian communities, while offering tremendous support, can also unintentionally create performance pressure through comparison and judgment.

“I was terrified of being ‘found out,'” shared one reader of THE CALL. “If people knew my real thoughts and struggles, would I still be welcome in church leadership?”

Identity Wrapped in Religious Achievement

When spiritual milestones become sources of self-worth, authenticity threatens that foundation.

In THE CALL, Bob confronts this when he realizes “what would shift if I fully believed my future is already inside me, rather than something I must chase through achievement?”

False Maps About Spiritual Growth

Most significantly, many Christians follow “false maps” that portray spiritual maturity as the absence of struggle rather than authentic relationship through struggle.

As THE CALL emphasizes: “You are not what you struggle with. You are who God says you are—regardless of your current battle.”

Key Takeaway: The Christian mask isn’t just about impressing others—it’s about protecting ourselves from perceived rejection by God and community.

The Biblical Case for Authenticity

Far from demanding religious performance, Scripture consistently validates authenticity:

• David openly expressed his doubts, fears, and even anger toward God (Psalms)
• Paul acknowledged his ongoing struggles with sin (Romans 7) and weakness (2 Corinthians 12)
• Jesus displayed authentic emotions including anger, grief, and distress

Most importantly, Jesus reserved His strongest criticism for those wearing religious masks: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead” (Matthew 23:27).

The gospel itself centers on authenticity—we come to God as we actually are, not as we pretend to be. As THE CALL emphasizes: “God doesn’t want your performance. He wants you.”

The Journey to Your True Self: Five Practical Steps

Moving beyond the Christian mask isn’t a one-time decision but a journey of incremental authenticity:

Step 1: Identify Your Specific Masks and Their Triggers

Before you can remove the mask, you must recognize when you’re wearing it.

Practical Exercise: For one week, notice moments when you feel the urge to project a certain spiritual image. What triggered it? What were you trying to hide or project?

As detailed in THE CALL workbook: “Awareness is not about trying harder. It’s about remembering who you are and staying conscious of it.”

Step 2: Create Safe Spaces for Authentic Expression

Authenticity requires psychological safety—environments where real expression won’t result in rejection.

Practical Exercise: Identify one person with whom you can practice complete honesty about your spiritual journey. Start small, sharing one thing you normally keep hidden.

As one participant in THE CALL workshop shared: “I needed just one person who wouldn’t freak out when I admitted I sometimes doubt God’s goodness. That one safe relationship changed everything.”

Step 3: Practice Incremental Vulnerability

Authenticity develops through practice—small steps of vulnerability that build trust with yourself and others.

Practical Exercise: Choose one area of your faith journey where you typically wear a mask. Practice sharing one real thought or experience in this area with a trusted friend.

THE CALL workbook emphasizes: “You don’t have to share everything with everyone. Start with something small but real.”

Step 4: Anchor in Identity Rather Than Image

The most powerful antidote to mask-wearing is a secure sense of identity in Christ.

Practical Exercise: Each morning, declare: “I am already accepted in Christ. Nothing I do today will make God love me more or less.”

As portrayed in THE CALL: “Identity isn’t something you achieve. It’s something you receive.”

Step 5: Develop Authenticity-Reinforcing Habits

New patterns of authenticity must replace old patterns of performance.

Practical Exercise: Create a daily “reality check” practice where you acknowledge before God one struggle, doubt, or emotion you’re currently experiencing.

THE CALL workbook describes this as “building habits that match your identity” rather than constructing an identity through habits.

Key Takeaway: Authenticity develops through intentional practice and safe relationships, not just intellectual understanding.

What True Authenticity Looks Like in Practice

Authenticity doesn’t mean abandoning spiritual disciplines or sharing every thought indiscriminately. It means approaching faith from wholeness rather than image-management:

Authentic Prayer vs. Performance Prayer

Performance Prayer: Focuses on saying the “right” things with the “right” emotion to convince God (or others) of spirituality.

Authentic Prayer: Speaks honestly from current reality, trusting God’s acceptance regardless of emotional state or eloquence.

As portrayed in THE CALL: “Prayer becomes real when it shifts from obligation to opportunity—from trying to reach God to experiencing the God already present.”

Authentic Community vs. Impression Management

Impression Management: Sharing only victories, using spiritual language to maintain image, competing for recognition.

Authentic Community: Creating spaces where real-time struggles are welcome, questions are honored, and acceptance isn’t performance-based.

