God loves you.
Your past does not define you.
You’re never too far gone from God.
There is always a path back to God…
and it’s never too late to start again.
Resources
Salvation Prayer
A salvation prayer, known by many Christians as a “Sinners Prayer,” is a prayer said to repent from sin, ask God for forgiveness, confess belief in Jesus Christ, and accept Him as Lord and Savior. Saying a salvation prayer is the first step in your relationship with God.
If you have never asked Jesus into your life, or you have once, but then turned away from God, a simple heartfelt prayer is all you need to restore/begin your relationship with God.
Repeat this prayer out loud and from your heart:
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for dying on the cross for me. Please forgive me of my sins. Come into my life. I receive You as my Lord and Savior. Fill me with the Holy Spirit. Help me to live for you the rest of this life.
In Jesus’ name, I pray.
Amen.
But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Acts 2:21
If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5
Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.
Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. Psalm 51
Prayer
Prayer is about a relationship with God, not following a religion. God doesn’t just want to hear from you when you need something or when you’re in trouble. He wants to hear about your joy, your questions, even your anger and disappointments.
In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.
Jeremiah 29:12
Depending on the season you are in, this may mean talking to God in the shower or on your way to work. It’s truly not about the amount of time, but it’s about quality time.
Strive to be real and raw with the Lord during your prayer life, not perfect. He doesn’t need to hear all the “thou’s” and “thus’s’”, He just wants to hear YOU.
The LORD is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth. Psalm 145:18
Seek His face in all you do throughout the day. If we do that, no matter the circumstances, everything will miraculously fall into place
Forgiveness
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32
The person who hurt you may never say they are sorry. They may be dead or maybe you’ll never see them again. Forgiveness is not for them. Forgiveness is for you!! Unforgiveness is like drinking poison, and expecting the other person to die.
Forgiveness is a responsibility and an ongoing process. Christians are commanded to forgive others as God has forgiven them. Jesus said, “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matt. 6:12). He also told Peter to forgive someone 77 times.
Biblical forgiveness is not only a responsibility but a pathway to emotional and mental healing, and brings you closer to God. It releases us from the chains of resentment and bitterness as you mirror God’s mercy in your life.
Spiritually, unforgiveness can create a barrier between the individual and God. It can hinder one’s spiritual growth and block the flow of God’s forgiveness and blessings. As Mark 11:25-26 suggests, if we do not forgive, it can affect our forgiveness from God.
Forgiveness is not forgetting. Forgiveness doesn’t mean excusing or forgetting egregious acts. It also does not remove any legal or natural consequences that may arise.
Grief
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalms 34:18
Feel your feelings. God gave them to you for a reason; just don’t allow yourself to house a spirit of grief. Don’t let a season of sadness and mourning become a lifestyle.
Put on praise music for Psalm 22:3 says the Lord inhabits our praise. And where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Freedom from pain, grief and sadness.
Know that loss and death are events we all experience in the journey of life, and what’s most important is where you spend eternity after death. Be prepared, and let your children be prepared and know your wishes. The best gift and inheritance you can leave them, is an assurance that
they will see you again. In death, there is such comfort knowing without a doubt their loved one is with Jesus.
Let grief and or loss take you closer to Jesus. That will bring you fullness of joy. Our grieving shouldn’t look like the world’s grieving.
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
Bible Reading
Building a relationship with God, requires knowing who God is. The best way to do this, is to read the Bible, which is the living, breathing Word of God.
Most people struggle with reading the Bible because they pick up a King James version, which can be difficult to understand. Discouraged, they quit reading the Bible and then never pick it up again.
We want to show you how different translations can help you better understand the Word of God, without frustrating you. This is a well known verse from the King James version.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
Here is the same verse but in the New Living Translation.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. Whoever puts his trust in God’s Son will not be lost but will have life that lasts forever. John 3:16
Same exact verse. Same meaning. Try different versions to see what speaks to you best. The Bible is still the Word of God, even if it doesn’t have all the “thou’s” and “thus’s’”.
