By Movieguide® Staff
Jen Lilley might be an in-demand actress, but she recently explained why she holds her career “very loosely.”
“I wish I could say that I’ve prayed about every job,” she told Movieguide®. “Certainly in the last decade I’ve been praying a lot before I accept jobs.”
One job she prayed before accepting was her now-famous role on DAYS OF OUR LIVES. Lilley initially didn’t want to take the role, as she was unsure of agreeing to appear in a soap opera.
“The moment you’re filled with pride is the moment the Lord’s like, ‘Let’s just go ahead and knock you right off your horse,’” she explained. “If you invite the Holy Spirit to invade you all the time and you give Him permission to just cut you down to size, He will do it very quickly.”
Related: Jen Lilley Hopes Her Latest Project ‘Stirs Your Heart and Faith’
Lilley’s manager told her to pray before officially passing on the DAYS OF OUR LIVES role, and she did so while driving.
“I hear the Lord say, ‘This is your role,’” Lilley said. When she asked why, she recalled God saying, “‘Because Theresa Donovan is in the exact condition that the world was in when I sent My son to die for them, and that audience needs to know that there is no pit so deep that My love cannot find them still.’”
Now, Lilley says, she prays “about everything,” adding, “I hold my career very loosely. You know, I’m like, ‘Lord, I’m not here to be an actress. I’m here to be Your daughter.’”
Lilley is far from her soap opera days, but she recently told Soap Opera Digest she “would be open to returning to the role.”
“But soaps shoot all year, versus prime-time series or movies that only film for a few months and have a hiatus. Soaps demand a whole other level of commitment,” the actress added. “Right now, my family comes first, and I’m prioritizing this season of life with my children. So, while I’d love to come back in smaller arcs when the timing is right, I’m not in a position to take on the full-time commitment that DAYS demands.”
Lilley has plenty to keep her busy, though, from her upcoming Christmas movie HOLIDAY HEARTS, to the publication of her first book, Wake Up Your Faith: 365 Daily Encounters With Jesus.
“My brand new devotional Wake Up Your Faith isn’t just a book — it will teach you how to truly experience God’s Presence and turn your daily life into an incredible adventure,” she wrote in a recent Instagram post.
Lilley might have a successful career in the entertainment industry, but for her, her relationship with God will always be the most important thing in her life.
Read Next: Everything Jen Lilley Loves About Holiday Movies and Christmas
Questions or comments? Please write to us here.
– Content: +3Share:
– Content: +3