Following Christ with a singleness of heart takes tremendous courage. It means we need to leave behind everything that is not part of God’s plan for us. It’s tempting to live life focused on the past or worry about what lies ahead in the future.
I believe it’s necessary to completely leave the past behind to experience God’s best for our lives. The ones who are not lukewarm in their pursuit of Christ are moving at a rapid pace toward God’s divine plans.
Prayer is our most powerful spiritual tool to open up HEAVEN’S floodgates. We experience God’s glory when we are on our knees often, in a position of submission, willing to let the Lord carry out His plans for our lives. Otherwise, we will be stagnant and continue to wallow in the muck that has held us back in the past. Christ is calling us to bravely follow Him no matter what the cost might be. He is calling us to move forward and He desires for us to take up our cross of surrender daily (Matthew 16:24) and leave the past behind forever.
The Lord whispered words to my heart during a time I was struggling to let go of the past, and He encouraged me to stay focused on what is eternal.
Be still and quiet every day so that you can hear My voice. I will give you what your soul is yearning for if you keep focused on Me. Don’t look back to the past. Don’t worry about tomorrow. Simply walk with Me and live in the present moment. Savor what I am giving you in the present and enjoy every single breath I am giving you.
With a fierce determination to stay on God’s path, I have been seeking the Lord for His purposes for my life. In the process of seeking Him with all my heart, He has helped me to completely leave my past behind. As I chose to let go of the things that were holding me back, it immediately set things in motion for the new beginnings that God wanted to release in my life.
Because of Christ’s gift of the cross, we are free to live in victory every moment of every day. As we turn away from sin and follow Christ with total commitment, we will continue to live victoriously. We only need Christ and His love. It’s when we yield every part of our hearts and allow Christ’s love to work through us that we easily leave the past behind.
Beloved Jesus,
Thank You for being the greatest friend and faithful shepherd to us. Thank You for loving us perfectly. I ask You to be with the ones who are struggling to leave the things of the past behind them.
I ask You to raise up a generation that follows You with a singleness of heart and lives with integrity. Give them a new sense of courage and hope for the future. Help the children and younger generations to trust You and follow You where You are leading them.
Heal every hurt from the past and take away every traumatic memory from those who have been mistreated. Help them to walk in total forgiveness and let go of the people who are not meant to be a part of their lives. Let them be willing to leave the places You’re calling them away from and let them move toward the new beginnings You have planned for their lives. I ask You to breathe life and strength into their souls as they trust You to renew their spirits. I pray in Your name, Christ. Amen.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
This post includes a portion of an article I wrote in 2008.