THE CALL describes this as moving from “comparing climbs to sharing journeys.”

Authentic Ministry vs. Spiritual Achievement

Spiritual Achievement: Serving to build spiritual résumé or earn God’s favor.

Authentic Ministry: Serving from secure identity, allowing strengths and weaknesses to be visible.

As one reader of THE CALL shared: “When I stopped trying to prove myself through ministry and started serving from who I already am in Christ, both my joy and my impact multiplied.”

The Unfolding Journey of Authenticity

Removing the Christian mask isn’t an overnight transformation. It’s a journey of increasingly choosing authenticity over performance, identity over image.

There will be moments of reverting to old patterns. There will be environments where vulnerability feels too risky. There will be people who prefer your mask to your authentic self.

But as THE CALL illuminates through Bob’s powerful story, the freedom of authenticity far outweighs the security of performance. Living from your true self—your identity in Christ rather than your religious image—changes everything.

In Bob’s words: “For the first time in my life, I’m not climbing anymore. I’m just living.”

This journey from performing to being, from climbing to resting, from presenting to presencing—this is the path to finding your true self beyond the Christian mask.

Want to go deeper in your journey from performance to grace? THE CALL and its companion workbook are your next steps. Click here: www.graceempoweredliving.com/call

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About the Author:

Scott Johnson is an author of thirteen books who helps people break free from performance-based spirituality. Drawing from over four decades of ministry experience, Scott empowers others to move beyond obstacles toward a fulfilled life through God’s grace. His passion is helping people discover they are already approved, already loved, and already complete in Christ—no exhausting religious performance required.

Something remarkable is happening in churches, small groups, and living rooms across the country.

Christians who have spent years—even decades—feeling spiritually exhausted are experiencing breakthrough. Believers who knew all the right theology but felt disconnected from God are finding authentic relationship. Those burned out on religious performance are discovering the freedom of identity-based faith.

The catalyst? A simple but profound 12-week journey inspired by Scott Johnson’s transformative novel, THE CALL.

This isn’t just another Bible study or discipleship program. It’s a guided dismantling of performance-based Christianity and a reintroduction to the relationship God always intended.

The Crisis Behind the Challenge

Mark sat in his pastor’s office, his voice breaking as he confessed, “I’ve been a Christian for 22 years. I serve. I give. I lead. But I feel nothing. It’s all just… empty.”

His story isn’t unique. In fact, it’s becoming alarmingly common.

Recent studies show that while church attendance and biblical knowledge remain relatively stable among committed Christians, measures of spiritual fulfillment and authentic connection with God are declining. Many believers find themselves caught in what author Scott Johnson calls “the performance trap”—doing all the right things while feeling increasingly disconnected from the God they’re supposedly serving.

As portrayed in THE CALL, this crisis stems from a fundamental misunderstanding: We’ve been climbing a mountain God never asked us to climb.

“For years, I knew who God was,” explains Jennifer, an early participant in the 12-week challenge. “But I had no idea who I was to Him. I was constantly trying to earn what had already been given.”

Overview of the 12-Week Challenge

The 12-week challenge isn’t about adding more spiritual activities to your already busy life. In fact, for many participants, it begins with doing less, not more.

Based on the 12 practices outlined in THE CALL workbook, this journey focuses on identity transformation rather than behavior modification—a crucial distinction that changes everything.

“Each week builds on the previous one,” explains Pastor Michael, who has led multiple groups through the challenge. “We’re not just accumulating information—we’re dismantling false foundations and building new ones based on who we already are in Christ.”

The structure follows four key phases, each with distinct focus areas:

• Weeks 1-3: Dismantling False Maps
• Weeks 4-6: Establishing New Foundations
• Weeks 7-9: Living From Supply
• Weeks 10-12: Releasing Kingdom Impact

The results have been nothing short of transformative.

“I’ve been through countless Bible studies and spiritual growth programs,” says David, a 42-year-old who completed the challenge. “The difference is that most approaches try to help you climb better. This one helped me realize I don’t need to climb at all.”

Weeks 1-3: Dismantling False Maps

The journey begins with identifying and dismantling the “false maps” that have guided your spiritual life—often unconsciously.

These weeks focus on:

• Identifying performance-based thinking patterns
• Recognizing need-driven behaviors in spiritual life
• Breaking agreement with religious striving
• Establishing truth anchors for identity-based living

In THE CALL, protagonist Bob Cooper discovers that his entire life has been built on false assumptions about how to reach God and find fulfillment. Similarly, participants in the 12-week challenge often experience profound revelations during these initial weeks.

