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According to Wikipedia, practice is the act of rehearsing a behavior over and over, or engaging in an activity repeatedly for the purpose of improving or mastering a thing or craft. In sports/games there is always practice almost daily before the big game in preparation of being good at your sport and mastering it. Practice is set up so that you aren't fearful of your opponent and although you aren't able to determine their next move you are so confident in what you know and your ability that you aren't worried. 

But what happens when we don't pay attention in practice, or we just go through the motions of practice instead of using each practice for more preparation and to sharpen our skills? I'll tell you, you aren't as prepared for the game. You may know how to play it but you're a little nervous of the opponents move because you aren't as prepared as you should be.

What happens when you don't show up to practice at all because you think you're ready and don't need it? I'll tell you, you show up in the uniform so that it's known you're a part of the team but you aren't ready to play the game so he benches you.

Now while you may be on the sidelines dressed in your uniform, cheering the team on and begging the coach to put you in, the reality is you aren't really prepared and the coach knows this and because you are so valuable to him and he loves you that much to not see you hurt  he sadly tells you to stay on the bench. This teaches you to be prepared and to do your part when it's time to practice. To wholeheartedly go to practice and not just go through the motions but strive to get better each time. 

Maybe that's the reason so many believers are afraid during this COVID-19 pandemic. Because so many of us wasn't paying attention in practice. We showed up to church every week and every bible study, but we just went through the motions. We thought because we learned how to quote some scriptures that we were ready for anything but we didn't take the time to research those scriptures and apply it to our lives. Maybe we showed up with our skills and sung the congregation happy and got emotional when the word went forth but we weren't understanding it to live and believe what it was we were learning and experiencing. In other words we didn't really show up to practice or put in the right effort. So now that it's COVID-19 "gametime" some of us are in the game but nervous about what's going on and what's happening, some of us are making plays but we still aren't really confident in whether we are going to score or not and then there's the others that God our coach loves so much that He knowingly benches us because He simply says "you're not ready." 

We're emotionally buying, we're hiding from the enemy, we're nervous about how are bills are going to get paid, we're worried that if we step outside we will be affected and we're just plain ole scared. Coach knows that if he lets us in the game we aren't mentally, physically or emotionally prepared to take the hit. Because he loves us so much he doesn't want us to get hurt and injured so he makes us sit out. Then we beg and plead saying "but coach I have my uniform, I brought my helmet, I have my mouth guard" which translates to "I went to church every Sunday, I came to bible study, I was at every choir rehearsal" and coach looks at us and says "yeah you did and you're dressed the part, you look like you really belong to the team, but you aren't ready."  Your rebuttal is "I was born to do this, this comes natural to me, I don't need practice I know what to do, I've been playing this game all my life," which translates to "I was born and raised in church, I've been praying since I was a teenager, I can sing already so I didn't have to do the breathing exercises in rehearsal." 

With loving frustration the coach looks at you and says "If you were ready, you would know when you quote my word from II Peter chapter 1 verse 3, I said that I give you everything you need because I provide for you. What that really means is although you are laid off from work you shouldn't be stressing because your job was never your source it was your resource, I paid your bills. What that means is although you may get sick, I am your healer and your doctor in the sick room, the medicine was created by my genius using someone as a vessel to manifest what man's flesh needed to physically see to believe but I am the one that healed leopardsy, and blindness and issues of blood by simply speaking that your faith has made you whole. What that means is although there appears to be a shortage in food supply, I fed  you daily. So when you know and genuinely believe and live by that, then you won't just show up looking like you're ready because you're dressed in the uniform but I can have confident to put you in the game. In the meantime sit this one out and watch me get the victory so that the next time we have practice you won't just show up but you will actually SHOW UP. Then I will put you in the game."