Also, some people struggle to find time to sit down with a Bible, and others have reading difficulty in general. You can listen to audio versions to get the Word of God into your spirit. The YouBible is a free app for smartphones and can read the Bible to you anywhere, anytime.
Overcoming Trauma
All things work together for good, for those who love him. Romans 8:28
Bad things happen, and it doesn’t mean God is punishing or abandoning you. We live in a fallen world, where people have free will to accept God and His ways, or to turn from God.
For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. Matthew 5:45
However, it’s important to remember, you are in a controlled environment in Christ Jesus, even when things are out of control around you.
Every pain we hold onto, we possess and God can’t heal us of it. As long as you are blaming God for causing it, He can’t heal you from it. When you blame Him for what happened, you don’t trust Him to fix it. But He is our creator and our healer. When we keep pain from God, we are also keeping ourselves from God. Being distant from God, keeps our healing distant from us.
When we minimize and hide our pain, our resistance to vulnerability can make us unsympathetic and fake. In the Bible, Isaiah is inspiring because he is real and raw in expressing his deep pain to God. He is honest and pours his heart out to the Lord, about how hard it is to hear and see Him in the midst of the trial. His relationship with God deepens due to this vulnerability and his trust in the Lord strengthens.
He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, and you will bring me glory.” I replied, “But my work seems so useless! I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose. Yet I leave it all in the Lord’s hand; I will trust God for my reward.” Isaiah 49:3
The people who thrive after trauma instead of spiral, are those with a strong support network to process the grief with. This is where finding a Bible believing church and strong, spiritual friends is imperative to our healing and growth.
Addiction
Addiction isn’t just about drugs and alcohol or pornography. It’s the absence of a whole and healthy self. It’s a void in your spirit, that you try to fill with the thing you are abusing. We often start using drugs and alcohol to dull the pain from a hurt so recovering from addiction needs to
start with identifying the underlying trauma that caused the hole.
Don’t get me wrong; Jesus can deliver you in an instant…but the addiction is a symptom of an underlying wound that needs to be exposed in order to be healed. Christian counselors can be helpful to identify these issues and help you heal Biblically.
You can’t love others or yourself when you’re empty.
Jesus wants to fill that void.
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13
Redemption
In the Bible, redemption is the idea of liberation from sin and God’s promise to restore and renew. It’s a central theme in the Bible, and it’s often associated with the work of Jesus.
As much as we want to follow Christ and to be like Him, we are human. Humans make mistakes. More than that, humans sin. Paul wrote, “ I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.” Romans 7:19
The Word of God is a story of real people, with real faith and genuine frailties. God isn’t looking for perfect people who have their lives in order. He is looking for people whose hearts are for Him, for people He can use even though they are imperfect.
If you are imperfect, take heart. You are not alone.
| ● Elijah – Was suicidal. ● Joseph – Was abused. ● Job – Went bankrupt. ● Moses – Had a speech problem. ● Gideon – Was afraid. ● Samson – Was a womanizer. ● Rahab – Was a prostitute. ● Noah – Was a Drunk. ● Jeremiah – Was young. ● Jacob – Was a cheater. |
● David – Was a murderer. ● Jonah – Ran from God. ● Naomi – Was a widow. ● Peter – Denied Christ three times ● Martha – Worried about everything. ● Zacchaeus – Was mone hungry. ● The Disciples – Fell asleep while praying. ● Paul – Persecuted Christians before becoming one. |
Let God turn your trials, your flaws into your testimony. If you don’t share your testimony, what you’ve learned will die with you and others are condemned to repeat it.
By giving a voice to the past that you previously couldn’t forget or forgive, you are releasing the shame and killing the condemnation.
I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free. Isaiah 44:22
Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies. Psalm 107:2
Share your testimony with us!
All glory to God, you have overcome!