“I realized I’ve been relating to God as if He’s constantly disappointed in me,” shared Rachel, a challenge participant. “I was always trying to make up for my last failure instead of living from His acceptance.”

The workbook provides daily declarations, Scripture meditations, and practical exercises designed to help participants recognize and release performance-based spirituality.

Key Practice: Each day, participants identify one “false map” they’ve been following and replace it with a truth statement about their identity in Christ.

Weeks 4-6: Establishing New Foundations

With false maps identified, the middle weeks focus on establishing new foundations—ways of thinking and being that align with identity-based spirituality.

These weeks emphasize:

• Moving from outside-in to inside-out living
• Rewiring thought patterns with Kingdom narrative
• Reconnecting with God’s purpose (versus climbing for purpose)
• Practicing presence-based prayer versus performance-based prayer

“Week 5 was my breakthrough,” says Michael, who completed the challenge with his wife. “That’s when I truly understood that God’s presence isn’t something I access through perfect behavior—it’s something I carry because of Christ in me.”

This phase parallels Bob’s journey in THE CALL when he encounters Kinsman and begins to see that his understanding of God and himself has been fundamentally flawed.

Key Practice: Participants engage in “presence anchoring”—setting alarms throughout the day to pause and recognize God’s presence already with them, not something they need to earn or achieve.

Weeks 7-9: Living From Supply

The third phase addresses the practical question: “How do I actually live from this new identity day to day?”

These weeks focus on:

• Breaking the cycle of need-driven living
• Activating identity-based responses to daily challenges
• Practicing receiving before serving
• Living from divine fullness in practical contexts

In THE CALL, Bob discovers that “You weren’t created to climb a mountain of accomplishments. You were created to partner with the King in His unfolding Kingdom.” This shift from striving to partnering characterizes weeks 7-9.

“I’d always approached ministry from emptiness—trying to serve from my limited resources,” explains Pastor James, who led his entire church leadership team through the challenge. “Learning to live from God’s supply rather than my own strength has completely transformed how I lead.”

Key Practice: Participants identify their most depleting weekly activities and practice approaching them from fullness rather than emptiness, documenting the tangible differences in experience and outcome.

Weeks 10-12: Releasing Kingdom Impact

The final phase moves from personal transformation to outward expression—how identity-based living naturally produces Kingdom impact.

These weeks emphasize:

• Moving from personal awakening to outward influence
• Living as an administrator of God’s Kingdom
• Building sustainable, identity-based habits
• Carrying divine presence into every environment

This reflects Bob’s journey in THE CALL when he realizes that his transformation isn’t just for himself—it’s meant to impact others who are still struggling on the mountain.

“What surprised me most was how my relationships changed,” notes Jennifer. “I wasn’t trying to change how I related to others—it happened naturally as my identity solidified. I found myself responding from love rather than fear, from security rather than insecurity.”

Key Practice: Participants create “identity declarations” specific to their key life roles (parent, spouse, employee, etc.) and practice living from those declarations rather than external expectations.

The Unexpected Results

While participants begin the 12-week challenge expecting certain spiritual benefits, many report unexpected areas of transformation:

Prayer Life Transformation

“I’ve prayed consistently for years,” shares Thomas, “but always with a sense of distance—like I was broadcasting into the void. Now, I experience prayer as conversation that flows from connection rather than an attempt to create connection.”

Relationship Healing

Multiple participants report significant improvements in personal relationships—particularly with spouses and children.

“I didn’t realize how much my performance-based approach to God affected how I parented,” admits Sarah. “As I began experiencing God’s acceptance, I naturally became more accepting of my children. The constant tension in our home has been replaced with genuine connection.”

Physical Manifestations

Perhaps most surprisingly, many participants report physical changes—reduction in stress-related symptoms, improved sleep, and even healing from chronic conditions.

“I’d suffered from anxiety-induced insomnia for over a decade,” explains Michael. “As I learned to live from God’s peace rather than my performance, I began sleeping through the night for the first time in years.”

Statistical Outcomes

In follow-up surveys conducted with over 500 challenge participants:

• 94% reported “significant improvement” in their sense of connection with God
• 87% noted “reduced religious anxiety and pressure”
• 83% experienced “improved ability to handle stress and challenges”
• 76% reported “positive changes in key relationships”
• 91% continued practices from the challenge beyond the 12 weeks

Perhaps most telling: 98% would recommend the challenge to others struggling with spiritual disconnection or exhaustion.

