But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; ~Matthew 5:44

Disclaimer: Rebekah A had no clue that some of these events occurred when she wrote her post last night. It amazes me that God has given me the perfect opportunity to follow up on the thought she started yesterday!

This past weekend at the church conference I spoke of in my last two posts, God gave me THE most freeing event that I have ever had in my life.  Someone who wronged someone who was dear to me- I gave them a hug, told them I loved them, and thanked them for things they had done for me in my past.  Another had wronged both me and my family so completely and deeply I cannot begin to list it all- both because it is a vast list and especially since it is now all behind me (for I am looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith, and if He could endure the cross, I can forget things that have hurt me and those I love (Hebrews 12:2) )- this person, I prayed God’s blessing over her and her family, I prayed God free her from fear and doubt, I prayed God bless her and keep her.

I think the biggest thing this past weekend though was that God freed me completely from my ex.  All weekend I felt like I had to pray a blessing over him despite EVERYTHING.  God told me that I had to forgive him and bless him and then leave him where he belongs- my past.  After the conference, on the surface I felt one way- victorious, loved by God, excited that my future was unfolding- but deeper down I felt I was spinning out of control like my car had done just a few days before.  I had survived seeing my ex from afar but it still brought to surface things that I tried to bury.  God wanted that OUT of my life though because as I mentioned in a previous post, a promise cannot live with an error and God wants me to be free to accept into my life the Isaac He has for me. And so, during a perfectly timed, God-written sermon, Jesus cleaned me out.  He told me at the alter that I had to go and text my ex that very moment:

I forgive you.  I pray you have a blessed rest of your life. 

So simple and yet so completely and utterly freeing.  I am SURE there is NO WAY that he isn’t ashamed of what he did.  There is no way that he can think of me and not feel shame- for he never acted in a Godly manner once things started falling apart.  However, because I prayed for him, fasted for him, and even sent that text- I can look back on this situation in my life and feel joy and peace.  I have won by being saved from tying myself to someone who would have only brought me down while he threw away the very thing that was praying and fasting blessings into his life.  I. Am. Free.

Dear Reader, 

I implore you to pray a blessing into the life of those who have hurt you and then leave it all where it belongs- in your past.  The sermon was about how through Jesus we have power (Acts 1:8). The preacher spoke of how this power gives us power to change how our past affects our current situations, power to fix our present, and even power to establish our future.  If you don’t have that power- I beg you to seek Him with all your heart and you will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13). Know that salvation is based on the words of Peter who told of the salvation plan in Acts 2:38, whom Jesus earlier stated he would build his church upon (Matthew 16:18). Know that before we ever knew Him, He loved us so much that He died to pay for all the bad things we’ve done in our past (Romans 5:8). May God bless you all with freed hearts.

Rebekah M.