In order to be truly free of our past and be able to act out of God’s Love, we must get rid of our ungodly thoughts and feelings the proper way: by allowing God to expose them, by looking squarely at them and calling them what they are, and then by choosing to give these things back over to God and be rid of them forever. – Psalm 103:12
If something occurs that has causes us to make wrong emotional choices (sin), and we are feeling hurt, angry, bitter, resentful, critical, self-centered, doubtful, prideful, ungrateful, anxious, afraid, fearful, confused, judgmental, or filled with any negative emotion then do the following four steps in order to have His Life begin to flow once again
- Recognize Self-Centered Thoughts – We must recognize, acknowledge and experience the negative thoughts, emotions, and desires (self life) that have just occurred. We need to call them for what they are, and “name” what we are really thinking and feeling.
Pray –
I choose, Father, to allow You to search my heart and my soul, and expose any sin, any barriers that have quenched Your Spirit and separated me from You. Show me my “self” (my hurts, my doubts, my fears, my pride, my anger, my insecurities, my unforgiveness, my criticalness, my bitternesses), any self-centeredness that has prevented me from being filled with Your Life to give to others. Shine your Holy Spirit light on any root causes for these things, so that I might be rid of them forever. – Isaiah 1:15; 59:2; Psalm 26:2; 51:10; 139:23-24; Nehemiah 4:10
- Confess and Repent – Now confess and repent of all that the Holy Spirit has shown us. In addition we must, by faith, unconditionally forgive anyone who has wronged us, just as God has unconditionally forgiven us
- If we have caught the negative, ungodly thought and we have not entertained it or mulled it over, then we can skip this step of confession and repentance because there is no sin or disobedience involved. We can just unconditionally forgive the other person involved and go on to the next step.
Pray –
I confess, Father, that I am separated from You. I know that whatever is not of faith is sin, and I have sinned by letting my own self-centered thoughts and uncontrolled feelings consume me and motivate me. I have chosen to hang on to these things and follow them rather than follow what You want. I confess also that I have tried in my own ability and strength to work things out. I have not relied upon You. I have not obeyed and trusted You, and that is sin. – Romans 14:23; Psalm 51:1-4; Proverbs 28:13; Isaiah 1:16; Psalm 141:8
I repent of these things. I desire to turn around from following my own thoughts and feelings. I know if I don’t release them to You, I will continue to act out of them. And I don’t want to do that. I ask You, dearest Father, to forgive me for my sin, as I choose to forgive those who have hurt me and let me down. – 1 John 1:9; Matthew 6:14-15; 18:21-22,35; Isaiah 1:18b
- Give All to God – Then, it is imperative that we give all these things over to God
Pray –
Father, I choose to sacrifice and give all these things that You have shown me over to You and I ask you to purge them from me “as far as the east is from the west.” – Psalm 103:12; Philippians 3:8; 2 Timothy 2:21; Isaiah 1:25
I trust You, by faith, to cleanse, sanctify, and heal me by the “washing of the water of Your Word.” I receive, by faith, Your forgiveness of my sins, Your renewing of my mind and Your healing of my soul. I trust You, Father, to now change my feelings and my emotions to align with the choices I have made and to make me genuine. – Romans 12:2; Ephesians 5:26; Hebrews 10:22; Psalm 103:2-5; Psalm 119
- Read God’s Word – The last step in dealing with our sins is that we must read God’s Word. We must replace the lies with the truth.
Pray –
I know, by faith, that Your Life has now been freed to come forth from my heart and fill my soul. – Colossians 3:8,10; Ephesians 3:17-19; 4:22-24; 5:1-2; Romans 6:13; 13:14; John 4:14; Philippians 1:21; Zechariah 3:4; Isaiah 52:1
Also, by faith, I believe You will now openly hear and answer my prayers, because they are according to Your Will and not my own. – 1 John 5:14-15
By faith, I have done all that You have asked, so I can now stand firm against the enemy. Even if my feelings and my circumstances seem like nothing at all has changed, I will keep on choosing to walk by faith knowing that You will do what You promise. – Romans 4:21; Ephesians 6:10-18; Isaiah 40:29-31; James 1:12; 2 Corinthians 10:3-6
My faith is in Your faithfulness, Father. I love You. – Isaiah 26:3-4; 1 John 5:4b; 3:22