How to Begin Your Own 12-Week Journey

The journey begins with a decision to question the performance-based approach to faith you may have unconsciously adopted.

Here’s how to start:

Essential Resources

• THE CALL novel: Provides the narrative framework for understanding identity-based spirituality
• 12 Practices Workbook: Offers structured weekly content for the transformation journey
• Journal: A dedicated place to document insights and track transformation

Creating Accountability

While the challenge can be done individually, transformation accelerates in community.

Options include:

• One-on-one partnerships: Meet weekly with a trusted friend
• Small groups: Gather 3-12 people to journey together
• Church-wide initiatives: Some congregations have implemented the challenge across multiple small groups

Managing Expectations and Resistance

Many participants report encountering internal resistance around weeks 3-4, as deep-seated performance patterns begin to surface.

“This journey isn’t always comfortable,” warns Pastor Michael. “When you’ve operated from performance your entire life, grace can initially feel threatening. Push through—what’s on the other side is worth it.”

The workbook specifically addresses common forms of resistance and provides strategies for moving through them.

Maximizing Transformation

Those who experience the most profound transformation share these practices:

• Daily engagement: Consistency matters more than duration
• Verbal processing: Speaking truth aloud reinforces neural pathways
• Applied focus: Choosing one specific life area for concentrated application
• Celebration: Acknowledging and celebrating shifts, however small

Your Invitation to Authentic Faith

Performance-based Christianity offers the illusion of spiritual growth while often leading to exhaustion and disconnection. The 12-week challenge offers a different path—not climbing higher, but awakening to the reality that in Christ, you’re already at the summit.

As THE CALL reveals through Bob’s journey, transformation doesn’t come from incremental improvements to the climb. It comes from the revolutionary realization that the climb was never necessary.

“You aren’t chasing purpose—you’re walking in it. You aren’t begging for approval—you’re already fully accepted. You aren’t working for rest—you’re living from it.”

This isn’t just theological theory. It’s practical, experiential reality that thousands are discovering through this focused 12-week journey.

The invitation is simple but profound: Will you spend the next 12 weeks discovering who you already are in Christ, and learning to live from that reality rather than for it?

The mountain you’ve been climbing was never meant to be climbed. It’s time to discover why.

Want to go deeper? THE CALL is your next step in breaking free from performance-based spirituality and discovering the relationship God always intended. More than just questions, it’s a guided journey from exhausting religious effort to liberating grace. Click here www.graceempoweredliving.com/call to begin your transformation.

Written by, Scott Johnson is an author of thirteen books who helps people break free from performance-based spirituality. Drawing from over four decades of ministry experience, Scott empowers others to move beyond obstacles toward a fulfilled life through God’s grace. His passion is helping people discover they are already approved, already loved, and already complete in Christ—no exhausting religious performance required.

Ever noticed how some Christians seem naturally connected to God, while others exhaust themselves trying to earn what was already given?

You’ve likely experienced it yourself—the frustration of spiritual effort that yields minimal growth. Despite consistent devotion, Bible study, and sincere prayer, something still feels missing. The mountaintop experiences you crave remain elusive, leaving you wondering what secret you’re missing.

The answer isn’t another spiritual discipline or technique. It’s not about doing more—it’s about seeing differently.

In Scott Johnson’s transformative novel THE CALL, protagonist Bob Cooper discovers this truth when he wakes up on a mysterious mountain. His journey reveals that transformation doesn’t come through incremental improvements to our current approach. It comes through fundamental shifts in how we understand our relationship with God.

Let’s explore three shifts that can transform your faith journey—not through years of gradual change, but through immediate perspective transformation.

Shift #1: From Climbing to Resting

Most Christians approach spiritual growth like a mountain to climb—something achieved through persistent effort, discipline, and performance. The assumption is that if we work hard enough, eventually we’ll reach spiritual maturity and experience God’s presence more fully.

But what if we’ve got it backward?

In THE CALL, Bob makes a stunning discovery: “You were not climbing toward supply—you were living from supply.” Paul the apostle confirms in scripture, he teaches us that we are already complete in Christ, even if we don’t feel it.

This reveals the first transformative shift: moving from spiritual climbing to spiritual resting.

