God’s Spirit and Word provide us with tools to use during our struggles in life (1 Corinthians 15:57). Without them, we resort to behavior learned from others who set the example in our life. Our goal as authentic Believers is to truly love God with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30).
We call on Him to completely heal us in body, soul, and spirit from trauma caused by our past and current issues. Stress would have killed me years ago, if I continued living under the bondage of negative adaptive skills, which I acquired as a child and young adult.
In order to survive with my sanity intact, I used codependency as my main coping skill. I pleased others and neglected myself in my attempt to gain love and approval. I thought that if I preferred and loved others, that they would love and prefer me too; however, my emotional “tank” was usually empty, and I was running on “fumes” most of the time.
I suffered with unrealistic expectations, explosive anger, melancholic depression, self-dislike, seasonal affective disorder, neurotic thoughts and behaviors, anxiety, unreasonable panic attacks, obsessive worry, loneliness, post-traumatic stress disorder, repression and dissociation of memories of personal trauma, and so on.
However, over the years, God's Truth SET ME FREE from these issues one at a time (John 8:32). I started asking God for His wisdom, strength, and courage to face every crisis. My dear hubby and I spent hours in prayer for my transformation, and then I voraciously searched His Word for advice on how to live as an overcomer rather than as a victim.
One factor that God used to set me free from these negative thought and behavioral patterns was the Serenity Prayer, which actually saved my life. Now, throughout each day, I use the Serenity Principle when I do my frequent searching inventories.
I examine my body, spirit, thoughts, feelings, and choices. If I ascertain any disruptions of my peace and joy, and if I can do something about the problems that come to light during these examinations, I change my circumstances (James 1:25).
Otherwise, I change my focus and attitude about the issues that I cannot change, and I place them in the capable hands of our God and Savior to manage in His timing and way (Galatians 5:1). Over the years, I have learned that when Christ sets us free, we are totally set free indeed (John 8:36).
Prayer:
Father God, the freedom of body, soul, and spirit that we experience by accepting Your perception of our life as Your adopted children is greater than any wisdom that anyone in this world can give us apart from You. Continue to reveal to us the lies that we believe as truth; so instead, we can absorb Your wisdom as our truth, and receive Your comfort from the traumatic instances of our past.
Many trained individuals have a heart to help others, but their wisdom is taught, not caught. Remind us that human wisdom does not change us from the inside out. It merely informs our mind of truth, but often disregards the deep satanic lies that our soul believes are true. Thank You for teaching us that these lies link us to these disruptive negative thoughts and behavioral patterns. We so appreciate You for leading us to victorious healing over every destructive instance and situation in our life.
Thought for the Day:
God’s grace and truth come to us through Jesus Christ and set us completely free from bondage to sin, as well as the satanic and humanistic deception that we originally believed as truth; the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus always sets us free from the law of sin and death; help us to be willing to spend time in transformational prayer.
- John 1:17; John 8:36; Romans 8:2; 2 Corinthians 3:17
- https://www.transformationprayer.org/preparing-journey-introduction/
