Another excerpt from the Screwtape Letters,
"All virtues are less formidable to us once the man is aware that he has them."
Letter XIV

For the past several months I have been praying for different spiritual virtues, a new one each month. For example, so far I have prayed for patience, self-discipline, a listening heart, and gentleness. After reading this passage it occurred to me that I should never stop praying for a specific virtue once I have started. It seems true that as soon as we think we have a virtue, any benefit that virtue might have brought to the world disappears because we think we no longer have to try or we become conceited saying, "Look what a good person I am!" which negates the virtue anyway. So I wonder, if in ceasing to pray for a virtue, I no longer try so hard to display that virtue. And if so, I should just continue to pray for every virtue I have prayed for in the past and just add to my list as months pass.