The Problem with Climbing

Performance-based spirituality creates several problems:

• Exhaustion: Always striving but never arriving
• Insecurity: Never knowing if you’ve done enough
• Measurement: Constantly comparing your climb to others
• Conditional peace: Experiencing God’s presence only when performing well

As Bob discovers in THE CALL, “The more desperately someone tries to reach God through effort, the more distant He often feels.”

The Power of Resting

Resting in your relationship with God means:

• Starting from acceptance rather than working toward it
• Operating from completion rather than striving for it
• Living from God’s resources rather than your own

Biblical Foundation: “For anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his” (Hebrews 4:10). The invitation isn’t to climb harder but to rest more deeply.

Key Takeaway: Spiritual growth isn’t about climbing to reach God—it’s about resting in who He already says you are.

Shift #2: From Outside-In to Inside-Out Living

Many believers live “from the outside in”—allowing circumstances, achievements, and others’ approval to determine their spiritual condition and even their definition of themselves.

When life goes well, God feels close. When problems arise, God seems distant. This creates a spirituality dictated by external factors rather than internal reality.

In THE CALL, Bob encounters a profound truth: “God doesn’t play hide-and-seek… We now live and move in Him. This is God’s original intention for man.“

This reveals the second transformative shift: moving from outside-in to inside-out spirituality.

The Trap of Outside-In Living

Outside-in spirituality means:

• External circumstances control your spiritual experience
• God’s presence feels conditional and unpredictable
• Spiritual stability remains elusive regardless of effort
• Faith becomes reactive rather than proactive

As portrayed in THE CALL, this approach leaves us “trapped in a system of performance and scarcity.”

The Freedom of Inside-Out Living

Inside-out spirituality means:

• Living from an internal reality that doesn’t change with circumstances
• Experiencing God’s presence regardless of external conditions
• Responding to life from a place of unshakable identity
• Bringing God’s reality to situations rather than letting situations define God’s reality

Biblical Foundation: “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). God’s presence isn’t something we chase; it’s someone who dwells within us.

Key Takeaway: Stop allowing circumstances to dictate your spiritual reality. Begin living from the unshakable truth of who you are in Christ.

Shift #3: From Knowledge to Identity

Information about God is not the same as transformation by God. Yet many Christians confuse biblical knowledge with spiritual maturity.

We can quote scripture, explain complex theology, and attend countless Bible studies—yet still feel spiritually hollow because we’ve mistaken information for transformation.

In THE CALL, Bob confronts this reality when he learns: “Faith is not about striving to become something. It’s awakening to who you already are in Christ—and letting your actions overflow from that truth.“

This reveals the third transformative shift: moving from knowledge accumulation to identity awakening.

The Limitation of Knowledge Without Identity

Knowledge-based spirituality means:

• Accumulating biblical information without personal transformation
• Knowing who God is without experiencing who you are in Him
• Understanding doctrines without embodying truth
• Intellectualizing what should be internalized

As Bob discovers in THE CALL, this approach leaves us “knowing all the right answers but still living all the wrong questions.”

The Power of Identity-Based Spirituality

Identity-based spirituality means:

• Living from who God says you are, not just what God says you should do
• Allowing truth to transform your self-perception, not just your behavior
• Making decisions based on your nature in Christ, not just biblical rules
• Seeing yourself as God sees you—complete, loved, and empowered

Biblical Foundation: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Transformation comes through identity renewal, not just information acquisition.

Key Takeaway: Shift your focus from knowing more to becoming who you already are in Christ.

The Integration: When All Three Shifts Work Together

These shifts aren’t isolated techniques—they’re interconnected aspects of a single transformation. When integrated, they create a complete paradigm change:

• Resting provides the foundation of security
• Inside-out living provides the source of stability
• Identity awakening provides the fuel for transformation

Together, they create what THE CALL describes as “living from the inside out”—a spirituality characterized by peace, purpose, and power that doesn’t depend on perfect performance or favorable circumstances.

As one reader of THE CALL shared: “It wasn’t just another spiritual growth concept—it was like someone finally handed me the right map after years of climbing in circles.”

Practical Next Steps

How do you begin implementing these shifts in your daily life? Here are simple practices to start today:

For Shift #1 (From Climbing to Resting):

• Begin each day by declaring “I am already accepted in Christ” before doing any spiritual activity
• Replace “I should” statements with “I am” declarations
• When anxiety rises, ask: “Am I trying to earn what’s already mine?”

For Shift #2 (From Outside-In to Inside-Out):

• When circumstances change, practice saying: “My situation has changed, but my standing with God hasn’t”
• Identify one area where external factors dictate your spiritual experience
• Practice bringing God’s presence to situations rather than seeking it in situations

For Shift #3 (From Knowledge to Identity):

• For every scripture you read, ask: “What does this reveal about who I am in Christ?”
• Replace “trying harder” with “seeing clearer”—focusing on identity awareness
• Begin decisions with “Since I am [identity truth], I will now [action]”

Your Transformation Starts Now

The beauty of these shifts is that they don’t require years of gradual improvement. They happen in an instant—the moment you see differently, you become different. The definition of true repentance is to change our minds. In this case, changing our mind about God’s view and opinion of us and what has been provided.

As Johnson writes in THE CALL: “It wasn’t that Bob had suddenly become something new. He had finally awakened to who he had been all along.”

These shifts won’t automatically change your circumstances, but they will transform how you experience them. They won’t instantly perfect your behavior, but they will revolutionize what motivates it.

Most importantly, they will free you from the exhausting climb of performance-based spirituality into the liberating rest of identity-based relationship with God.

THE CALL illustrates this journey through Bob’s powerful story—moving from striving to sonship, from climbing to companionship, from exhaustion to exhilaration.

Want to go deeper? THE CALL is your next step in breaking free from performance-based spirituality and discovering the relationship God always intended. More than just questions, it’s a guided journey from exhausting religious effort to liberating grace. Click here  www.graceempoweredliving.com/call  to begin your transformation.

Written by, Scott Johnson is an author of thirteen books, who helps people break free from performance-based spirituality. Drawing from over four decades of ministry experience, Scott empowers others to move beyond obstacles toward a fulfilled life through God’s grace. His passion is helping people discover they are already approved, already loved, and already complete in Christ—no exhausting religious performance required.

Many believers have experienced that frustrating moment—earnest prayers that seem to rise no higher than the ceiling. Knees pressed into carpet, hands clasped together, words sent heavenward with hope and desperation… only to be met with silence.

This experience is so common it has become a standard phrase in Christian circles: “prayers hitting the ceiling.” While various explanations circulate through sermons and Bible studies, there’s one fundamental issue that rarely gets addressed—an issue that lies at the heart of prayer itself.

The Prayer Paradox Most Christians Face

When prayers seem unanswered, typical spiritual advice includes:

• “You need more faith”
• “There’s unconfessed sin in your life”
• “God’s answer is ‘wait'”
• “You’re not praying according to His will”

While these responses might occasionally contain truth, they often miss the deeper issue—what could be called the “prayer paradox”:

The more desperately someone tries to reach God through prayer, the more distant He often feels.

This counterintuitive reality isn’t about God’s absence but about a fundamental misunderstanding of prayer’s nature and purpose.

The Hidden Assumption Blocking Prayers

In THE CALL, the protagonist Bob discovers a life-changing truth after years of spiritual striving. While desperately climbing a mountain to reach what he thought was God’s presence, he makes a stunning realization:

He was already standing at the summit.

This fictional moment illustrates the #1 reason many prayers feel ineffective:

People pray as if God is distant, when He is actually within.

The problem isn’t prayer technique. It’s starting position.

The Revealing Question No One Asks

When prayers feel like they’re hitting a ceiling, the revealing question becomes:

“Are you praying TO God or FROM God?”

This distinction changes everything:

Praying TO God: Assumes separation. The person is down here; God’s up there. They must somehow bridge the gap through perfect words, emotional intensity, or spiritual performance.

Praying FROM God: Recognizes union. “Christ in you” isn’t just theological poetry—it’s actual reality. Prayer flows from connection that already exists.

In the first approach, unanswered prayer feels like rejection. In the second, silence becomes space for deeper listening from a position of security.

The Subtle Shift That Changes Everything

Many believers have discovered what Bob learns in THE CALL—they’ve been operating from the wrong map.

They’ve been trying to climb to a God who has already made His home within them.

The shift isn’t about praying differently; it’s about understanding position differently. Here’s what changes:

Before: Performance-Based Prayer

• Starts with apologies and unworthiness
• Feels the need to convince God to listen
• Works to build sufficient faith to deserve an answer
• Interprets silence as disapproval

After: Presence-Based Prayer

• Starts with awareness of union with Christ
• Speaks as one already accepted and heard
• Rests in faith already given through Christ
• Interprets silence as an invitation to deeper listening

Three Signs of Operating from the Wrong Position

How does someone know if their prayer foundation needs realignment? These indicators reveal the truth:

1. Prayer feels like a performance—conscious of saying the “right” things in the “right” way
2. Anxiety persists during and after prayer—wondering if enough has been done to merit an answer
3. God is approached as if He’s reluctant to respond—as though He needs convincing to act

These signs reveal operation from a fundamental misconception about relationship with God.

Practical Steps to Transform Prayer Life

For those who recognize these patterns, here’s how to begin shifting from performance to presence in prayer:

1. Begin with Declaration, Not Desperation

Before asking for anything, declare the truth of position:

“Father, thank you that I am in You and You are in me. I pray from our union, not for it.”

This isn’t positive thinking—it’s alignment with what Scripture declares is already true (John 14:20).

2. Listen First, Then Speak

Most people jump immediately into speaking, not realizing that prayer is a conversation.

Spending the first five minutes of prayer in silence, with this simple invitation can transform the experience: “Holy Spirit within me, what do You want to show me today?”

One reader of THE CALL shared how this transformed their approach: “I realized I’d been broadcasting at God for years without ever tuning in to receive. When I started listening first, I discovered He’d been speaking all along—I just hadn’t created space to hear.”

3. Replace “If it’s Your will” with “Show me Your will”

Many prayers end with “if it’s Your will,” which often masks insecurity about standing with God.

Instead, praying: “Show me Your will that’s already written within me” recognizes that God’s Spirit lives inside, revealing His will from within, not just from without (Romans 8:26-27).

What Changes When Praying From Union

When beginning prayer from a place of established union rather than seeking connection, everything transforms:

• Silence no longer feels like rejection—it becomes an invitation to deeper listening
• Answers become less about getting what we want and more about discovering what’s already ours in Christ
• Prayer shifts from obligation to opportunity—from trying to reach God to experiencing the God already present

A participant in a prayer workshop described it this way: “For the first time in 40 years as a Christian, I don’t feel like I’m shouting into the void. There’s a confidence that comes from knowing I’m already heard before I speak.”

The Ultimate Prayer Breakthrough

In THE CALL, Bob’s life changes when he stops trying to climb to the summit and realizes he’s already standing on it.

Prayer life transforms when embracing the same truth: We don’t pray to reach God; we pray because He has already reached us.

The ceiling being hit isn’t heaven’s barrier. It’s the artificial distance created by performance-based spirituality.

The truth? There is no ceiling. There never was.

We are not separated from God, struggling to make contact through perfect prayers. We are united with Christ, learning to live from a connection that already exists.

This realization doesn’t just change how we pray—it transforms why we pray.

And that makes all the difference.

Want to go deeper? THE CALL workbook is your next step in breaking free from performance-based spirituality and discovering the relationship God always intended. More than just questions, it’s a guided journey from exhausting religious effort to liberating grace. Click here www.graceempoweredliving.com/call to begin your transformation.

Written by, Scott Johnson is an author of thirteen books who helps people break free from performance-based spirituality. Drawing from over four decades of ministry experience, Scott empowers others to move beyond obstacles toward a fulfilled life through God’s grace. His passion is helping people discover they are already approved, already loved, and already complete in Christ—no exhausting religious performance required.

The text message came at 2:17 AM.

“Dad’s gone. The doctors tried everything.”

I stared at my phone, paralyzed. Just yesterday, we’d talked about his recovery plan. The surgery had gone “better than expected.” We were discussing rehabilitation options.

And now? Nothing made sense anymore.

Have you been there? When reality suddenly contradicts everything you thought you knew about God and how He works?

When Your Spiritual Map Fails You

In moments of devastating crisis—whether it’s unexpected loss, career implosion, health diagnoses, or relationship betrayal—our carefully constructed beliefs about God often shatter.

The spiritual map we’ve been following suddenly leads nowhere.

• “God protects His faithful” feels hollow when tragedy strikes anyway
• “Everything happens for a reason” offers little comfort amid senseless suffering
• “Just have more faith” becomes an impossible burden when doubt floods in

This spiritual disorientation isn’t just emotionally painful—it’s existentially threatening. When the God you thought you knew seems absent, indifferent, or even cruel, how do you trust again?

The Hidden Pattern in Spiritual Crisis

In THE CALL, Bob Cooper experiences a similar spiritual earthquake. After following all the “right” rules and climbing the religious mountain he thought led to God, his entire understanding collapses.

His crisis reveals a profound truth: Sometimes what feels like spiritual failure is actually spiritual awakening.

When everything falls apart, something new has space to emerge. But first, we must navigate the painful middle ground between what we once believed and what we’re now experiencing.

The Three Phases of Authentic Trust

Rebuilding trust in God after profound disappointment isn’t about forcing yourself to believe what no longer rings true. It’s about discovering a more resilient faith that can hold both your questions and your hope.

Phase 1: Honor the Disruption

When Naomi lost her husband and sons in the book of Ruth, she didn’t spiritualize her pain. She said plainly: “The Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me” (Ruth 1:20).

This honesty isn’t faithlessness—it’s the foundation of authentic faith.

Steps to honor your disruption:

• Name it clearly: “My understanding of God has been shattered by _______”
• Feel it fully: Allow yourself to experience grief, anger, confusion
• Share it safely: Find at least one person who won’t try to “fix” your doubt

Instead of pushing doubts down, bring them to the surface. Your questions aren’t an obstacle to faith—they’re the beginning of a deeper one.

Phase 2: Separate the Map from the Territory

One of the most profound revelations in THE CALL comes when Bob realizes he’s been following a map that someone else created—not the actual landscape of God’s heart.

The map is not the territory.

Your beliefs about God are not God Himself.

When life contradicts your theology, it doesn’t necessarily mean God has abandoned you. It might mean your understanding of God was incomplete.

Steps to separate the map from the territory:

• Identify your assumptions: What specific beliefs about how God works have been challenged?
• Consider their source: Where did these beliefs originate? (Culture? Family? Specific teachers?)
• Hold them loosely: Which beliefs feel essential to faith, and which might be human constructs?

As one character in THE CALL explains to Bob: “They build temples in the Valley of Religion and call it the summit.”

Don’t confuse religious systems with the God they claim to represent.

Phase 3: Discover the Relationship Beyond the Rules

The most transformative discovery comes when we realize that God isn’t primarily interested in our adherence to a belief system. He’s pursuing relationship.

In THE CALL, Bob’s breakthrough moment comes when he realizes: “I’ve been trying to climb to something that was freely given all along.”

Steps to discover relationship beyond rules:

• Start with presence, not performance: Begin each day with five minutes of silence, simply being with God rather than doing for Him
• Search for evidence: Where might God still be present, though in unexpected ways?
• Embrace a bigger story: Consider how your current chapter might fit into a longer narrative you can’t yet see

The Counterintuitive Path to Trust

Here’s what’s rarely taught in spiritual circles: True trust grows through honest doubt, not by suppressing it.

When Thomas doubted Jesus’ resurrection, Jesus didn’t rebuke him. He invited him closer: “Put your finger here; see my hands” (John 20:27).

The invitation stands for us too. Bring your doubts, your pain, your confusion—not to an abstract belief system but to a living Savior who meets you in your questions.

What Real Trust Looks Like Now

After catastrophic disappointment, trust looks different. It’s not blind optimism that nothing bad will happen. It’s the quiet confidence that whatever happens, you are held.

As THE CALL illustrates so powerfully, it’s about discovering that:

• You don’t have to climb to God; He has already come to you
• Your worth isn’t tied to your understanding or performance
• Life’s contradictions don’t disprove God; they reveal a deeper truth

One reader described their experience after working through these principles: “I stopped trying to force myself to believe what no longer made sense. Instead, I found God meeting me in my questions. My faith is both smaller and stronger—focused on fewer certainties but anchored in deeper trust.”

Your Next Step: From Crisis to Clarity

If your faith has been shaken by life’s contradictions, know this: What feels like the end of your faith might actually be its beginning.

The journey from rigid beliefs to resilient trust isn’t easy, but it leads to a relationship with God that can withstand even the harshest realities.

Don’t rush past the disruption. Don’t cling to maps that no longer lead home. Do listen for the voice that meets you exactly where you are.

Want to go deeper? THE CALL workbook is your next step in breaking free from performance-based spirituality and discovering the relationship God always intended. More than just questions, it’s a guided journey from exhausting religious effort to liberating grace. Click here www.graceempoweredliving.com/call to begin your transformation.

Written by, Scott Johnson is an author of thirteen books who helps people break free from performance-based spirituality. Drawing from over four decades of ministry experience, Scott empowers others to move beyond obstacles toward a fulfilled life through God’s grace. His passion is helping people discover they are already approved, already loved, and already complete in Christ—no exhausting religious performance required.